History Trivia / Chess

!![[TabletopGame/{{Chess}} The Tabletop Game]]:

!![[Theatre/{{Chess}} The musical]]:

* BannedInChina: "One Night in Bangkok" was banned by the Thai government in 1985 due to arguments that the song promoted false perceptions of Thailand and disrespected Buddhism.
* BreakAwayPopHit:
** "One Night in Bangkok" is easily the most well known song from the musical, getting a single in 1984 and gaining heavy air time on classic 80s and rock stations to this day. It's fair to find plenty of people who know the song but [[AdaptationDisplacement but aren't even aware it's from a musical]].
** To a lesser extent, "I Know Him So Well", which was also a smash hit with its single.
* ColbertBump: "One Night in Bangkok" helped re-popularize the phrase "the world's your oyster", usually in the context of feeling one has infinite potential for pleasure and fulfillment at that point in their life. It actually originates from one of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's lesser plays (''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'') and was spoken as a sociopathic belief that one has [[MightMakesRight the ability to take whatever they desire from the world by force]]; "Why, then the world's mine oyster. Which I with sword will open."
* CutSong: The Broadway version, which was famously being rewritten as the season went on, has these a plenty. "Let's Work Together", the VillainSong, was cut early on. But even before that, "East and West" seems to have been cut before opening night; it was only shown during previews. (For the interested, it took the place of "Embassy Lament" and featured two CIA guys trying to convince Anatoly to move to New York City or LA, respectively).
* FakeAmerican: British actor Murray Head as Freddie on the original album, though his attempt at a [[BigApplesauce Noo Yawk]] accent has middling results.
* IncestuousCasting: The 1994 concert has brother and sister Anders and Karin Glenmark playing the American and Florence, respectively.
* MissingEpisode: The Sydney rewrite was never recorded on a studio album, and the Broadway rewrite's album had several songs redacted. As such, the only way to hear the music exclusive to those renditions was to go to the concert while they were still in theatres. Once the run ended, the music was lost in the ether, although full scripts (without musical notation) still circulate.
** Averted somewhat with the Broadway version now; it is occasionally performed by theatre troupes in America, allowing people a chance to hear the music. Still no studio recording, though.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/TimRice, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus originally sought out Russian music star Music/AllaPugacheva to sing the role of Svetlana in the original concept album, but in the case of [[TruthInTelevision Art Imitates Life]], the Soviet authorities would have none of it, so the Scottish singer Barbara Dickson was cast instead.

* ImageSource:
** CrossesTheLineTwice
** TheKingslayer
** LoadsAndLoadsOfRules
** SuicideMission
** VariantChess
** TabletopGames (1[[superscript:st]] row)

** "One Night in Bangkok" is easily the most well known song from the musical, getting a single in 1984 and gaining heavy air time on classic 80s and rock stations to this day. It's fair to find plenty of people who know the song but [[AdaptationDisplacement don't know the musical it originated from]].
*** Also, this is where most first heard the phrase, "the world's your oyster", usually in the context of feeling one has infinite potential for pleasure and fulfillment at that point in their life. Few realize the phrase was copied from the lackluster Shakespeare play, ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'' - and was spoken as a sociopathic belief that one has [[MightMakesRight the ability to take whatever they desire from the world by force]]; "Why, then the world's mine oyster. Which I with sword will open."

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Reading up on Reagan-era political intrigue is helpful for modern audiences.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus originally sought out Russian music star Music/AllaPugacheva to sing the role of Svetlana in the original concept album, but in the case of [[TruthInTelevision Art Imitates Life]], the Soviet authorities would have none of it, so the Scottish singer Barbara Dickson was cast instead.

*** Also, this is where most first heard the phrase, "the world's your oyster", usually in the context of feeling one has infinite potential for pleasure and fulfillment at that point in their life. Few realize the phrase was copied form the lackluster Shakespeare play, ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'' - and was spoken as a sociopathic belief that one has [[MightMakesRight the ability to take whatever they desire from the world by force]]; "Why, then the world's mine oyster. Which I with sword will open."

