Benny Andersson · aftercurtain

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Chess

Music · Musical · 1988

Chess is a 1986 musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the pop group ABBA, lyrics by Ulvaeus and Tim Rice, and book by Rice. The story involves a politically charged, Cold War–era chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American and the other Soviet, and their fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any real individuals, the character of the American grandmaster was loosely based on Bobby Fischer, while elements of the story may have been inspired by the chess careers of Russian grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov. Chess allegorically reflected the Cold War tensions present in the 1980s. The musical has been referred to as a metaphor for the Cold War, with the insinuation that the Cold War is itself a manipulative game. Released and staged at the height of the strong anti-communist agenda that came to be known as the "Reagan Doctrine", Chess addressed and satirized the hostility of the international political atmosphere of the 1980s. As with other productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita—both of which Rice developed with Andrew Lloyd Webber—a highly successful concept album was released prior to the first theatrical production in order to raise money. In the case of Chess, the concept album was released in late 1984 while the show opened in 1986 in London's West End, where it played for three years. A much-altered US version premiered on Broadway in 1988 with a book by Richard Nelson, but survived only for two months. Chess is frequently revised for new productions, many of which try to merge elements from both the British and American versions, but was not revived in the West End until 2019. Chess was revived on Broadway in 2025 with a new book by Danny Strong, and it closed on June 21, 2026. Chess placed seventh in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Number One Essential Musicals".

Mamma Mia!

Music and Lyrics · Musical · 1999

Before the curtain rises, the orchestra starts playing the overture, which is a montage of instrumental versions of some of ABBA's hit songs. On the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, 20-year-old Sophie is preparing to marry her fiancé, Sky. She wants her father to walk her down the aisle but does not know his identity ("Prologue"). She discovers her mother Donna's diary and finds old entries that describe dates with three possible fathers: an American architect named Sam Carmichael, an Australian writer and adventurer named Bill Austin, and a British banker named Harry Bright. She sends each an invitation to her wedding without telling Donna. All three men accept ("Honey, Honey"). Donna reunites with her long-time best friends, Tanya, a rich woman who has been married and divorced thrice, and Rosie, an unmarried and carefree woman, at her taverna. The trio used to comprise a girl group called "Donna and the Dynamos". Donna laments about the struggles of running the taverna singlehandedly ("Money, Money, Money"). Later that day, Sam, Bill, and Harry arrive at the island. They meet Sophie who convinces them not to tell Donna that she had invited them ("Thank You for the Music"). Donna is astonished to see her ex-lovers and runs off in tears ("Mamma Mia"). Tanya and Rosie attempt to comfort Donna ("Chiquitita"), and convince her that she can still be the girl she once was ("Dancing Queen"). Sophie tells Sky about her confusion regarding her father's real identity, but still does not reveal that she had invited them. Sky assures her he will be the only man she ever needs, right before his buddies take him to his bachelor party ("Lay All Your Love on Me"). At Sophie's bachelorette party, Donna and the Dynamos don their old costumes and perform a song ("Super Trouper"). Sam, Bill, and Harry accidentally walk in on the party, and the guests persuade them to stay ("Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"). Sophie is unable to find any concrete answers from talking to either Sam or Harry, however she learns from Bill that he has an aunt Sophia who once lived with Donna and funded the taverna's construction. This leads both to believe Bill is Sophie's father and he reluctantly agrees to walk her down the aisle ("The Name of the Game"). The bachelor and bachelorette parties converge, where both Sam and Harry respectively tell Sophie they believe they're her father and promise to walk her down the aisle the next day. Hopelessly confused, Sophie leaves the party, unsure whom to believe ("Voulez-Vous"). (Entr'acte) Sophie has a nightmare, involving her three possible fathers all fighting for the right to walk her down the aisle and wakes up distressed ("Under Attack"). Donna is confused as to why Sophie is so upset on her wedding day, while Sophie emotionally blames Donna for raising her without a father. Donna is left to reminisce on her past relationships ("One of Us"). She gets into an argument with Sam; despite their conflict, Donna and Sam still love one another and wish their relationship had worked out differently ("SOS"). At the beach, a worker at Donna's taverna named Pepper makes advances to Tanya, but she rebuffs him ("Does Your Mother Know"). Sky figures out Sophie's plan and feels betrayed that she kept it a secret from him. Sam tries to give Sophie some fatherly advice by describing his own failed marriage ("Knowing Me, Knowing You"), but Sophie is not consoled. Harry offers Donna to pay for the wedding, and they reminisce about their fling ("Our Last Summer"). Donna helps Sophie get dressed for the wedding, in disbelief that her daughter is going to be a bride ("Slipping Through My Fingers"). They reconcile and Sophie asks Donna to walk her down the aisle, since she's the most active parental figure in her life. Sam tries speaking to Donna again, and a bitter confrontation ensues as Donna tells Sam that he broke her heart ("The Winner Takes It All"). Rosie is making final wedding preparations when Bill expresses disappointment that Donna has been selected to walk Sophie down the aisle. Bill reaffirms his commitment to single life, but Rosie confesses she has grown attracted to him, and urges him to reconsider ("Take a Chance on Me"). They become intimate just before getting interrupted by the arrival of guests, leaving Rosie quite stunned. The wedding begins, with Donna walking Sophie down the aisle. Donna interrupts the ceremony and acknowledges to everyone that Sophie's father is present. Sophie finally tells her mother that she had secretly invited the three men, and Donna reveals she is also unsure which one is her father. Everyone involved agrees that the identity of Sophie's biological father does not matter, and all three are happy to be "one-third of a father" and a part of her life at last. During this discussion, Harry reveals he's in a committed gay relationship. Just as the wedding is about to resume, Sophie calls a halt to the proceedings and Sky agrees they are not ready to get married yet. Sam seizes his chance and proposes to Donna to prevent the wedding preparations from going to waste. He explains that he always loved her, and years ago had ended his own engagement and returned to the island only to find Donna had gone off with another man (Bill). Donna accepts and the two marry spontaneously ("I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"). At the end of the night, Sophie and Sky depart Kalokairi to tour the world together ("I Have a Dream"). After their final bows to the audience, the ensemble performs a reprise of "Mamma Mia". A reprise of "Dancing Queen" follows, during which Donna, Tanya and Rosie are revealed wearing brightly colored ABBA inspired costumes. The cast ends the finale with "Waterloo", during which Sam, Bill, and Harry join the rest of the cast onstage in brightly colored costumes that match the leading ladies. The Dynamos and the dads often invite the audience to clap, dance, and sing along during the finale.

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