The Chess Chronicles, Part 19: Budapest Is Rising

1956 HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION

On 13 October 1956, a group of 12 students from the university faculties in Szeged, Hungary, met to play cards, and re-established the MEFESZ (Union of Hungarian University and Academy Students), the democratic student union banned by the Stalinist Rákosi government.   On 22 October, at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, one of the law students from the original group of twelve students, announced that the MEFESZ student union was again politically active, and then proclaimed the Sixteen Political, Economic, and Ideological Points against the USSR's geopolitical hegemony upon Hungary.  On 23 October the Hungarian Writers' Union ceremoniously proclaimed Hungary's anti-Soviet political solidarity with anti-communist reformers in Poland when they laid a commemorative wreath at the statue of the Polish hero Gen. Józef Zachariasz Bem who also was a hero of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848; likewise, the MEFESZ student union held a parallel demonstration of Hungarians' political solidarity with the Poles.

The peaceful demonstration of students started at about 2 pm at the Petőfi square. An actor, Imre Sinkovits recited the National song (a poem by Sándor Petőfi), then a university student read out the 16 demands of the protesters.  Approximately 20,000 protestors met beside the statue of General Józef Bem, a national hero of Poland and Hungary.  To the amassed crowd of protestors, the intellectual Péter Veres, the president of the Writers' Union (Írószövetség), read a manifesto demanding Hungarian independence from all foreign powers; a democratic socialist political system based upon land reform and (public) state ownership in the economy; Hungarian membership to the United Nations; and all freedoms and rights for the citizens of Hungary.  

At 20:00, a crowd of nationalist and anti-communist protestors had gathered outside the Magyar Rádió building, which was guarded by the ÁVH secret police. Violence soon occurred between the sides when the protestors heard rumours of the arrest and detainment of a delegation of students who had entered the radio station in effort to broadcast their political demands to the entire country. The situation escalated after the ÁVH threw tear gas grenades at the many anti-communist and nationalist protestors assembled outside the Magyar Rádió building.  The Hungarian Army sent soldiers to support the ÁVH policemen defending the Magyar Rádió building, but some of the soldiers tore off the red-star insignia on their caps and joined the side of the anti-government protestors.  ÁVH policemen used guns and tear gas, while the protestors set police cars afire and distributed weapons captured from the military and police forces, and acted on their anti–Soviet politics by destroying the symbols of Russian communism in Hungary.

This event is a critical part of the backstory for Florency Vassy, arguably the most interesting character in Chess.  While Anatoly struggles with his Soviet identity, and Freddie dreams of wealth and gaming success, Florence is coping with the loss of her father and her childhood due to Soviet conflict.  Her background is central to the primary Cold War theme, and helps reinforce that this is the most important theme of the musical.

This is a moment where Chess The Musical becomes Chess The History Lesson.

FLORENCE'S BACKSTORY

Florence was born in Hungary around 1950.  The exact year isn't given, but it's implied that she was a child during the 1956 uprising.  She was separated from her father during the Soviet crackdown, and escaped to the West with her mother.  When the musical begins, she is living in the West working as the manager and second for Freddie Trumper.  Her position in the musical places her squarely between East (Hungary, Soviets, love for Anatoly) and West (Hatred of the Soviets, working for Freddie).

ChatGPT says (emphasis mine):

A major emotional thread in the musical is Florence’s unresolved grief and uncertainty about what happened to her father.  Different versions of the show handle the details differently:  while the original concept album and London version lean into her refugee identity and political trauma, the Broadway rewrite softened the geopolitical complexity.  Many modern productions restore the Cold War material, especially Florence's Hungarian roots and the 1956 connection.

It's vital that Florence retain her connection to the 1956 uprising, as her relationship with Anatoly doesn't seem possible given her family history.  This identity is critical as it gives her a much more personal stake in the East-West conflict rather than just being part of a love triangle.  Much of the musical deals with Florence being squarely in the middle between the two worlds, which reinforces one of the musical's primary themes of dualism.

FLORENCE'S FATHER

So what about Florence's father?  Is he alive, dead, captive to the Soviets, or somewhere else in the world?  Freddie thinks that he's dead, and only Walter seems to know for sure, but is he trustworthy?  ChatGPT has this to say:

The subtext in Chess is intentionally ambiguous, but most productions strongly imply that Walter is manipulating Florence rather than telling the full truth.  Walter — the American intelligence operative — claims Florence’s father survived in the East and can be reunited with her if she cooperates. That revelation is the emotional lever used to pressure her during the climax.

The important question is not simply “Did her father survive?” but, “Is Florence being emotionally blackmailed by governments the same way the chess players are politically manipulated?”  That’s one of the central themes of the musical.

In other words, is Florence yet another pawn in the great game being played by the East and West? 

Walter seems too confident and specific, so it seems as if her father MUST be alive.  But that doesn't necessarily mean he's free, mentally OK, reachable, or willing to reunite with her.  Since intelligence agencies like the CIA and KGB regularly lie in order to achieve their goals, it's not possible to know exactly what "your father is alive" really means.

BUDAPEST IS RISING

The song begins with Florence calling Freddie out for his antics:

You want to lose your only friend?  Then keep it up, you're doing fine.

