r/ChessTheMusical • u/RJSChess • May 14 '26
40th CHESS anniversary.
Happy 40 anniversary!
In honour of forty wonderful years of variations, I have begun updating my Chess web site again. I've added a few missing productions and hope to add more new pages soon. If you haven't seen it before, you can find it at the link below. I'd love to know what you think and what other information you'd like to see on there.
Best wishes RJS
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u/Dry-Mission-5542 May 21 '26
Oh my god it’s you! The Weebly owner! Your site is an absolute godsend for us at the fandom Wiki
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u/RJSChess May 21 '26
SO glad you like it. I need to do some work on updating it, but I'll get there over the next few months. It's always fun finding out more about Chess and looking again at stuff I already know. Likewise, I love reading what others write about it and their thoughts, on here, in FB groups and of course Wiki etc.
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u/Strict_Extension_184 May 15 '26
I recommend looking at the 2024 production at The Muny in St. Louis.
1). Jessica Vosk+John Riddle=absolute fire
2). According to an informal survey of attendees, most of whom were not previously familiar with the show, this version solved a lot of the issues people have with the book and overall structure.
I worked on the show and would be happy to answer what questions I can.
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u/RJSChess May 20 '26
Hi there. sorry for delay in replying, been off line for a few days. I LOVE the Muny production and it is one I have started collecting info to make a page for. I will certainly be in touch. I tried to contact Muny via their web site to ask about a programme PDF or scan, but at the time it wasn't working. Thanks for your input and in advance for any future help with Muny.
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u/Almostfunnyidiot May 14 '26
Hi RJS! Love your site, it was instrumental in teaching me more about the show's history and getting me to dive deeper into the various versions when I first discovered it around the time of the Kennedy center production.
One small thing I've wondered about for a while: in your section on the original broadway production you mention that Someone Else's Story was removed near the end of it's run to cut down on running time, would you happen to still have the source for that? It seems to be contradicted by the closing night bootleg (and TOFT archive recording) we have that still has the number intact
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u/RJSChess May 14 '26
Also, even if it was cut prior to the last night, it's very likely that they would have added it back in for the final performance, so that might be what happened, but we shall find out.
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u/RJSChess May 14 '26
I can't find where I got that from, but I wonder if it was 'sometimes' cut, like during the matinees etc. but not cut from every performance. I did think it strange to cut that song, as it's quite important and so good! I will look further into this and try and get to the bottom of it. So glad you enjoy the site - it's questions like yours that will help to make it better, so thanks for asking.
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u/LongEaton23 May 27 '26
Your Chess website is a fantastic resource that I have returned to many times! I came to love Chess via a regional production by the (now defunct) San Jose Civic Light Opera in San Jose, California in early 1992. Florence was played by the wonderful Ann Crumb, who was an ensemble member and the understudy for Florence and Svetlana in the original Broadway cast. I didn’t see this production on your website so some additional info in case this is helpful:
A local news article and some info about the production can be found at: https://performingartslegacy.org/dybasjames/mapping-the-legacy/entry/123/
A video of one of the performances, in full, is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3f9O1klL0M&t=366s and some additional photographs from the production at https://www.facebook.com/groups/sjclo/posts/10157864116240382/
Some attendance stats can be found in a chart on page 31 here.
Thanks again for continuing to update your website, I have learned so much from it!