Who Needs a Dream?

Alan Sepinwall is, as is his wont, blogging about the TV critics press tour, and notes in today's entry that this summer sometime PBS will be broadcasting the Chess benefit concert that was done some time last year, starring Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, and Adam Pascal.

(Really bad hand-held video here)


This is exciting news for the subcult of Chess fans, of whom I am a casual member. This 19080s musical was written by the two guys from ABBA (yes, I am too lazy to open a new tab and Google and copy their names, why do you ask?) and Tim Rice and is kind of a notorious cult hit. It flopped on Broadway and, as far as I'm aware, has never been a hit, and yet is performed pretty often, with songs from its wonderful score popping up all the time in cabarets and the like. I'm especially excited by the casting - Idina Menzel, that most belty of big belters, is a great fit for Florence; Josh Groban's psuedo-operatic style will be an interesting fit on the big baritone role of Anatoly, and Adam Pascal has the right attitude for the preening, egomaniacal Freddie (but does he have the range - Freddie is a pretty high part).

The problem I have with news like this is how to note it - if PBS isn't showing this until the summer, how will I remember about it six months from now?

Until Whenever