Freddie is surprised by her reaction, and points out that he's only teasing the Soviets, but why would Florence care?

I'd have thought you'd support any attack on these people .. Don't let them fool you, for 30 years on they're the same .. playing with pawns just like Poland ..

The Poland callback references the fact that, as a nation caught between Russia and Germany, Poland has been invaded and occupied by one side or the other several times.  Poland never had an army that was able to resist either major power, so they were treated like pawns in a game.  It's another metaphor for the game of chess.

The easiest way to demonize individuals is to group them together, and then ascribe bad behavior to all members of the group.  Freddie is doing that here, stating that Anatoly is no better than Molokov .. and that all of these people "ran mindlessly over your childhood".  Although he doesn't say it specifically, the subtext implication there is the reference to Soviet tanks rolling through the streets of Budapest.

WHAT WE DID

Our production definitely leaned into Florence's Hungarian roots.  In the original London score, there are several spots where the ensemble doesn't sing "1956 - Budapest is Rising", and I restored those spots so as to have constant reinforcement of the Hungarian Revolution.  For some weird reason, there were places where the melody line was covered by the band, but there was no singing.  Seems like an arbitrary decision made for no reason.

There are four verbs that are sung at various spots in the musical:  Rising; Fighting, Falling, Dying.  For this first song, we used Rising, Fighting, and Dying.  "Falling" is used later in the musical, during the reprise of this song.

IS HER FATHER DEAD?

Maintaining ambiguity is a common storytelling technique, so it's not that unusual for it to be employed here.  It helps reinforce the idea of neutrality between superpowers, and how neither is "better" than the other -- because Walter is willing to use that information to force Florence into doing something she may not want to do.

ChatGPT puts it this way:  "Nobody in the Cold War escapes being used".

The Chess Chronicles, Part 18: Florence & Molokov (And Some Walter)

After the meeting with the Arbiter, the "seconds", Florence & Molokov, go after each other with accusations.  It's mostly a bunch of histrionics, such as accusing each other of failing to respect the game of chess, calling each other babies, saying that each is allowing politics to take over, etc.  Molokov accuses Trumper of being unstable, Florence accuses Molokov and his "cronies" of wanting to go back to the "dachas" and not the "salt mines", and then she question's Molokov's loyalties to "Eastern Europe".

The music for this section is in 6/8, and alternates between a "3 feel" (3 eighths twice) and a "2 feel" (2 eighths three times).

WHEN DID THE USE OF SECONDS BEGIN?

The term "second" comes from older traditions (like dueling), where a “second” was someone who assisted a principal participant—essentially a helper or advisor.  In the game of chess, it's a trusted assistant who helps a player prepare for games or matches.

The second's job mostly takes place behind the scenes, and may involve preparation, analysis, psychological support, and logistics.  In Chess The Musical, the seconds don't appear to know much about the game of chess; there's no indication that Florence knows anything about it, and Molotov is clearly present for political reasons.  Anatoly expresses his frustration during "Molokov & Anatoly":

Please don't start spouting that old party line.
Yes, I know it's your job, 
But just get out and get me a chess-playing second.

In 36 hours we begin -- that is, if you want to win.

"Find me someone who plays chess if you want me to win this tournament".  This makes it clear that Molokov is also not a "true second".  Both players are on their own (with the possible exception of Freddy's computer opponent!).

HISTORY OF SECONDS

The use of seconds in world championship chess developed gradually over the last century.  The first recognized World Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz (champion from 1886), had assistants and analysts, but the formal role of "second" didn't exit.  Preparation was still individual in the 19th century.

By the time of Emanuel Lasker (champion 1894-1921), the idea of having helpers for match preparation was becoming more common.  By the early 20th century, with players like Alexander Alekhine and Jose Raul Capablance, (1920s-1930s), bringing assistants to championship matches became established practice.

The concept of the "team of seconds" emerged during the Cold War with players such as Mikhail Botvinnik, who made the use of seconds into a core part of chess training.

Although Botvinnik formalized the use of a team of seconds, no single champion established the role.  It appears to have gradually evolved over time, and seems to still be evolving.  For example, during his world championship matches, Magnus Carlsen (champion 2013-2023) worked with a team of elite grandmasters as his seconds, each contributing ideas and analysis.

COLD WAR IN THE 1972 MATCH

The first match depicted in the musical is loosely based on the 1972 world championship match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.  There is evidence that both the KGB and CIA were involved in various ways surrounding the match, although the extent of their involvement is often exaggerated.

The KGB often monitored top Soviet chess players, particularly during major championship matches.  As the world's best Soviet player, Spassky would have definitely been under KGB scrutiny, particularly when traveling abroad.  KGB officers were commonly tasked with both security and intelligence-gathering during the matches, while keeping an eye on their opponent.

Fischer was known to have paranoid tendencies regarding government involvement in chess.  There's no solid evidence that the CIA directly controlled or tried to influence him.  However, U.S. intelligence agencies monitored the match, because Fischer's victory over Spassky would be seen as a Cold War triumph.

