Cathedral City, CA– After months of preparation and
“It’s hard to believe that in just a few weeks, CVRep will be presenting the dynamic musical CHESSin our brand new, fully equipped, technically advanced playhouse,” says CVRep Artistic Director and Founder, Ron Celona. “Our new playhouse, located on the corner of Highway 111 and Cathedral Canyon Drive in Cathedral City is truly a dream come true for me and all involved at CVRep. Although purchasing and converting the old Imax into a professional “live theatre” venue has been a challenge, thanks to our amazing Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and generous supporters, our newly renovated playhouse will not only enable us to present larger scale productions like CHESS,and seat more patrons than we have in the past, I believe it is also destined to have a positive impact on Cathedral City as well as the entire Coachella Valley.”
ABBA, collaborators of CHESS, are giants of rock music and rock musicals; and with CHESS they have created a complex rock opera that played to full Broadway houses and standing ovations.When CHESS made its Broadway debut in 1988, it was considered a significant and powerful piece of musical theater for its time, as it allegorically reflected the Cold War tensions of the 1980s. With a musical score by Björn Ulvaeusand Benny Andersson of the rock group ABBA, lyrics by Tim Rice and a book by Richard Nelson, CHESScontinues to have relevance in today’s complex world. It is a highly entertaining musical that transforms the ancient and distinguished game of chess into a metaphor for romantic rivalries and East-West political intrigue.
The story of CHESSrevolves around a politically driven, cold war-era chess tournament between two grandmaster chess players. The pawns in this musical form a love triangle betweena loutish American chess star, an earnest Russian champion and a Hungarian American female assistant who arrives at the international chess match in Bangkok with the American, but manages to fall in love with the Russian. From Bangkok to Budapest the players, lovers, politicians, and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score that includes “One Night in Bangkok”, “I Know Him So Well”, and “Heaven Help My Heart.”
The cast of CHESSincludes: Robin De Lano, Mathew Dotson, Ashley Hunt, Garrett Marshall, Glen Rosenblum, David Sattler, and Jeremy Whatley (see bios below)
CHESS had its Broadway premiere in 1988 – “One of the best rock scores ever produced. This is an angry, difficult, demanding and rewarding show.” – TIME
CHESS will be performed from March 13 through March 31 at the NEW CVRep Playhouse located at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234. Performances are scheduled for Wed, Thur, Fri, and Sat at 7:30PM, Sat and Sun at 2:00PM, also Tue, March 26 at 7:30PM.
In celebration of the New Playhouse, all CHESSticket holders at all performances, to a Champagne and Dessert Reception following the performance. (Reception included in the price of admission.)
Individual tickets are $53 / Previews $48/ Opening Night $63 – includes Opening Night Party. For more information, please call 760-296-2966 or visit the website at cvrep.org.
COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY is a non-profit, professional regionaltheatre, that proudly has Small Professional Theatre (SPT) status with Actor’s Equity.
CVREP MISSION STATEMENT: Coachella Valley Repertory is an educational and dramatic theater organization that presents innovative productions and children’s outreach programs designed to enrich the quality of life for Coachella Valley residents and visitors. For more information, call 760-296-2966 or visit www.cvrep.org
BIOGRAPHIES
ROBIN DE LANO (Florence) Nation Tours: 1st National-Bright Star. Los Angeles: Mama Mia (Hollywood Bowl) Song and Dance, Chorus Line, Last Five Years, High Fidelity, Zorro, Tick, Tick, Boom!, Closer Than Ever (Garland Award), Joseph and the Amazing…Film:@GirlsIAuditionWith (Hollyshorts Comedy finalist), First Comes Like, Inferno, 66 Drive, Harmony, Let the Right One In, and Zombie Prom.TV:Rosewood, The Temp, Passions, Journey Man, and check out her award-winning sketch show on Instagram called @GirlsIAuditionWith
MICHAEL DOTSON(Molokov) is honored to make his Coachella Valley Repertory debut with this production of Chess. In LA he just finished another highly political and timely production, 1776,where he played one of the founding fathers, Roger Sherman. Across the country Michael has appeared in over 100 productions. Some of his favorite roles include (Cogsworth) Beauty & the Beast, (Lawrence) The Andrews Brothers, (Sid Sorokin) The Pajama Game, (Frankie) Forever Plaidand (Ewart Dunlop/Quartet) The Music Man in Concertwith the legendary Shirley Jones. As a factotum of the theater Michael has been an actor, stage manager, writer, production manager and director. As a director, Michael has led productions including 110 Stories, Forever Plaid, Cinderella,and Godspell.He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theater from the University of Southern California. Michael is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and serves on its national governing board. LSL-JPA!
