#San Jose Civic Light Opera

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Kim Strauss as Freddie Trumper in Chess (1992) at San Jose Civic Light Opera.

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Ranking all the Jesuses from every version I've watched/listened to so far

without further ado let's get into it 🙌

Ian Gillan - 1970 Original concept album

The True Doer that you cannot outdo. The og who made this role what it is today. And since the og album was were I got my start and obsession with jcs, I have a huge fondness for him. There's just something so- so... about him. His vocals? Insane, fantastic, the golden standard. His Gethsemane is Everything. He raised the bar so high (literally lol) and made this role harder for everyone that came after him and I respect that. I also love his characterisation. He is a rockstar and he knows it. Adore this whiny ass messiah and his dramatics. 9/10

Ted Neeley - 1973 movie

Sad little mouse man. He's like some small rodent to me. His gethsemane is iconic, but beyond it I don't care to much about his Jesus. He's perfectly inoffensive, but I find him a bit boring. Poor guy also had the disadvantage of performing against Carl Anderson, who's too powerful and who commanded every scene he was in, outshining Jesus. Tedsus is not for me personally, but he's definitely not bad. 6/10

Camilo Sesto - Madrid 1975 album

I like him! He reminds me of Ian's Jesus but sadder (love to see it). Really good vocals. That 'POR QUE' ate. And his Gethsemane in general too. I don't have that much to say besides that, but Señor Sesto is really good in this role. 8/10

James Whitson - San Jose Civic Light Opera's 1990 production

Uhhhhhhh. Watched this in a discord watch party and for half of it we were thought this was Ted. It wasn't. Don't really know what to say, there wasn't anything really memorable or notable about him. Also has the disadvantage of being pared up with Carl Anderson, except it's even worse here. If Carl was anywhere near him, no chance I was paying attention to Jesus. Um... he chased Santa out of the Temple! That's something! 3/10

Steve Balsamo - 1996 London revival album

Steve Balsamo Jesus, my dearly beloved. How can you not love him. Just rewatch his Gethsemane for the 1000th time. His vocals are out of this world, man has organ pipes in place of vocal chords. Props to him for actually crying in gethsemane and still killing it. Absolutely fantastic. And his beautiful hair and those brown eyes really add to it. He's such a sad pathetic man, it's great. No complaints 10/10

Glenn Carter - 2000 movie

I'm shaking, please buy him brown contacts. I am a glensus hater, although I have to admit that during my second viewing I didn't dislike him as much. Easily my least favourite gethsemane (lmm excluded), except his delivery of "what you started, I didn't start it", that was surprisingly good. Again, I'm a hater but bonus points for the entertainment factor. 4/10

Paul Nolan - 2012 Broadway revival

BORING! Sorry your trouple doesn't save you from being so incredibly bland. It's like looking at a white wall that has just been painted over and you're watching it dry. Gethsemane is solid vocally, I like his interactions with others. But Jesus himself? No thanks. The staging of the crucifixion was so great, but then there he is with his mouth agape like a baby bird being fed and unconvincing "suffering". Also, no blood? 3/10

Ben Forster - 2012 UK Arena tour

THIS IS THE ONE. My roman empire. My most dear blorbo. He's been living in my head rent free for months. I love him so much. He's just so incredibly stressed out and angsty and pathetic and constantly on the verge of a complete mental breakdown. His gethsemane is my favourite. Just pretty much everything I could want from a performance of it. The way he curls up on the floor? The little moments when his voice breaks a bit from emotion?? The knee thing??? Great, fantastic, stunning, no notes. Also I adore his costuming, finally Jesus is given something more interesting. 11/10

John Legend - 2018 NBC

Hot take, but he's not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He's just fine. I do enjoy his voice, Poor Jerusalem is especially good. Although I don't love his acting in the second act, but I really liked him in the first one. This Jesus just seems really nice and friendly and I love that. Gethsemane is solid vocally, even without the G5. Anyways he's not bad at all! 6/10

Andrew Latobesi - 2018 Villanova College

This was another wildcard from the watch party. Jesus didn't stand out much because we were all a bit distracted by Judi. And Mary. He was bland and the acting was not fantastic, but this is a high school prod, and for what it's worth he's not bad. Gethsemane was solid enough considering everything. The crucifixion surprisingly hit, good crying there. ??/10 since I don't think it would be fair to rank him against all those adult professional performers.