In neither case is there evidence that these intelligence agencies directed the players in how to play their matches.  Their influence appears to be strictly political, and not related to gameplay in any way.  Both governments treated the match as a propaganda event, with media coverage, travel arrangements, and security influenced heavily by state interests.  Psychological tactics like press manipulation, accusations and rumors may have been exploited by intelligence agencies, but this is more indirect than active sabotage.

FISCHER'S FINANCIAL DEMANDS

Fischer demanded a larger guaranteed purse, and threatened to boycott the match without it.  He was very conscious of fairness in compensation, and insisted on detailed contracts.  Fischer eventually signed an agreement ensuring that half of the prize fund would go to him if he won.  This was approximately $125,000, which is nearly $1 million in 2026. 

Compared to what professional athletes receive today, it doesn't seem like that much!

Fischer's focus on compensation fit a larger pattern of combining financial, logistical and psychological demands into a singl set of conditions before play could begin.

FREDDIE TRUMPER - GREEDY AMERICAN

The last part of the song is the meeting between Florence, Walter, and Freddie.  Walter leaves before the end, which then segues into "1956 - Budapest Is Rising", but not before yelling at Freddie about the money.

Hidden Mickey Report #4 - Spring-Ish, 2026

RECEIVED MY FIRST EMAIL SIGHTING

This is like the restaurant that frames their first dollar.  On February 18, I received an email from Garrin P, a Hidden Mickey fan who had three Mickeys on Runaway Railway that I didn't know about.  Hopefully this is the start of many more such reports.  Mrs. Pianoman and I can't be expected to find ALL of the Hidden Mickeys on the Runaway Railway, and we definitely need "a little help from our friends".

GARRIN'S MICKEYS

The three Hidden Mickeys Garrin reported are:

• The bass drum near the plane.  This one is tough, because you can't see it if you get too close to it.  You have to step back as far to the left of the queue as possible.  Garrin indicated that this Mickey was confirmed by the Disney Parks TikTok site, and that's good enough for me.
• In the Snack Bar area, there's a BBQ sauce spill.  The Mickey is just below the main spill, and you need to look at it from the right angle to see it clearly. 
• At the end of the ride before you enter the barn, there's a signpost on the right with four signs.  One of the signs is "Fishin' Hole", and the Mickey is the "O" in that sign.

Ther'es also a "Yensid Valley" sign on that signpost, which cracks me up.  I always like seeing "Yensid" references in Disney parks.

DECOR SIGHTINGS IN THE ENGINE EARS SOUVENIR STORE

Garrin also reported Mickeys on the top shelves of the store that you pass through after the Runaway Railway ride.  There are a LOT of Mickeys there, but I'm not sure if they are really "Hidden".  They seem pretty obvious to me.  There are some other hidden characters here -- Donald is pretty tiny, and Goofy appears to have slammed his plane into a barn.  Those two are much better hidden than the Mickeys.

I might put on my "Goes To 11" hat, and try asking a bored Cast Member whether those Mickeys are considered "Hidden" or not.  Maybe I can get some kind of consensus.  If they are indeed Hidden, it might explain why the "There's over 100 Hidden Mickeys!" claim is out there.

SITE UPDATES

As mentioned in the last report, Wishful Thinking reports have been moved to their own page:  "Pianoman's Wishing Well".  I've been gradually migrating Wishful Thinking entries into this location.  Once that's done, I'll be removing them from all the table summary data, just as I did with the "Lost" Mickeys.

I added a "spinner" to the site, which displays whenever links are clicked on.  It's a feedback thing, that tells users that "something is happening" whenever they navigate.  

Checklists are now updated whenever navigating to them.  If you go back or forward to a checklist, it'll get refreshed.  This will enable users to check the box on the main link, then go back in their browser to the checklist and see it updated.

GAVE UP ON SAFARI

While working on some of the site changes, I found that using Firefox was generally a cleaner experience on my iPhone.  I've started using it more often in the parks as well.  I haven't used Chrome for a while, but it's probably very similar to Firefox.  Stock browsers like Safari and Edge are just not great for performance and ease of use.

HIDDEN MICKEY COUNT

As of 4-Mar-26:

• 930 Sightings
• 600 Unknowns
• 253 Confirmed Hidden Mickeys
• 77 Others (Decor, Wishful Thinking, Other Hidden Characters)

The land with the most Hidden Mickeys is Mickey's Toon Town, which currently has 65 confirmed Mickeys, and 69 Unknowns.

That's all for now.  As always, this is a good place to discuss Hidden Mickeys, so leave a comment if you'd like to have a conversation.  Join the Facebook page for Hidden Mickey updates.  Or contact Pianoman at:

hiddenmickeywiki at pobox dot com

Happy Hunting!

Hidden Mickey Report #2 - Fall 2025

This isn't going to be a "monthly" thing after all -- the last post was August.  So it's going to be a quarterly post, with the August post being "Summer".

FRIENDS FROM FRESNO

We got together with some friends of ours at Disneyland and California Adventure a couple of weeks ago.  They were doing Lightning Lane, and I wasn't, so that gave me plenty of time to do some Hidden Mickey hunting.  I also acted as a "Safari Spotter" of sorts, pointing out Mickeys as we saw them.  I did a LOT of pointing on Runaway Railway, of course.