ASHLEY HUNT(Svetlana) is thrilled to be joining the CVRep family! National Tours: Miss Saigon (Ellen), SWING! (Laura & Ann). Regional Theatre: Crazy for You (Irene Roth), Children of Eden (Yonah), SWING! (Laura), Babes in Toyland (Little Miss Muffet, Susannah). Some other favorites include Luisa in NINE and Whitney in A Piece of My Heart. She would like to give all her love and gratitude to her husband Michael, Family, Friends and Bella for their love and support. Nonnie, this one’s for you
GARRETT MARSHALL(Freddie) is thrilled to be part of this incredible cast and crew. Garrett is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and has been working in the Southern California area for the past nine years. His work includes Beast in Beauty & the Beast (Musical Theater West), Edward Rutledge in 1776 (Cabrillo Music Theater), Billy Nolan in Carrie the Musical (La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts), Marius in Les Miserables (Sierra Repertory Theatre) and Krisoff in Frozen Live at the Hyperion (Disney’s California Adventure). Garrett would like to thank the cast and crew of this wonderful production, his mother, family, friends and agents for their tireless support, Batman for teaching him never to quit, and you dear reader, for supporting the arts. Follow him on social media! @TheGarrettpm (twitter) GarrettpMarshall(Instagram)
Has recently moved from Los Angeles and is a full-time resident of the Coachella Valley. Thrilled to be part of the valley’s newest state of the art Equity Playhouse. New York: Off-Broadway: Lucky Lucy with Blythe Danner, Rise of David Levinsky. Los Angeles: Promises, Promises, Sugar, Mame, Zorba (Member of Musical Theatre Guild), Man of La Mancha with Ken Howard/Marilyn McCoo. Regionally: Guys and Dolls,Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors.TV: Bones. Solo cabaret, Glenn Rosenblum is The Musical Man at Rockwell-LA, Crystal Cruises. Glenn is also a frequent lecturer on board Crystal Cruises about the History of Musical Theatre. BA Theatre UCLA.
DAVID SATTLER(Anatoly)is pleased to make his debut with Coachella Valley Repertory. Tours/Regional: European Tour of GREASE (Danny), KISS ME KATE (Fred/Petruchio), HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Phoebus), EVITA (Che), CHICAGO (Billy), ALL SHOOK UP (Chad), URINETOWN (Bobby), WEST SIDE STORY (Tony), CAROUSEL (Billy), BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Beast), THE PAJAMA GAME (Sid), THE WHO’S TOMMY (Tommy), ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (Frank), CITY OF ANGELS (Stone), ON THE TOWN (Gabey), BYE BYE BIRDIE (Conrad), DAMN YANKEES (Joe Hardy), MISS SAIGON (John), BLOOD BROTHERS (Narrator), JOSEPH… (Pharaoh), CHILDREN OF EDEN (Adam/Noah), INTO THE WOODS (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), and the world premiere of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. Originally from San Francisco, but now living in New York, he got his BA in Acting from SFSU. David would like to thank family and friends for all of their love, encouragement, and
JEREMY WHATLEY(Arbiter) is excited to be making his debut at Coachella Repertory Theatre! Recent credits: The Color Purple [Harpo], Princess Cruises [Europe & Asia tour], In The Heights [Benny], Sister Act (Eddie Souther), The Wiz [Tin Man] & Parade [Jim Conley]. He would like to thank his parents, who have been the most supportive people he could ever ask for!!! A huge thank you to all of his friends for their consistent encouragement. He dedicates this performance to his Grandmother, Irene Powell. #StriveForGreatness @just.jer.emy www.jeremywhatley.com
