"Someone Else's Story": Chess Plays Denver's Arvada Center Starting March 27

By Andrew Gans
27 Mar 2012

Tally Sessions
Tally Sessions
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

The Arvada Center's production of Chess, A Musical begins its limited run March 27 in the Main Stage Theater; performances continue through April 15.

Directed by Rod Lansberry, the cast features Gregg Goodbrod (Freddie), Tally Sessions (Anatoly), Sydney James Harcourt (Arbiter), Stephen Day (Molokov), Colin Alexander (Walter), Lisa Karlin (Florence) and Megan Van De Hey as Svetlana. The ensemble comprises Matthew Dailey, Daniel Herron, Ellen Kaye, Angela Mendez, Adam Pellegrine, Mercedes Perez, Susie Roelofsz, Jacob Lewis Smith, Alan Swadener and Anne Vick.

Chess has music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (founding members of Swedish pop group ABBA), and lyrics by Tim Rice. Chess, according to press notes, is "a rock opera that uses the game of chess —with all of its power plays, manipulations, and sacrificial pawns — as a metaphor for the universal conflicts in love and life as well as global strife and the desire for a peaceful coexistence."

The creative team also includes David Nehls (musical director), Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck (choreographer), Brian Mallgrave (scene design), Clare Henkel (costume design), Jacob M. Welch (light design) and Steve Stevens (sound design).

The show is based on an original idea by Rice, who, according to the Arvada Center, has allowed "theatre companies to take creative license when staging the play. Under the direction of multi-award winning director Rod Lansberry the result will be a once in a lifetime staging that is not to be missed."

For more information visit www.arvadacenter.org or call (720) 898-7200.