Cold War kids

TUESDAY, MARCH 24 — Local musicians and actors will have the opportunity to perform alongside some of New York’s top talent when “Chess” comes to Wharton Center this weekend.

This production of “Chess” is the inaugural performance in the Wharton Center’s imaGen series. This series gives elite high school and college students a chance to perform staged productions alongside professional actors and singers.

“I think it’s brilliant,” said Jennifer Werner, director of this production. “It’s a way to get deeper roots into the community.”

Werner, associate director of “Book of Mormon” on Broadway, enjoys the challenge of working on a wide variety of shows.

“I love it all,” said Werner, whose directing credits also include productions of the slapstick comedy of Monty Python’s “Spamalot” and Terrence McNally’s drama “A Man of No Importance.”

“That’s what is so fun about theater,” she said. “You get to delve into this wide variety of characters.”

“Chess” is loosely based on the legendary 1972 World Chess Championship, which pitted American Bobby Fischer against Russian Boris Spassky. The lyrics and book were written by Tim Rice, who, along with Andrew Lloyd Weber, wrote “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” When Rice began work on “Chess,” Weber was busy working on “Cats.” At the suggestion of a friend, Rise reached out to Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA to compose the musical elements of “Chess.”

While the subject matter may seem tame, Rice and his musical collaborators build the drama into a full-scale musical production.

“You might see ‘Chess’ and think it sounds stodgy, but it’s really a rock opera,” said Werner. “The vocal performances are really thrilling.”

Written in late ‘70s and premiered in 1986, “Chess” uses the game as chess as a metaphor for the Cold War. As relations between Russia and the U.S. have soured recently, the musical has regained some of the political potency it held at its premiere.

“It sort of became irrelevant after the Cold War ended,” said Werner. “But now it’s relevant as a political piece again.”

This production is being presented as a “staged concert” without all the trappings and production of a full Broadway musical.

“It won’t have all of the bells and whistles,” said Werner. “We won’t have full sets or costumes.”

Part of the reason for the stripped-down presentation is the timeframe involved.

“We only have a week to put it together,” said Werner.

Even without the full Broadway treatment, Werner is confident the musical will still be a powerful show.

“There are sweeping ballads, and a beautiful quartet,” she said. “The songs are just so good.”

“Chess”

7:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 & Saturday, March 28
$15/$10 students
Pasant Theatre
Wharton Center
750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing
(517) 432-2000, whartoncenter.com