Earley, Egan, Kunze, Morrison, et al. Set for L.A. Chess Benefit

Kevin Earley, Susan Egan, Thomas Griffith, Eric Kunze, Matthew Morrison, Cindy Robinson, and Tom Schmid will star in a special one-night performance of the musical Chess on September 17 at Los Angeles’ Ford Amphitheater. Part of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The benefit will be produced and directed by Brian Michael Purcell, with musical direction by Dan Redfeld and choreography by A.C. Ciulla. It will feature a 24-piece orchestra.

The show, which has a book by Richard Nelson, music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and lyrics by Tim Rice, centers on a chess championship in the 1970s between an American and Russian, the latter of whom plans to defect. The 1988 Broadway production starred David Carroll, Philip Casnoff, Judy Kuhn, and Paul Harman.

For tickets and information, call 323-461-3673 or visit www.fordamphitheatre.org.