Jack Hopewell - 50th Anniversary North America tour

The only Jesus that made me cry while watching. He suffers real good (and looks very pretty while doing so). He's just so- so... I just wanted to wrap him up in a soft blanket and give him a kiss on the forehead and feed him soup. Tbh I think he's one of the best vocally too. His high note is my fav. Gethsemane in general is just great too. Love how much he's just some silly guy who then has to face the Horrors. He's just very cute :] 10/10

Jeangu Macrooy - 2024 Netherlands national tour

The most poor little meow meow Jesus ever. He's so pathetic it's great. Him smiling and being happy was also so cute. Really good vocals too, man killed those high notes. His gethsemane too... Jeangu Macrooy absolutely steels the show and it's fantastic and incredibly heartbreaking. Want to see his performance again so so badly. In the meantime everyone should check out a snippet of his performance 10/10

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Frenchie Davis

Franchell "Frenchie" Davis (born May 7, 1979) is an American Broadway performer and a soul, dance/electronica, and pop singer. She first came to public attention in 2003 as a contestant on the singing competition show American Idol. Davis began performing in Rent on Broadway soon afterward, and was a member of the cast for four years. In 2011 Davis reached the top 8 on the first season of singing competition The Voice.

Early life and career

Davis was born in Washington, DC and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated from Howard University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

In the year 2000, she began her performing career in productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar with the Freilichtspiele Theatre Company in Schwabisch Hall, Germany.

American Idol

Davis was a contestant on the second season of American Idol in 2003, but was disqualified early in the season due to topless photos taken earlier in her career.

According to Davis, she was up-front about her pictures:

"When I first discovered that I had made it to Hollywood and found out I would be competing to get into the top 30 and then later in the top 12, they had given us all this paperwork to fill out, background checks and that whole thing. So when we were doing that I had a discussion with some members of the production staff and I exposed to them a piece of my past; that when I was 19 years old, I took some pictures and that’s not the person I am [anymore]. I wanted to be up-front about it. We talked about it and then nothing happened".

The Idol staff took no action then, but two months later, they decided that Davis's participation would be inappropriate. "They had decided that because American Idol was a family show, that they could not have me on the show because of the pictures I had taken –though they had never seen the pictures," she told EuroWeb. She also added that no one was able to find the pictures in question as the website that featured them had been taken down.

Double-standards controversy

In 2007, revealing pictures of season six American Idol contender Antonella Barba surfaced on the internet, but Barba was kept on the show (though she was voted off shortly afterward). Many drew parallels to Davis's earlier situation. In an interview conducted for The New York Post on Monday, March 5, 2007, Davis said,

"I couldn't help but notice the difference between the manner in which she was dealt with and how I was dealt with.... I think it's fantastic if

Idol

has evolved, and I think it's fantastic she won't have to go through what I went through four years ago … but if the rules have changed, I believe there should be something to make up for the fact that I was humiliated needlessly."

The discrepancy was discussed on talk show The View on March 6, 2007. Co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck argued that the difference was that Davis was paid for her pictures whereas Barba was not. Co-host Rosie O'Donnell disagreed, saying, "I think it's racist. I do... I think it's because she's black". American Idol was also accused of racism by Project Islamic H.O.P.E. activist Najee Ali: "obvious that it's a racial bias... when you have a situation where a black contestant is punished and a similar situation happens to a white contestant and there is no punishment and they're allowed to continue on the show."

Post-Idol career

After American Idol, Davis appeared in the Broadway musical Rent in 2003. She sang the solo in the opening song of Act Two, Seasons of Love, and in ensemble roles such as Mrs. Jefferson (Joanne's mom), a woman with bags, a coat vendor, Mrs. Marquez (Mimi's mom) and others. She also occasionally played the part of Joanne. On June 1, 2005, Davis returned to her previous role in the Broadway production of Rent. Davis had previously announced that she would leave Rent in May 2007, but announced her final performance following a mid-April 2007 show. During the weeks leading up to the April 29 performance of Rent's 10-year reunion, Davis appeared in an iTunes Podcast (Rent: The PodCast). She also joined the original cast for a special encore performance.

In 2004, Davis was cast in the role of Effie in a West Coast-touring production of Dreamgirls, which appeared in Sacramento, San Jose, and Seattle, and later went to the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

From August 3–19, 2007, Davis starred alongside Miche Braden and JMichael in the role of Mahalia Jackson in the Hartford Stage production of Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, written by Tom Stolz and directed by Jeremy B. Cohen.

