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Friday, 18 March 2022, 6:33 amPress Release: Sandra Roberts

CHESS MAKES ITS MOVE ON QUEENCITY!

Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre,Aotea Centre, Auckland16-19 June2022

TICKETS ON SALE VIA TICKETMASTER- FIVE SHOWS ONLY

Withmusic by Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus (ABBA), book andlyrics by Sir Tim Rice, CHESS THE MUSICAL is arguably one ofthe most memorable scores ever heard. Featuring global smashhits I Know Him So Well and One Night inBangkok, this extraordinary semi-staged musical alsofeatures much-loved standards such as Anthem,Someone Elses Story, Heaven Help MyHeart and Pity The Child.

Thispowerful new production of CHESS THE MUSICAL features anall-New Zealand cast, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestraand a 30-strong choir

Producers of CHESS THEMUSICAL are delighted to announce a stellar castfor the semi-staged series at Aucklands Kiri Te KanawaTheatre this June.

Playing the lead roles of Frederickand Anatoly fierce competitors on the chess board andfor the love of one woman are music chart-topping popartist Michael Murphy, and internationalopera star EdwardLaurenson.

Caught in their love triangleis Florence, played by Heather Wilcockwhose glorious soaring voice landed her the role of Elphabain Wicked in multiple New Zealand productions. Shehas also played Tracy in Hairspray and Eva Peron inEvita in both Auckland and Wellington.

Tryingto bring order and dignity to the game as Arbiter will beone of New Zealands favourite entertainers,Jackie Clarke MNZM. Jackies highlightsinclude performing in The Lady Killers with Tina Cross andSuzanne Lynch for 15 years, and starring in musical theatreshows such as Once, Mamma Mia!, Anything Goes, Joseph andthe Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Porgy and Bess, andSweet Charity.

Television and theatre starStephen Butterworth (Ngati Porou) will beplaying the smarmy and sly American television producerWalter. Stephen achieved a cult following for his roles atPop-up Globe and has appeared in The Lord of theRings and Shortland Street.

PlayingAnatolys sidekick-turned-manipulator for the state,Molokov, is Matthew Cutts, a Kiwi whosestar has shone brightly on the West End in London and acrossEurope, performing in some of the worlds biggestproductions including Andrew Lloyd Webbers StarlightExpress, Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia!, Grease, Cats, SaturdayNight Fever, Joseph and His Amazing TechnicolorDreamcoat, and Jersey Boys.

PlayingAnatolys ex-wife Svetlana is RebeccaWright, who has enjoyed an illustrious career inthe musical theatre industry, most recently performing therole of Fantine in Les Misrables at The Civic inAuckland, to critical acclaim.

The production willalso feature an outstanding ensemble and masschoir.Ensemble: Ben Wombwell, EstherDawson, Jamie Cottingham, Jeremy Downing, Melanie Davys,Nomi Cohen, Patricia Bell, Sean MacFarlane, and SkylerJed.

Choir: Alice Merrall, CathyBetty, Chantelle Gerrard, Charlotte Carroll, Chiara vanBaarle, Christina Davies, Christine Wrightson, Emily Briggs,Jocelyn Scott, Katherine Cornish, Kathryn Cross, LeahEscondo, Liz Reilly, Mikaela Stroud, Nicola Murphy, RebeccaHubbert, Vanessa Preston, Trudy Price, Joanna Wood, AminRoberts, Andy Woodd, Craig Rodgers, Dave Torres, DavidWallace, Dwayne Mallo, Flip Hirst, George Keenan, GregMilner-White, Jack Chen-Sinclair, Jesse Reynolds, JonathanBishop, Kristoff Beens, Matt Bruce, and MylesWhittaker.

CHESS THE MUSICAL isproduced by the Amici Trust and G & T Productions, inpartnership with Auckland Live and the Auckland PhilharmoniaOrchestra at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre at the Aotea Centrein Auckland from 16 19 June 2022, for five performancesonly.

This semi-staged production, featuring ourincredible entertainers and the Auckland PhilharmoniaOrchestra, will be filled with sumptuous musicalarrangements set to a gripping story.

Written in 1984by ABBAs Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus, and Sir TimRice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita)CHESS THE MUSICAL features hits includingIKnow Him So Well recognised in the GuinnessBook of Records as the biggest selling UK chart singleever by a female duo and the upbeat pop favourite OneNight In Bangkok.

CHESS THEMUSICAL tells the story of a complex love trianglecombined with dramatic political intrigue, set against thebackground of the Cold War in the early 1980s, where Sovietand American forces attempt to manipulate an internationalchess championship for political gains.

Two of theworlds greatest chess masters, one American, one Russian,are in danger of becoming the pawns of their governments astheir battle for the world chess title getsunderway.

Simultaneously, their lives are thrown intofurther confusion by a Hungarian refugee, a remarkable womanwho becomes the centre of their emotional triangle. Thismirrors the heightened passions of the political strugglesthat threaten to destroy lives and loves.

The musicaloriginally premiered in London's West End in 1986 (where itwas revived in 2018), starring the beloved Elaine Paige. Theseason ran for three years, resulting in a BBC listener pollranking CHESS THE MUSICAL seventh in a listof Number One Essential Musicals of alltime.

Chess the board game, however, is the worldsmost popular sport with 605 million fans and now enjoys evenmore popularity following the Netflix series TheQueens Gambit, which according to Netflix drew arecord audience of 62 million households. In the first threeweeks after the TV series debut, sales of chess sets inthe US jumped by 87% and sales of chess books leaped603%.

CHESS THE MUSICAL is producedby the makers of last years theatrical extravaganzaJERSEY BOYS and is directed by Jeremy Hinman(Jersey Boys, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).Musical direction is by Penny Dodd (Chicago, Evita, Cats,Anything Goes, 42nd Street, and The Phantom of theOpera) and vocal direction is by Jane Horder (MaryPoppins, Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar - NZ /Australia tour, Chess NZ Tour, Into the Woods, Hair, HelloDolly)

Make your move quickly. Ticketsavailable from Ticketmaster.

Venue:Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre,Auckland.Dates: Performances from 16June 2022.Times: Thursday 7.30pm;Friday 7.30pm; Saturday 2pm & 7.30pm;Sunday2pm.Tickets: Tickets from $49.10. Aservice feeapplies.

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Chess The Musical: Stellar Cast Announced | Scoop News - Scoop