'Chess' Broadway review — Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher are vocal grandmasters

Read our review of Chess on Broadway, a reworked revival of the 1986 musical starring Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher at the Imperial Theatre.

Summary

• Chess is a musical about a contest between two world chess champions; the woman caught between them; and the drama that arises on and off the board
• The show features powerful vocal performances from Aaron Tveit; Lea Michele; and Nicholas Christopher
• Audiences praised the cast but had mixed responses to the minimal staging and revised script
• The show is recommended for fans of '70s and '80s rock musicals and chess-centric shows like The Queen's Gambit

Chess is a bit of a platypus of a show, made up of disparate parts that seem too good to be true. It's the brainchild of Tim Rice, who's collaborated on musicals like Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aladdin, and The Lion King, with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the Swedish pop group ABBA. And yet, despite this killer résumé, the success of Chess has been elusive since its Broadway debut flopped in 1988.

It’s with a laser focus that the first Broadway revival, now at the Imperial Theatre, attempts to change that, armed with a new book by Danny Strong and direction by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer. Some of their updates don’t work (the heavy-handed presence of the CIA and KGB cheapens the show’s original metaphor for U.S.-Russia tensions), but some do (snappy dialogue and a new narrator character make the plot much sleeker). However, the biggest draw regardless are the three leads, who may just be the most powerful voices on Broadway right now: Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher.

Michele, the Funny Girl star and Glee alum, plays a somewhat rigid chess second Florence Vassy. But when the chords of “Nobody’s Side” strike up, she is in her element. Flanking her are Christopher as Anatoly Sergievsky and Tveit as Freddie Trumper, both chess champions. Together and apart, the three of them had my audience cheering and whooping after nearly every song.

Christopher proves the vocal heart of the show, with sonorous pipes that bring the house down in the climactic song “Endgame.” Meanwhile, certified Broadway heartthrob Tveit shows off his range between the catchy “One Night in Bangkok” (featuring an impressive costume change that must be seen to be believed) and the soulful “Pity the Child,” in which rough-around-the-edges Freddie reflects on his childhood.

The set is relatively minimalist, as are the costumes: severe gray '80s pantsuits for the ensemble and monochromatic neutrals for the main cast. However, the lighting design (by Kevin Adams) adds an extra punch of dynamism, heightening tension or signifying softness.

Chess might not be for everyone: Diehard fans may bemoan the modern updates, while newcomers may get lost in the 2-hour-and-40-minute back-and-forth of plot that covers, essentially, two chess matches. But for those who go to Broadway musicals hoping to hear actors perform songs so powerfully you get goosebumps, you’ll find that three times over.

Chess summary

At the height of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and Russia, an American and a Soviet face off against each other in a world chess championship. But behind the scenes, politics between the two nations are brewing in a way that will directly affect the outcome of the chess match, and vice versa. Freddie and Anatoly bend under the weight of their pressures, their own interpersonal drama, and their shared love for Florence, a brilliant chess strategist with a haunted past.

What to expect at Chess

Since the closure of its 1988 Broadway debut after a mere two months, Chess has gained a reputation for having great music and a not-so-great book. It's gotten revised in the past: The original American version of Chess was much different from the world-premiere production, which debuted in London’s West End in 1986 and fared a bit better with a three-year run.

Danny Strong, who wrote a new book for the 2025 revival, took the London version and punched it up to heighten the political tensions of the Cold War, also adding 21st-century punchlines, more dialogue, and a new ending.

In Strong’s version, KGB and CIA influences put the characters in real danger as they become pawns for the Russian and American governments. Strong also addresses the popular audience concern that the story is confusing by adding a narrator (Bryce Pinkham) that doubles as The Arbiter and adds helpful historical context. Pinkham’s performance was beloved by my audience, who returned his infectious energy with cheers and laughter.

What audiences are saying about Chess

With 94 audience reviews at the time of publication, Chess has a 78% audience rating on the review aggregator Show-Score. Viewers were split on the success of the show, with many expressing disappointment in the new book or minimalist set. However, the performances of Tveit, Michele, and Christopher were almost universally praised.

• “The actors were incredibly talented, the choreography was fun…Not giving it 5 stars because at times the plot fell apart for me.” - Show-Score user Emily 5319
• “Not sure how I felt about the set/staging. Very simple. But omg. Such fantastic performances.” - Show-Score user Captain Purple
• “This was basically a live concert with a little bit of staging.” - Show-Score user NewtoNYC
• “The whole production felt simultaneously overblown and undercooked, but if you are a big fan of music and just want to hear it beautifully sung, you will enjoy the show.” - Show-Score user Jimbob 4057
• “Chess delivers a genuinely solid night at the theatre: the cast sounds phenomenal, and that dramatic, rock-opera score still hits like a freight train (in the best way).” - Show-Score user jcoe315

Read more audience reviews of Chess on Show-Score.

Who should see Chess

• Fans of '70s and '80s rock musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar (also by Tim Rice) or The Phantom of the Opera will be transported by the power ballads and belts of Chess.
• Fans of the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit will be interested in a plot that marries love and politics in the game of chess with interpersonal and global drama.
• Fans of Aaron Tveit, who won a Tony for his lead role in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, will thrill to see this consummate Broadway performer in the role of mercurial bad boy Freddie.

Learn more about Chess on Broadway

Chess features three of the most talented people on Broadway right now, and just to see them shine in the '80s rock musical is enough of a reason to go.

Learn more about Chess on New York Theatre Guide. Chess is at the Imperial Theatre.

Photo credit: Chess on Broadway. (Photos by Matthew Murphy)