In 2008, Davis, along with fellow second-season American Idol participants Ruben Studdard and Trenyce Cobbins, starred in the 30th-anniversary national tour of the musical revue Ain't Misbehavin'. The tour ran until May 2009, and was nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Musical Show Album category.

In the fall of 2010, Frenchie was cast in the role of the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Enchanted Edition) at the Berkeley Playhouse, the resident theatre company at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts in Berkeley, California.

The Voice

In 2011, Davis competed in the first season of reality competition series The Voice. In the first episode, she performed "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, advancing to the next round as a member of mentor/judge Christina Aguilera's team of 8.

On the May 10 episode, Frenchie competed in a sing off against Tarralyn Ramsey, both singing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé. Frenchie won and made it to the next round.

On the June 7 episode, Frenchie performed "When Love Takes Over" by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland. She was told, "You may very well have the strongest voice in this whole competition."

In the next week, it was announced that Frenchie did not win the fan vote from the previous week's performance, which would have allowed her to move on in the competition. However, Aguilera used her own vote to move Frenchie onto The Voice's Elite 8.

On the June 21 episode, featuring the Showdown of the Elite 8, Davis performed "Like a Prayer" by Madonna.

Frenchie Davis was eliminated during the semi-finals, finishing fifth overall. She did, however, join the other members of the final eight contestants of the show: Javier Colon, Dia Frampton, Vicci Martinez, Beverly McClellan, Casey Weston, Xenia and Nakia on a U.S. tour summer 2011.

Post-Voice career

In December 2012, Frenchie starred in the musical God Doesn't Mean You Get To Live Forever at the Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York with legendary pastor Dr. James A. Forbes Jr. and Gregory Charles Royal. In 2014 she made her film debut in the comedy film Dumbbells.

In 2017, Davis starred as Henri in The View UpStairs - an off-Broadway musical about the UpStairs Lounge arson attack that killed 50 patrons of a gay bar in New Orleans. She was also a winner of the Jose Esteban Munoz Award from CLAGS: the Center for LGBTQ Studies (formerly known as Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies) at The Graduate Center, CUNY. The award is given to an LGBTQ Activist who promotes Queer Studies outside of academia.

Recording career

Frenchie is a featured artist in the Tony Moran single "You Are" that was released December 1, 2009, and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard hot clubplay chart. "You Are" was the debut single from Moran's album Mix Magic Music.

On September 4, 2012, Davis released her debut solo single, "Love's Got A Hold On Me". The song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Dance Chart. The song was billed as the first single from an upcoming solo album, Just Frenchie, but the album was not released.

Personal life

Davis possesses a vocal range of Lyric Mezzo-Soprano.

In 2012, Davis came out as bisexual. She continues to be a strong and outspoken advocate for the Bisexual community, LGBTQ Youth and for LGBTQ People of Colour.

In 2013 she was the featured performer at the National LGBTQ Task Force's 25th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change in Atlanta GA where she explained that she had come out for all of the young LGBT people. "It's so wonderful to see all the young people here. You all are the reason that I chose to be out. Because it is important that you see people in the public eye who are not ashamed of who they are. It is ok to be true to you."

In 2014 Davis created a stir when she spoke out bluntly in response to the verdict in the Shooting of Jordan Davis by Michael Dunn where the jury deadlocked on the charge of first-degree murder, saying "As an LGBT woman of color, I am having an extremely difficult time grasping WHY Matthew Shephard’s life is so much more valuable than Trayvon’s or Jordan’s????!?!?! Help me understand, y’all! Help me understand".

In popular culture

Davis was impersonated by guest host Queen Latifah on the March 8, 2003, episode of sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live; Davis was lampooned for her nude photo scandal, brash attitude and melismatic singing style.

Awards and Recognitions

In June 2017, Davis received the José Esteban Muñoz award from CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies - an award that is given to individuals who promote Queer Studies in their work or activism. She shared the award alongside Nathan Lee Graham and Wilson Cruz.

