By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
A musical about chess – and political rumblings – set in the height of the Cold War.
A Broadway star coming to offer a cast critique.
A director that draws respect – and frequently rave reviews – from most everyone she works with.
It’s no wonder that the Haylofters latest production, “Chess in Concert,” has drawn a significant number of area actors to perform.
The show opens a week from Thursday, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 through 14 and Nov. 20 and 21, and a 2 p.m. matinee Nov. 22 at the Malt House Theater.
Longtime Haylofters director Jenny Hoffman is heading the “concert” production, which features dialogue and the full musical score but not complete scenery.
“Chess” – which has never really found a successful run either in London or on Broadway – nonetheless has what many consider an intriguing score, written by two members of the pop group ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice.
The story covers the politics of the Cold War – played out on a chessboard. Two players, Russian Anatoly Sergievsy (played by Dustin Dalvado) and American Freddy Trumper (played by Matthew Hoye), struggle both at the chess table and away from it.
In the meantime, Trumper’s “second,” Florence Vassy (played by Kerry Hart Bieneman), finds herself falling in love and helping with the defection of Sergievsy initially. But as the story moves forward, Florence finds out her father – arrested in Hungary during the Soviet takeover in the 1960s – may actually be alive. She finds herself playing politics to get Sergievsy to return home to his wife, Svetlana (double cast with Megan Schroeder and Kimberly Casey) and free her father.
Add in the match arbiter (Patrick Henry Schneider), a few additional schemers (Molokov, played by Michael Skocir and commentator Walter, played by Travis Greuel) as well as a large ensemble, and “Chess” offers a powerful story backed by powerful, intricate music.
That is what drew Dalvado, whose last show at the Haylofters was “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 2011, back to Burlington from Iowa.
Dalvado said Hoffman told him about a year ago she was planning on doing the show – at the rehearsal dinner for his wedding.
“I knew a little about the show, but when she said she was doing it … I started really listening to it and fell in love,” Dalvado explained.
Dalvado is coming from Cedar Rapids for a total of 11 rehearsals, and was also here for Adam Pascal’s cast critique two weeks ago.
Pascal, a Broadway actor famous for the musical “Rent,” came in and helped the cast work on a handful of numbers from the show and also conducted a question and answer session Oct. 21.
The chance to work with Pascal is also what drew Casey – another Haylofters’ veteran who happened to be double cast as Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar when Dalvado played Pontius Pilate.
“So far, I have had the opportunity in this show to work with a great director, a fantastically talented cast, to challenge myself as a performer and to meet a Broadway star who was able to help me learn a lot more about the theater process,” said Casey. “It has been a great experience.”
Hoye, who comes to rehearsal every day from his job in Brookfield and then travels to his home in Oak Creek, feels a similar pull.
“I jumped on it because it is a show I’ve always wanted to do,” Hoye said. “It is also easily the most vocally challenging score I have ever done.”
Rounding out the cast are Sam Jorudd and Rachael MacLafferty double cast as Viighand, Raiyaa Huntress as the young Florence, and Chuck Dawson as Greg Vassy.
The pop ensemble is Laura Brandt, Deb Frasch, Melody Lopac, Lilliana Petsch-Horvath, Pamela Schroeder, Jason Aaron, Noah Chartrand, Bryce Clark and Schneider.
The rest of the ensemble includes Willow Causey, Casey and Megan Schroeder on the days they are off the “Svetlana” role, Dawson, Liane DesMarais, Leslie Hopkins, Allison Langley, Charis Mitchell, Pamela Niespodziani, Rachel Oldenburg, Zachary Opal, A.J. Prange, Aysha Schiller and Trav Walkowski.
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