One of the other things I track on my site is "Other Hidden Characters".  We spotted one on Runaway Railway a number of weeks ago, but I didn't have a picture of it.  It's hard to get good photos when you're being thrown around in a trackless ride vehicle.  Anyway, the new listing is "Cactus Stitch", and he's right in front of you at eye level as you enter the Western room (first room after the train comes apart).  It's even got some stitches to the right so that you know it's him.

While they were riding Roger Rabbit, I headed over to Mickey's House to verify a bunch of books and a painting.  There are several book cases before you get to the washing machine room, and all of them have at least one book with a "publishers mark Mickey".  Examples are "2001: A Mouse Odyssey", "See You Next Squeak", and "My Fair Mouse"

There's also this weird painting with a floating Mickey.  I thought at first that this was some kind of weird Salvador Dali-esque imitation, but there's no evidence of a Dali painting that looks like this.  ChatGPT seems to think this was an original concept.

CHECKLIST UPDATE

I did end up creating the Other Hidden Characters checklist, and ended up putting both parks' entries into the same list; there's only 4 of them at California Adventure (so far).

I'd also been working on a "Disneyland In A Day" checklist, which would have persistent checkboxes that also fired a timestamp.  This would enable you to map your progress through the park as you try to ride everything in a single day.

After completing the Disneyland list, I also built one for California Adventure.  At that point, I decided to create a separate Checklists page.

RECENT SIGHTINGS

Spent some time looking around New Orleans Square, and found a few interesting things.  The Royal Courtyard, which used to just be a place to wander around, has been converted into a meet-and-greet.  I saw Jack Skellington while I was there, and there were several parents that were bringing their terrified children into the courtyard for pictures.  I'm not sure a five-year old can appreciate the humor of our favorite skeleton from Halloween Town, as there were a lot of screaming children.

Anyway, I was able to sneak in to the front of the courtyard for a quick picture of the gate, which has a Mickey on the lower corners.  I was excited to confirm this one, as the original sighting dates back to the original site, on 24 Mar 1998.  Gregory Hahn, if you're out there, you'd be pleased to know that someone confirmed your Mickey, and it only took 27 years to do it!

There were three Mickey sightings for La Mascarade d'Orleans which no longer apply as the paintings they belonged to have been removed.  Since they were never confirmed, they don't make it to the Isle Of Lost Mickeys.  But I did manage to confirm an old listing here as well; just below the frosted glass just below the ceiling behind the cash registers, there are these wooden pieces with Mickeys in them.  The original posting for this one was also in 1998, so thanks to Reina, Helen & Shannon for your 08 Nov 1998 posting!

Nothing to do with Hidden Mickeys, but just a New Orleans Square note:  The entrance to Club 33 is no longer next to the Blue Bayou.  It's now located across from La Mascarade, and is marked with a big lit "33" button.  I assume that's a doorbell of sorts.  Anyway, the original entrance is still marked "33", but it's being used for stroller parking.

Over in California Adventure, I spent some time looking for Mickeys in the paint splotches outside Guardians Of The Galaxy.  I had six entries on the site, with only one of them confirmed, so I was hoping to spot some of the missing five.  But instead of finding the listed Mickeys, Micheala and I found four new ones, which brings the number of possible "splotch Mickeys" up to 10.  I've still got five pictures of Mickeys that I can't find, and I'm starting to wonder if they're in the queue rather than outside the attraction?

HIDDEN MICKEY COUNT

As of 14/Nov/25:

• 931 Sightings
• 608 Unknowns
• 244 Confirmed Hidden Mickeys
• 79 Others (Decor, Wishful Thinking, Other Hidden Characters)

The land with the most Hidden Mickeys is Mickey's Toon Town, which currently has 62 confirmed Mickeys, and 71 Unknowns.

That's all for this quarter..  As always, this is a good place to discuss Hidden Mickeys, so leave  comment if you'd like to have a conversation.  Happy Hunting!

The Chess Chronicles, Part 17: A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility (Quartet)

The form of this song is not a "canon" or a "round" or even a "fugue".  This is a "simultaneous quodlibet":

In a simultaneous quodlibet, two or more pre-existing melodies are combined. The simultaneous quodlibet may be considered a historical antecedent to the modern-day musical mashup.

The quodlibet originated in 15th-century Europe, during a time when the practice of combining folk tunes was popular.  Composer Wolfgang Schmeltzl first used the term in a specifically musical context in 1544.  Composer Ludwig Senfl (1486–1542/43) was able to juxtapose several pre-existing melodies in a cantus firmus quodlibet; one such piece, "Ach Elslein, liebes Elselein [de]" / "Es taget", was noted for its symbolism rather than its humor.  In Spain, 1581 saw the publication of the ensaladas of Mateo Flecha et al. The ensaladas were comical compositions that mixed literary texts in a way similar to the quodlibet.

It was not until 1618, however, that anyone published a rigorous definition of the quodlibet: Michael Praetorius described it as "a mixture of diverse elements quoted from sacred and secular compositions".  

