Patrick Fennelly
plays cocky American chess master Freddie Trumper, though with about 75% of the
attitude the character demands. The arrogant man who plays games on and off the
board comes across a little flat in places, though Fennelly still manages to
strike a dramatic figure overall.
Freddie and his
entourage have made it to Bangkok
for a showdown against Russian chess master Anatoly Sergievsky (a charismatic
Brian Myers). A suspicious incident during the match leads to a budding romance
between Anatoly and Freddie’s second, Florence
(played with admirable poise by Lisa Golda). There’s palpable chemistry between
Myers and Golda. Sadly, the romance feels a tad forced simply because the
musical gives the two characters such little time to develop a believable
connection. This is troublesome since the romance is central to the musical, as
it is meant to illustrate the emotional end of the Cold War.
Difficulties with
the central romance aside, Soulstice does a remarkable job of delivering the
interpersonal drama of Chess.
Occasionally the orchestra overpowers the lyrics, making them indecipherable,
but the bass lessens for the more heartfelt songs, giving the tender moments a
chance to resonate.
Josh Perkins makes a
notable supporting performance as the arbiter of the championship. His song in
the first act is one of the best musical moments in the production.
Soulstice Theatre’s Chess runs through Aug. 14 at the Marian Center’s Auditorium Theatre.
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Congrats to Soulstice, who managed to keep composure and entertain through heat and inexplicable power losses and sound outages in the museum Marian Ctr.