[kneipho]

Via: Bay Area Plays   

Full List as of 8/31/18: San Francisco - Peninsula - North Bay -East Bay - South Bay

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SAN FRANCISCO

42nd Street Moon – “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” – Oct. 3rd – 21st

African-American Shakespeare Company – “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” – Sept. 15th – 29th

American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) – “Sweat” – Sept. 26th – Oct. 21st “Men on Boats” – Oct. 17th – Dec. 16th

Awesome Theatre – “Terror-Rama III: Dead the Whole Time” – Oct. 12th – 27th

Bay Area Musicals –

Beach Blanket Babylon (OPEN-ENDED)

Bindlestiff Studio – “Stories High XViii” – Through Aug. 25th

Brava Theater Center –

Crescent Moon Theater –

Crowded Fire Theater – “Church” – Sept. 13th – Oct. 6th

Curran –

Custom Made Theatre Company – “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?” – Sept. 20th – Oct. 20th

The Department of Badassery

Exit Theatre – “San Francisco Fringe Festival” – Sept. 6th – 15th

Faultline Theater Company –

Ferocious Lotus –

foolsFury –

Golden Thread Productions – “Kiss” (presented at Shotgun Players in Berkeley)- Aug. 23rd – Sept. 23rd

Killing My Lobster – “North by North Lobster” – Oct. 18th – 27th

Lamplighters – “The Pirates of Penzance” – Aug. 4th – 26th

Landmark Musical Theatre –

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre –

The Magic Theatre  – “The Resting Place” – Oct. 10th – Nov. 4th

The Marsh – “The Clyde Always Show” – Through Aug. 29th “Keeping Up With the Jorgensons” – Through Aug. 25th “Bravo 25: Your A.I. Therapist Will See You Now” – Sept. 20th – Oct. 27th “The Waiting Period” – Through Oct. 28th “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name” – Oct. 25th – Dec. 8th “Acid Test: The Many Incarnations of Ram Dass” – Sept. 21st – Nov. 4th

New Conservatory Theatre Center – “Red Scare on Sunset” – Sept. 21st – Oct. 21st “Cardboard Piano” – Oct. 26th – Dec. 2nd

The Playwright’s Center of San Francisco –

Playwrights Foundation – “Bay Area Playwright’s Festival” – July 20th – 29th

Ray of Light Theatre – “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” – Sept. 14th – Oct. 6th

The Refuge – “Cabaret” – July 6th – 15th

San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company –

San Francisco Mime Troupe – “Seeing Red: A Time-Traveling Musical – Begins July 4th (various locations)

San Francisco Playhouse  – “You Mean to Do Me Harm” – Sept. 18th – Nov. 3rd “Sunday in the Park with George” – Through Sept. 8th

Shelton Theater – “Baby Doll” – Sept. 13th – Nov. 3rd

SHNSF – “Les Miserables” – Through Aug. 26th “The Phantom of the Opera” – Sept. 5th – 30th “On Your Feet! The Emilio and Gloria Estefan Broadway Musical” – Sept. 11th – Oct. 7th

Theatre Rhinoceros –

Thrillpeddlers

Troupe Theatre – “The Future is in Eggs” – Aug. 25th – 26th

Virago Theatre Company

Z Space – “#GetGandhi” – Aug. 10th – 26th

PENINSULA

Broadway by the Bay, Redwood City – “Saturday Night Fever” – Aug. 10th – 26th

Coastal Repertory Theatre, Half Moon Bay – “Avenue Q” – July 27th – Aug. 26th “Death of a Salesman” – Sept. 28th – Oct. 28th

Dragon Theatre, Redwood City – “The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence” – Sept. 14th – Oct. 7th

Fuse Theatre, Redwood City –

Hillbarn Theatre, Foster City – “West Side Story“ – Aug. 30th – Sept. 16th “Noises Off!” – Oct. 11th – 28th

Pacifica Spindrift Players – “My Fair Lady” – Aug. 10th – Sept. 2nd “It Can’t Happen Here” – Oct. 19th – Nov. 4th

Palo Alto Players – “Tarzan” – Sept. 8th – 23rd

The Pear Theatre, Palo Alto – “Northanger Abbey” – Aug. 31st – Sept. 23rd “Hedda Gabler” – Oct. 12th – 28th Stanford Repertory Theatre, Palo Alto –

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto/Mountain View – “Native Gardens” – Aug. 22nd – Sept. 16th “Fun Home” – Oct. 3rd – 28th  

NORTH BAY

6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa – “Comedy of Errors” – Through Sept. 2nd “Guys and Dolls” – Sept. 14th – Oct. 7th