So the form has been used in several ways, from comedic to serious.  In Chess, the mood is definitely serious, as the piece takes place immediately following Trumper's dramatic loss in game #1.

It's notable that "flipping the board" is not something that has ever happened at a World Chess Championship.  Such a thing would be considered very disrespectful.  Considering the context in which the board-flipping incident occurs, Trumper has created a gigantic scandal.

Of course, it's possible this is part of a greater plan.  During Trumper's intro in "Merano":

You can raise all you want if you raise the roof
Scream and shout and the gate increases.
Break the rules, break the bank, I'm the living proof
They don't care how I move my pieces.
I know I'm the best there is but all they want is a show.
Well, that's all right, I'll be glad to oblige!

While I don't think Trumper planned to lose game #1, his "rage quit" is guaranteed to increase worldwide interest in the match.  Unfortunately, it's now Florence who must pick up the pieces.

"Model Of Decorum And Tranquility" is divided into four voices:  Florence, Anatoly, The Arbiter, and Molokov.  Molokov leads off, with the same instrumental theme that opened the show, but with the following lyrics:

We wish, no must, make our disgust at this abuse perfectly clear.
We're here for Chess.  Are the U.S.?  If so, why foul the atmosphere?

Florence is next, and her theme is one that hasn't appeared yet.  Not sure if it's intentional, but her them is peppered with consecutive eighth notes, which contrasts with Molokov's quarter note theme.  Her lyrics are more frenzied as well, reflecting the awkward position Trumper has put her into:

I must protest, our delegation has a host of valid points to raise.
Our player's starting attitude's beyond all praise,
As any neutral would attest.

But we concede the fact his masters bend the rules is not a player's fault.
We'll overlook their crude political assaults and under protest will proceed.

This is "boilerplate rhetoric", designed to obscure the fact that her player has committed a terrible act of poor sportsmanship on the world stage.  Florence is in an impossible position here, but she's doing the best she can with what she has.

The Arbiter is next to enter, and like his character, his lyrics are short, sweet, and direct:

I call this tune!  No one's immune to my power in this hall.

The first part of the song ends with Florence and Molokov singing the chorus:

It's very sad to see the ancient and distinguished game that used to be
A model of decorum and tranquility become like any other sport
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee.

For verse two, Anatoly enters, and takes the side of the Russians in questioning Trumper's sanity.  This is is the same narrative taken by the press during Trumper's disastrous press conference.  He also questions Florence about her job:

I would say with regard to him, it is hard to rebut ever growing suspicions
My opposition's a nut.
How can you work for one who treats you like dirt?
Pay must be good!

I like how Anatoly gets in a little dig at the end, helping to reinforce the ideological struggle between capitalism and communism.

Just before the last chorus, the Arbiter lays down the law:

Get this straight:  I will not stand by while you play at politics!

I would say to the Arbiter:  What do you think these people are DOING all of this time?  It's nothing but politics, 24/7/365 for BOTH sides.

Anatoly gets in his last remarks as well:

I can only say I hope your dream cones true
Tilll that far off day, I hope you cope with helping, Number Two

All four singers then come together to sing the final chorus, each of them expressing sadness at what's happened to the great game of Chess.  For me, only Anatoly and the Arbiter are sincere; Florence and Molokov both have other motivations.

It's also notable that the Arbiter is the only singer whose lyrics do not rhyme at all.  This is fitting for the character -- he is direct, to the point, and has no time for the larger battle of East Vs. West.

From the POV of an audience member, it's impossible to listen to all four singers at the same time.  Most of those in an audience will only be able to listen to one voice.  Therefore, it's important to establish who is the dominant voice at any given time, and to have that voice stand out among the quartet.  The Arbiter and Anatoly sing the least, so they should be emphasized when they do sing.

For our production, we repeated the first eight bars.  This helped make it sound more like the beginning of "Story Of Chess", which reinforces the idea that this is a reprise of the opening number.

 

 

 

 

The Chess Chronicles, Part 16: Game 1 Of The Tournament (Chess #1 + Arbiter Reprise)

"Chess #1" was one of the first pieces composed for the musical, and it was originally intended to be used for ballet:

When Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus teamed up with lyricist Tim Rice, they began working on the project in 1983–84 with a strong emphasis on creating dramatic, symphonic instrumental material to depict the intensity of world championship chess matches.  "Chess #1", sometimes referred to as "The First Game", was one of the first fully orchestrated instrumental tracks they completed.

It was included on the 1984 concept album, well before the show reached the stage.  In the original 1986 London production of "Chess," the first chess match between the American and Soviet grandmasters was staged as a symbolic ballet. Dancers dressed in black and white represented the chess pieces, embodying the game's strategic moves and capturing the tension of the Cold War-era competition. This innovative approach was part of the musical's effort to blend theatrical elements with the game's intellectual drama.

Tim Rice has mentioned in interviews that the “match music” was created deliberately to convey narrative without lyrics — the idea was that the chess games would be danced or symbolically staged, allowing the audience to follow the emotional arc rather than the actual chess moves.

