ABOUT "CHESS"
| Wishaw Press, Wednesday 13th
November, 2002 (reproduced - in full - by permission) |
| CHESS HAD ALL THE RIGHT
MOVES Review by Helen Russell |
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There was an abundance of good moves on stage at Motherwell
Concert Hall when Our Lady's High Operatic Society staged their production of
Chess last week. The winners of the game were undoubtedly the audience who were treated to a veritable feast of entertainment. All the intricacies of the game of chess were reflected in the music and drama of this show. The score involves complicated harmony, great vocal range and songs with a high degree of difficulty. OLHS Opera Society members rose to the occasion. They were disciplined, well-rehearsed, in harmony, enthusiastic and, to put it simply, talented! It was probably a courageous step for the group to settle on "Chess" for their latest production. Chess is relatively new and will take time to find the favour that many traditional musicals already have. Last week's production in Motherwell took Chess a long way on that road to popularity and proved that the Society's decision to stage the show was the right one. Many new and younger faces lined up with the experienced members, and they learned from each other. The success was there to see in black and white and the production team came up with some novel ways of keeping the action flowing throughout. Two sets to the right and left of the stage and video film on screen kept the audience up to date with the story. There were two contrasting camps of the Soviet and American chess players. In the black corner we had John Dounan who played Anatoly Sergievsky and did so with ease. He has a wonderful voice and great control. His rendering of "Where I want to be" and "Anthem" in which he expressed love for his native Russia were particularly moving. John McKenzie was his second and KGB agent Molokov. John had lead roles in a number of the society's productions in recent years, all different and all with credibility. That is the measure of his talent. Over in the white corner we had the leading man of the younger set, Alan Currie who played the temperamental world chess champion, Freddy Trumper. This was a big part and Alan gave it his all. His singing and acting abilities were up to the challenge of this exacting part. It was a pity that the otherwise excellent orchestra drowned him out on occasions. That was not Alan's fault and he didn't let it distract him from the task on hand. Anne Blackwood as Freddy's second, Florence was excellent. She has a lovely singing voice and used it to the full, displaying great control particularly when singing in harmony with others and with the choir which was no small achievement. Her solos "Heaven Help My Heart" and "Someone Else's Story" were particularly poignant and a joy to listen to. The Arbiter was played by Andy Smith with great style and talent. The black and white division of his hair to complement the black and white suit was a nice touch. Janis Cunningham as Anatoly's wife joined Anne Blackwood to sing the best known number of the show "I Know Him So Well". It was beautifully done. George Reddington as CIA agent Walter de Courcey was relaxed in his role. He has a good singing voice and good stage presence. There was a cameo performance from Laurie Thompson as the Mayor of Merano. He was so enthusiastic and couldn't stop smiling. It probably wasn't total acting, he was enjoying himself. The chorus deserves all praise for their polished performance. Their harmony was faultless and they were well drilled in the many moves of the chess board action. They changed moods expertly through the international flavours of Italy, Russia, America, Bangkok and even added a little German for good measure. In a difficult range of choral numbers they were outstanding. The excellent choreography added greatly to the production and costumes and makeup were good. The overall production was a resounding success and a triumph for Producer Peter Macfarlane and Musical Director David Fisher. The Motherwell Times, Thursday November 14, 2002 - extracts - there were no adverse comments to edit out, honest! Our Lady's High School Former Pupils Light Opera Society made the right move when it chose "Chess The Musical" as its latest production . . . the group again delighted its many fans with an outstanding performance . . . . . . the end result would have been at home on the London stage . . . or Broadway . . . . . . The show was excellently cast with all the principals playing their roles with great understanding and sensitivity . . . . . . Choral work was of the usual high standard and the dance items added to the success of the show. The production team of Peter Macfarlane, producer, David Fisher, musical director and Joanne Rooney, choreographer, deserve every credit for a splendid evening's entertainment. |
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