Bay Area Stage Productions, Vallejo – “I Ought To Be in Pictures” – Through June 10th Lucky Penny Productions, Napa – “Into the Woods” – Sept. 7th – 23rd “Blithe Spirit” – Oct. 19th – Nov. 4th

Marin Shakespeare Company –

Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley – “Oslo” – Sept. 27th – Oct. 21st

Novato Theater Company – “A Chorus Line” – Sept. 7th – 30th “God of Carnage” – Oct. 26th – Nov. 11th

Ross Valley Players – “Twelfth Night” – Sept. 28th – Oct. 21st

Sonoma Arts Live – “Hello, Dolly!” – Oct. 5th – 21st

Spreckels Theatre Company

– “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”  – Sept. 7th – 30th“Addams Family Musical” – Oct. 12th – 28th

EAST BAY

Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley – “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged” – Through Sept. 3rd

Altarena Playhouse, Alameda – “Clybourne Park” – Oct. 5th – Nov. 11th “One Man, Two Guvnors” – Through Sept. 9th

Anton’s Well Theater Company – “Dirty Butterfly” – Sept. 21st – Oct. 7th

Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley – “Detroit, ’67” – Aug. 31st – Sept. 30th

Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Berkeley – “The Cat in the Hat – El Gato Ensombrerado” Sept. 15th – Nov. 4th

Berkeley Playhouse – “Dreamgirls” – Sept. 21st – Oct. 21st

Berkeley Repertory Theatre – “A Doll’s House, Part 2” – Sept. 6th – Oct. 21st “Fairview” – Oct. 4th – Nov. 4th

Center REPertory Theatre, Walnut Creek – “Mamma Mia” – Aug. 31st – Oct. 7th “Dancing Lessons” – Oct. 19th – Nov. 7th

Central Works, the New Play Theater, Berkeley – “Chekhov’s Ward 6” – Oct. 13th – Nov. 11th

Chanticleers Theatre, Castro Valley – “Don’t Dress For Dinner” – Oct. 19th – Nov. 11th

Contra Costa Civic Theatre – “Allegiance” – Sept. 21st – Oct. 21st

Douglas Morrisson Theatre, Hayward – “Once Upon a Mattress” – Sept. 13th – 30th

The Marsh, Berkeley – “Each and Every Thing” – Through Sept. 29th “One Life Stand” – Through Sept. 29th “Can You Dig It” – Through Sept. 9th “Latin Standards” – Oct. 5th – Nov. 17th

Masquers Playhouse, Point Richmond –

Piedmont Center Theatre, Piedmont –

Pittsburg Community Theatre – “Spamalot” – Sept. 28th – Oct. 7th

Ragged Wing Ensemble, Oakland –

Shotgun Players, Berkeley – “Women Laughing Alone With Salad” – Oct 12th – Nov. 11th “Kiss” – Through Sept. 23rd

Stage 1 Theatre, Newark –

Those Women Productions, Berkeley – “Woman on Fire” – Through Sept. 9th

Town Hall Theatre, Lafayette – “The Revolutionists” – Sept. 29th – Oct. 20th

Tri-Valley Rep, Livermore –

Ubuntu Theater Project – “Pool of Unknown Wonders” – Aug. 31st – Sept. 23rd

UC Berkeley TDPS –

Woodminster Amphitheater, Oakland – “In the Heights” – Aug. 31st – Sept. 9th

SOUTH BAY

Broadway San Jose – “On Your Feet” – Oct. 9th – 14th

Center Stage Performing Arts, Milpitas –

Children’s Musical Theater San Jose – City Lights Theatre Company, San Jose – “In the Heights” – Through Aug. 25th “God of Carnage” – Sept. 13th – Oct. 14th

Foothill Music Theatre, Los Altos Hills –

Lyric Theater, San Jose – “The Wizard of Oz” – Oct. 13th – 28th

Naatak Indian Theater – “Mahabharat” – Sept. 2nd – 23rd

Norcal Academy of Performing Arts –

Northside Theatre Company, San Jose –

Pintello Comedy Theater, Gilroy –

San Jose Stage Company – “The Lieutenant of Inishmore – Sept. 26th – Oct. 21st

San Jose Theaters

San Jose Youth Shakespeare –

Santa Clara Players – “Exit the Body” – Oct. 26th – Nov. 17th

Silicon Valley Shakespeare, San Jose – “Much Ado About Nothing” – Through Sept. 2nd