There were multiple places in the musical where the orchestra was used to play in spots where the ensemble had sung in the original 1986 version.  It's only a few bars, and it's very simple, but playing it on instruments only really takes away from the piece.  I'm not sure why Concord chose to do that, or whether that decision was made by some other publishing company, but we found it to be more effective.  This piece was one of the reasons I decided to use the original handwritten score.

The piece can be broken into two parts, with the first part representing Freddy's carefree, brash style, and the second part representing Anatoly's increasing dominance over the game:

The second section was designed to underscore the entrance and growing dominance of Anatoly Sergievsky, the Soviet champion. According to interviews and production notes from Tim Rice and conductor Anders Eljas (who orchestrated the concept album and the original London production), the musical chess matches were structured like dramatic duels.

• The first theme (bright, syncopated, rhythmic) was meant to reflect Freddie Trumper’s brash, showman-like style.

• The second, more controlled and weighty theme was intended to represent Anatoly’s disciplined Soviet chess machine — not just him personally, but the weight of the system behind him.

• The climactic interplay of the two themes symbolizes their confrontation across the board.

This technique mirrors a classical ballet structure, where contrasting musical motifs are assigned to different characters, allowing the audience to follow emotional or symbolic shifts even without lyrics.

For our production, Freddy flipped the board in frustration after his loss, and the band immediately started vamping the Arbiter Reprise in bars 6-7.  We jumped out of the vamp when he got to "I'm The Arbiter My Word Is Law", finished the song, and got ready for the Quartet.

Cleaning up the pieces from the stage after Game #1 was always an unwelcome chore, as they could go ANYWHERE.  That's show business, kids!

This piece was one of my favorite moments of the show, not only musically but also dramatically.  It's the first time Freddy realizes that he is no longer the best chess player in the world.  The brash cocky American has been brought down to earth, and it's no longer obvious as to who will win the match.

The Chess Chronicles, Part 15: Televised Chess Tournaments

 #10A is titled, "Opening 1st Game", and it sounds like the opening music for a news program, like one of the three major networks.  I wanted it to be short and sweet, so we cut bars 7-8, and used the same music each time there was anything televised having to do with chess tournaments.  The music is full of stacked 4ths and polychords (C/D, A/B, Bb/Eb, etc), to give it that authentic "newsy" sound.

As was mentioned in prior posts, the first act of Chess is loosely based on the 1972 World Chess Championship between Bobby Fischer (US) and Boris Spassky(USSR).  This match was televised by ABC's "Wide World Of Sports", as well as WNET, a PBS affiliate:

WNET (channel 13), branded on-air as Thirteen (stylized as THIRTEEN), is a primary PBS member television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area. Owned by The WNET Group (formerly known as the Educational Broadcasting Corporation and later as WNET.org),^[2] it is a sister station to the area's secondary PBS member, Garden City, New York–licensed WLIW (channel 21), and two class A stations: WMBQ-CD (channel 46), and WNDT-CD (channel 14, which shares spectrum with WNET).

The WNET coverage was provided by Shelbourne "Shelby" Lyman, who was an American chess player and teacher.  This coverate became the highest-rated public television program ever at that time, far surpassing viewership expectations.

In the musical, television coverage is provided by the BBC, and the commentary is provided by Walter de Courcey:

Walter acts as the broadcaster for the audience, reporting on the games and sometimes providing context or commentary on the players’ behavior. His role helps the musical frame the story in a way that mirrors real-world media coverage of high-profile chess matches.  He’s not a player or part of the tournament itself—he’s essentially the “voice of the BBC” within the show.

The character of Walter is definitely more aggressive than Shelby Lyman, and at no point is it ever insinuated that he is a chess player.  Rather, he is both the public commentator and the marketing expert.  From ChatGPT:

In Chess, Walter isn’t just a neutral commentator—he’s very conscious of the media spectacle and its effect on public interest. He recognizes that the drama between the players—the Cold War rivalry, the personalities, even their personal conflicts—drives viewership and sells the games.

This awareness makes him more than just a narrator; he’s a subtle representation of how media shapes the story, sometimes amplifying tension or controversy to capture audience attention. It’s part of the musical’s critique of how sport (or art) can be commercialized and sensationalized.

The 1960 Presidential Debates were televised, and there's no question that these TV events helped to shape the race for office that year.  The same is true of Chess, and it's something that the lead characters are all aware of ... although not all of them (Anatoly, Florence) embrace the medium as much as others (Freddie, Molokov, Walter).

The global sensation of the 1972 tournament was never matched again, with future matches covered with highlights.  The game is too slow and difficult, and none of the later players had the same eccentricity and charisma as Bobby Fischer.  It's another instance of the similarities between Fischer and Freddy:

You can raise all you want

If you raise the roof

Scream and shout and the gate increases

Break the rules -- break the bank

I'm the living proof

They don't care how I move my pieces

I know I'm the best there is

But all they want is a show

Well that's all right -- I'll be glad to oblige

S.R.O. S.R.O.

Hidden Mickey Report #1 - Summer 2025

Decided to start blogging a regular report in addition to the Facebook posts.  Sort of a summary of events, including any news, opinions, new photos, etc.  Might be monthly, but we'll see what happens.

