Chess Revival
2 Hours 40 Minutes, Including one 15 Min Intermission
Buy Tickets From $72
Chess Broadway Tickets, News, Info & More
Imperial Theatre (Broadway)
249 West 45th St. New York, NY
This fall, see powerhouse trio Tony Award® winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge!), acclaimed stage and screen star Lea Michele (Funny Girl, Glee), and breakout talent Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd, Hamilton) in CHESS, a seductive showdown of love, loyalty, and power on a global stage. As two of the greatest chess players in the world compete for something beyond victory, the woman between them is caught in a high-stakes battle of desire and devotion.
Featuring a legendary score by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and EGOT winner Tim Rice (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar), an exhilarating new book by Danny Strong (Dopesick, The Butler), and direction by Tony winner Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Funny Girl), CHESS is Broadway’s boldest move yet and the must-see event of the season.
Chess - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Chess
Review | In ‘Chess,’ the music attacks – but the book retreats
6 / 10
The new Broadway revival once again attempts the impossible, under the direction of Michael Mayer and book writer Danny Strong. On paper, their involvement suggested a clear-eyed rethink: Mayer excels with emotional pop-rock material (“Spring Awakening,” “American Idiot”), while Strong has a reputation for structuring complex political narratives (“Dopesick,” “Empire”). In reality, the production feels caught between apologizing for the musical and re-enacting it—all while relying on its three stars to deliver the songs that keep the evening afloat.
‘Chess’ returns to Broadway with a Cold War that feels white hot
8 / 10
Pinkham, along with a deliciously dry performance by Sean Allan Krill as CIA agent Walter de Courcey, balances the above-the-title star power, including Aaron Tveit as clinically depressed and bipolar US chess champion Freddie Trumper, his coach/lover Florence Vassy (Lea Michele), and their Soviet opponent Anatoly Sergievsky (Nicholas Christopher). Christopher, joined by an electric Hannah Cruz as his estranged Russian wife Svetlana in Act II, leans into Michael Mayer’s direction with the highest stakes, navigating the political and personal with the kind of urgency that kept us glued to The Americans for six seasons.
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Chess FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Chess History
Other Productions of Chess
| 1984 | London Fringe |
London Concert London Fringe |
| 1986 | West End |
Original London Production West End |
| 1988 | Broadway |
Broadway Production Broadway |
| 1992 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1992 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
| 1997 | Australia |
Australian Revival Australia |
| 1998 | New York |
New York Concert New York |
| 2001 |
Nyack Concert |
|
| 2003 | Broadway |
Actors' Fund Concert Broadway |
| 2018 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage Revival Washington, DC (Regional) |
| 2018 | West End |
London Coliseum Revival Production West End |
| 2025 | Broadway |
Broadway |
Chess Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Nicholas Christopher |
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Chess |
| 2026 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL | Chess |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Nicholas Christopher |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Chess |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Kevin Adams |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Brian Usifer |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Bryce Pinkham |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Nicholas Christopher |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Hannah Cruz |
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