*** Also, this is where most first heard the phrase, "the world's your oyster", usually in the context of feeling one has infinite potential for pleasure and fulfillment at that point in their life. Few realize the phrase was copied form the lackluster Shakespeare play, ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'' - and was spoken as a sociopathic belief that one has [[MightMakesRight the ability take whatever they desire from the world by force]]; "Why, then the world's mine oyster. Which I with sword will open."

* BannedInChina: [[http://www.chess.com/blog/billwall/chess-bansthrough-the-ages Here]] is an incomplete list of various bans related to the game, whether on playing the game itself or on specific players. Yes, China is on the list, though the game isn't banned there now.

* BreakAwayPopHit: "One Night in Bangkok" is easily the most well known song from the musical, getting a single in 1984 and gaining heavy air time on classic 80s and rock stations to this day. It's fair to find plenty of people who know the song but [[AdaptationDisplacement don't know the musical it originated from]].

* Hey, It's That Guy's Brother: Murray Head, brother of Creator/AnthonyHead, played Freddie in the 1980s West End production, and performs [[EarWorm "One Night in Bangkok"]] on the album. Anthony Head himself played Freddie in the West End near the end of its run.

* HeyItsThatGuy: From the [[InNameOnly much-altered, much-maligned]] Broadway version:
** Philip Casnoff: ''[[Series/NorthAndSouthUS North and South]]'', ''{{Series/Oz}}''
*** In the latest concerts:
** Josh Groban: recording artist (Anatoly Sergievsky, 2002 Actors' Fund and 2008 Royal Albert Hall)
** Adam Pascal: ''{{Theatre/Rent}}'', ''{{Theatre/Aida}}'' (Freddie Trumper, 2002 Actors' Fund and 2008 Royal Albert Hall)
** Idina Menzel: ''Rent'', ''{{Theatre/Wicked}}'' (Florence Vassey, 2008 Royal Albert Hall)
** The Swedish production in 2002 featured Helen Sjöholm as Florence and Anders Ekborg as Freddie; they had previously played the (less dysfunctional) lead couple of Kristina and Karl-Oskar in ''Kristina fran Duvemala'', also written by Andersson and Ulvaeus. Tommy Körberg also reprised his original role of Anatoly.
** The original '84 ConceptAlbum has Björn "[[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Hooked on a Feeling]]" Skifs playing the Arbiter.

* Hey, It's That Guy's Brother: Murray Head, brother of AnthonyStewartHead, played Freddie in the 1980s West End production, and performs [[EarWorm "One Night in Bangkok"]] on the album. Anthony Stewart Head himself played Freddie in the West End near the end of its run.

* BreakAwayPopHit: ''One Night in Bangkok'' is easily the most well known song from the musical, getting a single in 1984 and gaining heavy air time on classic 80s and rock stations to this day. It's fair to find plenty of people who know the song but [[AdaptationDisplacement don't know the musical it originated from]].
** To a lesser extent, ''I Know Him So Well'', which was also a smash hit with its single.

* In the latest concerts:

* BreakAwayPopHit: ''One Night in Bangkok'' is easily the most well known song from the musical, getting a single in 1984 and gaining heavy air time on classic 80s and rock stations to this day. It's fair to find plenty of people who know the song but [[AdaptationDisplacement don't know the musical it originated from]].

** Philip Casnoff: ''[[NorthAndSouthUS North and South]]'', ''{{Series/Oz}}''

** Philip Casnoff: ''[[NorthAndSouth North and South]]'', ''{{Series/Oz}}''

* HeyItsThatGuy: In the latest concerts:

** Adam Pascal: Rent, Aida (Freddie Trumper, 2002 Actors' Fund and 2008 Royal Albert Hall)
** Idina Menzel: Rent, Wicked (Florence Vassey, 2008 Royal Albert Hall)

** Hey, It's That Guy's Brother: Murray Head, brother of [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Anthony Stewart Head]], played Freddie in the 1980s West End production, and performs [[EarWorm "One Night in Bangkok"]] on the album. Anthony Stewart Head himself played Freddie in the West End near the end of its run.