HELP WITH THE APP FROM MARISSA D

Marissa is a good friend and an amazing singer.  We met in the church band, and quickly discovered that we're both Disneyland fans.  She's also an Easter Egg fan, and has taken an interest in Hidden Mickeys.  

She and her sister and future bro-in-law recently went to the park, and she tried out the site for the first time.  They used it the way I intended -- while waiting in line, look through the list of Mickeys, and make some new discoveries along the way.  

Everything worked great with the exception of the Checklists, which didn't seem to be updating regularly.  After asking a few questions, I realized the issue with them is that they won't update without a refresh.  So if you go to the Checklist first, then to the Hidden Mickey listing, check the box, and then use the back arrow to go to the Checklist again, you won't see it updated until you refresh the page.

Not really a "bug", but kind of an "annoyance".  Going to look into auto-refreshing checklists whenever they are viewed, but I'm not sure if all browsers will honor that from smart phones.

It's mostly good news, and I'm glad to see that the site is working the way it was intended.

OTHER HIDDEN CHARACTERS CHECKLIST?

I'm thinking about doing one of these, but it's starting to feel like the checklists will need to be organized in a different way.  I added all three checklists to the "Where To Next?" templates, so they're easy to get to.  But if I add another one, I'll have to see about adding that to the template as well.

Another option would be to add a checkbox that activates the OHCs on the regular checklists.  That way they can be filtered off and on whenever needed.  I looked into that once before, but was unable to get ChatGPT to figure out how to do it.

HIDDEN MICKEY COUNT

As of 6-Sep-25:

• 932 Sightings
• 628 Unknowns
• 225 Confirmed Hidden Mickeys
• 79 Others (Decor, Wishful Thinking, Other Hidden Characters)

The land with the most Hidden Mickeys is Mickey's Toon Town, which currently has 56 confirmed Mickeys, and 78 Unknowns.  It'll be interesting to see if Toon Town will eventually have more than half of all Disneyland Hidden Mickeys.

RECENT SIGHTINGS

The yellow Mickey above the "Sold Out" sign in Runaway Railway is one of my favorites.  I just spotted it recently, as it's pretty hard to see.  But the other interesting thing about it is that you never see ALL of it at once.  I've only been able to capture 2/3 of it on camera so far.  It's clearly a Hidden Mickey, but due to the position of all the signs, it's just hard (maybe impossible?) to see all of it. 

Maybe I'll see the whole thing if I'm in a completely different position in the Carnival room ... like maybe over to the far left when I first enter.

My other favorite from our last trip is the ballet poster that's BEHIND you when you enter Daisy's Dance Studio.  It never occurred to me to look back there until our last trip.  It's a CLASSIC Hidden Mickey, as it is placed in an area that you are NOT LOOKING AT.  The action is right in front of you the whole time.  It's a great Hidden Mickey.

That's all for this month.  As always, this is a good place to discuss Hidden Mickeys, so leave  comment if you'd like to have a conversation.  Happy Hunting!

Three Player Match, For When Your Fourth Doesn't Show Up

 Me and my golfing mates tried out this variation today, and it worked pretty well.  I had a look through the Interwebs to see if anyone else has tried this, and I'm not finding it.  If anyone spots this variation already covered, please leave a message in the comments.

Two points can be scored on any hole, as follows:

• If one of the three players wins the hole outright, he scores 2 points;
• If two players tie for best score, they each score 1 point;
• If all three players have the same score, nobody scores any points.

Handicaps apply to each hole.  When we played this today, my opponents had handicaps of 9.5 and 11.5, and I'm a 9.6.  So our 11.5 got two bumps, and at Diamond Bar Golf Course, that's holes 1 and 18.

The competition was fierce, and it literally came down to the last three putts.  If our 11.5 made his up and down, he'd get a net birdie and win the match.  If he missed it, and if I made my putt for par, I'd win the match.

He sized it up, and drained it, winning the match.  We were only playing for a dollar each, but it felt like a lot more than that.  I considered this to be a resounding success.

If two players are tied at the end, step back through each of the holes from hardest (#1 handicap) to easiest (#18 handicap).  Our 11.5 and I actually had a tie score at the end, but because he had won #1 outright (without needing one of his bumps), he took the tiebreaker.

I thought about how this could be translated to four players, and it's still do-able but the scoring is more complicated:

• If one of the four players wins outright, he scores 6 points;
• If two players tie for best score, they each score 3 points;
• If three players tie for best score, they each score 1 point;
• If all four players have the same score, nobody scores any points.

Rules for ties apply the same way.  Go from the #1 handicap hole through #18 until the winner emerges.

We played for a dollar each today, just so we would feel like we were playing for SOMETHING.

We'll see about trying the four player match on Monday.

The Chess Chronicles, Part 14: Musical As Metaphor For A Game

While writing the post for "Hymn To Chess", it struck me that the first part of the musical resembles the process of layout out chess pieces for a game.  Each of the previous songs represented one or more groups (Diplomats, Russians, Merchandisers, Americans, Anatoly, Freddie, Florence, Molokov), which could be metaphorically connected to an actual game of chess.  I asked GPT about it, and here's an edited version of the "interview".

