The Big Surprise Is "CHESS" Was Not Checkmate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           I was expecting that, darlings.  I mean, just look at this poster.  If you awoke in the middle of the night, and saw this, wouldn't you be scared?  Lea Michele looks like one of the Brides Of Dracula waiting to suck the next person's blood.  Rumor on the Rialto is backstage she keeps vials of the blood of her victims!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             But that is as far I am going to go with the Lea bitching, because she surprised me by giving a genuinely impassioned performance.  In one of the early numbers, trying to bring down Freddy Trumper from his high, I thought she was auditioning for the role of Fantine.

                                               Now, Lea has never been known for vocal subtlety.  So, most of the songs she does fine with, particularly "Nobody's Side," where I can say she genuinely stopped the show.  My caveat with her was with "Someone Else's Story."  It is not entirely her fault because the song has been moved to the wrong place.  But it is a song of reflection and introspection, and Lea cannot do that. All she can do is belt like a belting trained seal.

                                                 Let's talk about Aaron Tveit and Bryce Pinkham.  Playing Freddie Trumper, and The Narrator, respectively, they are the true stars of this show.  Tveit nails all of Freddie's demons without losing sympathy.  He is the second hottest man working on Broadway; the second act opener, "One Night In Bangkok," has him in his underwear, just like Jonathan Groff six blocks up.  I am telling you; gay men are having a time running back and forth between the theaters showing these show--the Imperial ("CHESS") and Circle In The Square ("Just In Time').  Tveit does a very moving rendition of "Pity The Child," which I was waiting for all evening, because it too had been placed in the wrong spot.  Who wants to wait till the end to get to know Freddie and Florence?  Shouldn't we from the beginning???????????

                                                   Despite what I have said, Nicholas Christopher is the true problem here. Having played a superb Pirelli in "Sweeney Todd," and gone on for Josh Groban several times in the title role, I suspected he had a voice.  And he does.  The trouble is his rendering of the songs, especially the beautiful "Anthem" which ends Act One, are feats of technique, but with no distinctive warmth.  Yes, he has the voice, but it is a one note rendition.  Compared to David Carroll in the 1988 original, Christopher cannot hold a candle to that.  And Michael Mayer has pretty much directed the actors on a one note, as though still doing "Spring Awakening."  Ugh!  Thank God for Tveit and Bryce Pinkham who make the roles their own.  I cannot recall The Narrator from the original, but he is a presence that livens this show greatly.  No, he does not appear in his underwear, but it is a nice thought.  The voices of these two men save "CHESS" from becoming the disaster it could have been.

                                                      I feel so privileged to have seen Judy Kuhn, David Carroll and Philip Casnoff in the original production.  Their presence was with me as I sat through this one.

                                                       See it for the haunting cult score all of us Theater Queens love, and the two gentlemen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                        And bring a crucifix to hold back Lea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!