Chess by Ulvaeus and Andersson

Front Row Centre Players is the name of the company that is presenting Chess at the Pumphouse Theatre.

Wyona, Greg, Charise, Gabriel and I went to see the opening performance last night to watch Lurene on stage and to hear Tim in the 10 piece orchestra. “One Night in Bangkok” is the tune most people know from the musical.

The themes are love, home, betrayal and identity, all of which Svetlana (Lurene) had to embody as the wife of the Russian chess player.

Her bio reads “Lurene plays a mean trombone and a terrifying accordion (it’s new). You can frequently find her marching with the Kings Own Calgary Regimental Band or sitting in with the Southern Stardust Big Ban. She would like to thank Tim, her siblings and her parents for their love. Obicham te.!”

And about about the show? Lurene had two numbers – duets that hushed the house. She and the female lead have voices that blended perfectly, every note in tune, her body in character, attention focused on the way the song was moving the plot along, and eliciting a few tears from the people in the audience. A show highlight.

“Where did you get that wonderful costuming,” I asked.

“From other theatre companies, from second-hand stores and whatever the costume designer could find for us. I wasn’t all that happy with one of the dresses I wore, but it had been dry-cleaned for me.”

I had looked at that dress carefully. So had Wyona. A busy Russian purple print, a large square collar trimmed with lace that really didn’t work but that was meant to feminize the dress. The dress captured the look of the stereotype of an abandoned Russian wife. And Lurene played the part perfectly. Not the dress that anyone would want to wear but perfect costuming to bring us a character whom Lurene then softened and humanized. She had her cameo on stage as an actress as well – two duets and an acting vignette. Even Svetlana' crying gave echos of a realism no one wants to experience.

The floor of the set was painted like a chess game, and the chess board broke apart and was moved to create different scenes. Much of the costuming was in the black and white (and greys) of a chess set.

There was a reception on the opening night. The black and white checkered table cloth on which the perogies were served after the performance kept to the theme. The music for Chess is by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, two of the Bs from ABBA. So ABBA music was played during the post-show reception. I watched the people in line – everyone’s feet tap or shoulders move or fingers are snapping when ABBA is the background sound they hear.

I saw a new Lurene costumed in the “One Night in Bangkok” song. Black and white and grey, a fabulous hat, large grey stipes, contrasting leg warmers, black leather boots, and all of those dancing moves. Check them out if she ever gets under the mirror ball at the lake.

Oh yes, Tim’s bio read “Tim’s only in the show because he has a crush on the estranged wife of the Russian chess champion.”

Many reviews give the bloopers. One of the stage steps broke in half just as one of the characters left it. No harm there. The lead female character fell and hurt herself, but she made it look like it was part of the act. And poor Lurene, she had to lug on a suitcase in a scene at the airport. It made her husband look bad, the only flaw in his character – making her cart that suitcase around.

“Oh, that wasn’t supposed to be that way. He went backstage and when he came out it was our cue and he said, ‘Come on. Let’s go’, but he forgot to pick up the suitcase that he was supposed to carry. So I just lugged it in and made it look like I was having trouble.”

"I was worried," said Wyona. "It looked so heavy."

"It weighs about one pound," said Lurene. "What you saw was just part of my act."

The show has two matinees – Saturday and Sunday and runs for 3 weeks at the pumphouse, at 7:30 pm. There is a language warning for children, but I think Gabe has heard his grandmother say worse.

Arta