South Bay Musical Theatre, Saratoga – “Mame” – Sept. 22nd – Oct. 13th

Sunnyvale Community Players – “Grease” – Sept. 15th – Oct. 7th

Tabard Theatre Company – “Another Roll of the Dice” – Sept. 14th – Oct. 7th

Teatro Vision, San Jose – “Departera” – Oct. 11th – 21st

OPEN-ENDED RUNS/IMPROVISATION

Bay Area Theatre Sports (BATS), San Francisco

Comedysportz San Jose

Made Up Theatre, Fremont

Synergy Theater, Walnut Creek

Un-Scripted Theater Company, San Francisco

OPERA

Bay Area Opera Collaborative

Island City Opera, Alameda

Opera San Jose

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Adrienne Barbeau from CannonBall Run Adrienne began her career in 1963 with the San Jose Civic Light Opera. Movie fans know her best for her performances in 

[mrjblogscanada]

Adrienne Barbeau from CannonBall Run Adrienne began her career in 1963 with the San Jose Civic Light Opera. Movie fans know her best for her performances in 

[pureanonofficial]

hey op where did you get that photo of a blonde freddie in aviators and black and white for your chess valentine’s day cards. i cannot for the life of me figure out what production it’s from. thank you so much have a lovely day.

So I'm going to go into far more detail than you asked for, because this relates to one of my favorite Freddie actors of all time!!!

The photo originates from the San Jose Civic Light Opera/American Musical Theatre of San Jose production in 1992. I pulled it the facebook page SJCLO AMTSJ Alumni. The theater group is sadly no longer around, having declared bankruptcy in the early 2000s, but it's still well-loved due to having passionate former members, particularly one who uploads the theater's proshots on youtube. Including a proshot of this Chess! The shows are generally very good--a shining light in regional theater! You know you'll get a competent show with them.

Below are a couple of links and the photo in question!

The Freddie pictured is Kim Strauss, and he is my very favorite Freddie of all time.

Now, there is a proshot of him in the aforementioned production!

I would not recommend watching him first in the aforementioned production, as it is Kinda Bad. The set design is really wonderful, one of the best in Chesses, and Strauss is very good, but the script makes more baffling choices than usual, and the rest of the cast isn't that great. However! What you should watch him in! Is LONG BEACH CHESS!

This! Is one of the best Chesses of all time! It's one of the most coherent, well-directed, and well-cast versions. If you're not familiar with the Broadway version of Chess, this is an excellent place to start with that plot! And this bootleg is subtitled! Even better! The Florence in this production is Jodi Benson (of The Little Mermaid and Broadway fame) and she is maybe my favorite Florence ever. She's so passionate and intense in the role. She's just my platonic ideal of the character! So hurting, so fierce, so alive and human--I can't describe her Florence any better than the casting description for Broadway Chess does--"She is clever, theatrical, touching, vivacious, volatile." That's her Florence!

To gush a little more about Kim Strauss -- he really is my favorite Freddie. And he did the role at least four times in different productions throughout the 90s, so clearly 90s Chess productions agree with me. XD His Freddie is such a deeply awful person and yet horribly pathetic and sad at the same time. His Freddie is deeply possessive of Florence, controlling both physically and mentally, and yet utterly driven to convince himself he does not need her. Yet he reaches for her hand before the first chess game in a quiet asking for reassurance. Yet he kisses her before Pity the Child in a desperate bet of maybe this will work. Yet he stares at her throughout all of Endgame, winning almost in an act of spite against her, yet it is still abundantly clear that it's all hollow because he does not have her. And he has this really interesting, needy tenor that works so well for the character, as well as the MOST Chicago accent that I cannot imagine Freddie without now. And he's got such a great physicality to him. His Freddie is always antsy, always fidgeting, almost always hunched over or running his hands over his face or something. He's never still. I just love his take on Freddie so so so much. He's a really fucking bad man, like he does not let you get away from the fact that Freddie is a terrible person, and yet he's still interesting to watch!

Also his Pity the Child is my favorite performance of the song ever, and I have linked the bootleg below at that point, because if nothing else, you need to see that!

I'm sorry for all this excessive detail anon, but if you are interested, GO WATCH LONG BEACH CHESS.

[pureanonofficial]

CHESS - SAN JOSE CIVIC LIGHT OPERA/AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATER OF SAN JOSE (1992)