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In the musical, "Chess", the first half of the first act introduces several characters: Anatoly, Freddie Trumper, Florence, Molokov, the Russian Diplomats, the American Diplomats, the Arbiter, the Merchandisers, and the population of Merano. Has anyone pointed out the similarities between this gradual introduction of characters, and the opening of a chess game?

Excellent question — and yes, this is something that’s occasionally been observed by scholars and devoted fans of Chess, though it’s rarely discussed in depth in mainstream criticism. The first half of Act I in Chess very consciously mimics the structure of a chess game’s opening, not just thematically but structurally in how it introduces its "pieces" (characters) and their positions on the metaphorical board.

In an actual chess game, the opening is a carefully planned sequence of moves where each side brings out their pieces — starting with pawns and major pieces — gradually establishing control of the board and setting up for the midgame. It’s strategic, cautious, and full of positioning.

While it’s not a widely analyzed element in popular discussion, it’s a very intentional structural device in the show’s design, reflecting the authors’ clever use of the chess metaphor not just in theme but in form. Tim Rice, in particular, has acknowledged in interviews the deliberate chess-like structure of character entrances and alliances in Act I.

A chess game is considered to have three components:  Opening, Midgame, and Endgame.  What would be the components in the Opening?

Before opening the game, the pieces must be arranged on the board.  A possible metaphor for the pieces would look like this:

• Merano townsfolk and Merchandisers as pawns
• Freddy and Anatoly as kings
• USSR & America as queens (most powerful pieces on the board)
• Russians & Americans as bishops (providing support to the kings)
• Florence / Molokov as rooks, more powerful than the Russians & Americans
• The Arbiter - rules of the game

For our metaphorical "game" in three parts, the Opening would be the first match, where Freddy loses to Anatoly, and flips over the board in frustration.  The second part would be the Midgame, which consists of the drama that unfolds between the first game and the rest of the match, which is won by Anatoly.  This takes us to the end of Act 1.  The final part would be the Endgame, which is the drama leading to the match between Anatoly and the new Russian champion, Leonid Viigand.  The Endgame takes up most of Act 2, and concludes with Anatoly's defense of his world title.

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Public AIs are prone to make things up, and so it's always a good idea to ask other AIs the same questions.  It's a good indicator if you can get 2/3 AIs to agree with each other.  So I asked Perplexity about this subject:

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Does the musical "Chess" have a narrative structure similar to an actual game of Chess?

"Chess" the musical cleverly employs the game of Chess both as literal subject matter and as a metaphor for the tensions and emotional stakes among its characters.

Metaphorical Framing:   The musical uses the Cold War as a metaphor, with characters often described as "pawns" or "pieces" manipulated by external forces, similar to the way in which players direct pieces.

Opening, Middlegame, and Endgame:   The story is loosely structured in three acts, echoing the introduction of characters and stakes; the intensified conflict and shifting alliances; and the resolution of relationships. 

However, while chess games are decided by logic, the musical is driven by emotions, politics, and romance.  Moves made by characters are influenced by love, betrayal, and ideology, not chess strategy.  In addition, the plot doesn't correspond to a literal sequence of chess moves.  Instead, the chessboard is used as a backdrop for interpersonal drama. 

Conclusion:  While "Chess The Musical" mirrors aspects of real chess, its narrative structure is not an exact recreation of a chess game.  Instead, it uses chess as an organizing metaphor, aligning character arcs and story beats with the broad phases of a match, while foregrounding drama, personal agency, and political symbolism

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Perplexity agrees with the "three act structure" concept, but doesn't necessarily agree that the musical attempts to impersonate an actual game of chess.  Perplexity also declines to assign characters to chess pieces, apparently preferring to take a broad view of the metaphor rather than a specific view.

It's all very interesting, but it's one of those subjects in which you can easily get "lost in the weeds", particularly when AIs are involved.

The Chess Chronicles, Part 13: Hymn To Chess / Merchandisers

The vamps at the end of Arbiter end on an E major chord ... which conveniently is the first chord that the ensemble sings in m.4 of the Hymn.  I decided to cut bars 1-3, as we already had the ensemble on stage and didn't need any extra music.  It also seemed like a natural fit with the Arbiter's final line:

Let us dedicate ourselves to the spirit of chess!

It makes me wonder why there was an intro at all.  Perhaps they needed three bars to get the ensemble into place?

I used our Arbiter as a conductor, which was his first time conducting.  He was a good sport about it, and did a fine job.  We took this slowly, and took large breaks in m.8 and m.10.  Doing this without a conductor would have been very difficult to keep together.

(If I hadn't mentioned it before -- this is one of the many challenges we face at the Lyceum.  There is no "pit", as the theater is a converted lecture hall.  So the "pit" is in a loft, above the Stage Left area.  The cast can't see us, so there's no way to give physical direction.  In places where direction is needed, we do whatever makes the most sense to make it work.  Sometimes it involves pressing someone into conducting; sometimes it involves setting a hard number of counts; sometimes it'll involve something else.  It all depends on the circumstance.)

After a suitable pause, we go right into Merchandisers.  We cut m.1-4, did the four bar drum into, and then off we went into the song.  This is one of the few songs that we made no changes to, apart from cutting the first four bars.