REDWOOD Previews Feb 5
2025, 05:55:44 AM
Kad said: "Since the rise of the workshop in the last twenty years, that’s where big changes happen, not during a production in performance."
Thanks. That makes sense. I mean I know Spring Awakening did a bunch of workshops over 7 years before getting to the Atlantic theatre, then Broadway.
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REDWOOD Previews Feb 4
2025, 03:56:53 AM
I'm intrigued about the preview process as when I end up seeing US musicals in Australia they are for the most part set in stone apart from a few little variations. (as for Australian musicals, don't get me started how the beautiful Australian production of The Boy from Oz was gutted of some of it's best moments to add more Judy & Liza for an American audience).
Is there any recent examples of shows doing a massive overhaul of a show during previews? major cu
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Next To Normal WEST END - News & Discussion Thread Feb 4
2025, 03:50:06 AM
how well did Next to Normal do on Broadway first time around? I know it wasn't a complete flop financially like Chess as I know it ran for a bit but did it recoup?
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Chess 2025 Feb 3
2025, 09:58:26 PM
Lea said announcements. That did not suggest jumping out of Chess - it's also not sweaty's intel - his intel is economic reasons aka likely nervous investors in the current economy.
Her other announcements could be an album our a tour before Chess. People should stop jumping to conclusions about Lea leaving a show she's been committed to since pre FG (she was supposed to do the December 2022 concert BEFORE she got FG but had to pull out due to her FG schedule once
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Chess 2025 Feb 3
2025, 08:29:15 PM
Kad said: "As recently as last week, Broadway marketing agencies were working on pitches for this, so if it is postponed it happened very recently."
I wonder if - if it's true - and the sweaty one said economy related (and Next to Normal too) if its about what happened over the weekend with tariffs. I saw a video from a guy who has a construction business today who said the costs of lumber for his business would nearly double if the tariffs happened so
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Chess 2025 Jan 21
2025, 04:28:35 AM
So Sweaty is reporting that Chess is taking the St James Theatre after Sunset Blvd and that both Lea & Ramin are doing it, as well as Bradley Dean, who was Molokov in both the DC & NYC concerts of this version of the show.
If he's right I'm a bit surprised they are going for as big a theatre as the St James, I mean I get it to some extent as they can sell it as Lea & Ramin reuniting after the success of Funny Girl but Chess is a very different type of show to Funny
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Cabaret Casting Rumor: Orville Peck & Eva Noblezada Jan 3
2025, 03:57:01 PM
From all accounts this show isn't getting the box office it needs to be profitable long term, given how expensive it's been to mount, so how much longer do people in the know think it will last?
I mean there was talk not that long ago that it could close by the middle of the year, do they think the can get lead casting that could up the box office and make it worthwhile to keep it open?
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Just In Time Jan 3
2025, 03:42:42 PM
DramaTeach said: "Assumed Gracie Lawrence was sticking with this for her Broadway debut, but I just got an email saying that her band has a concert the second night of previews. Guess she’s out. I posted on the Chess thread that I think Lea Michele might be doing this one bc their Instagram page follows her, but who knows?!"
As said in the Chess thread, coming off the success of FG why on earth would Lea give up a vocally challenging LEAD role like Florence to pay 2nd or 3rd fiddle to Jonathan in a jukebox musical where she wouldn't get that much to do in comparison to a lead role in a musically that would challenge her vocally? if Jon wasn't her bestie nobody would even be suggesting this.
Character breakdown for Sandra and Connie. If Lea was 5 to 10 years younger and not coming off the success of FG maybe she'd play Connie but again, just how much does Connie get to do in the show? I just don't see it happening and it would, in my opinion be a very dumb career move, especially by someone who has suggested in the past she's not a big fan of jukebox style musicals. This is not the sort of role you take coming of a huge success in a lead role, especially when the producers of Chess have been holding the show for a year for her while she had her daughter.
Also, with previews less than 3 months away wouldn't you be promoting the fact that Lea was in your show to, you know, sell tickets!!!!
SANDRA DEE/AS CAST – (Female, 20s-Early 30s, White, 5’7 and under) Married to Bobby. All-American Sweetheart. Attractive, charming, innocent, blonde, bubble gum, but can eventually take us to a darker place. Specifically seeking performers 5’7 and under.
CONNIE FRANCIS/AS CAST – (Female, 20s-Early 30s, White, 5’7 and under) An actress and singer. Bobby started by writing her music, but they become romantically involved. Very direct. A bit of grit and sass. New Jersey Girl. Brunette. Specifically seeking performers 5’7 and under.

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Chess 2025 Jan 2
2025, 03:17:29 PM
DramaTeach said: "Call me crazy, but I think Lea Michele might be Sandra Dee in Just in Time. It’ll reunite her with Jonathan, and their Instagram account follows her. Could be bc Jonathan doesn’t have his own account and she’s a bit of a surrogate for that, but makes me wonder."
No Thanks. I mean no offence to Jonathan Groff but Lea is a much better fit playing Florence in Chess than playing second fiddle to her bestie in a jukebox musical. P
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Chess 2025 Jan 2
2025, 12:23:02 AM
Penna2 said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "Lead producers are Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman, they’re using Danny Strong’s updated book, and apparently they plan to bring back most of the 2022 benefit concert cast."
Darrin Criss wasn't that well received based on the reviews I saw of the concert. Also, isn't the word that Lea Michele being tagged for Florence - that Lena Hall was a substitute in 2022? That leaves Ramin Karimloo (no problem there) a
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Chess 2025 Jan 1
2025, 11:11:10 PM
I was listening to a Backstage Babble interview with Michael Mayer the other day and the second half of the interview was apparently recorded in September 2024 and Michael was talking about work he had coming up and he said was hoping to be doing a big revival at the beginning of next season, that they were in the process of casting that now (september) and they'll know in a couple of months if its going to happen next fall. So if Sweaty is right about them having a theatre sou
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Chess 2025 Dec 25
2024, 02:02:50 AM
She said in May at the Met Ball that she was still attached to the same project but that she wanted a break after FG as that was a draining show and she was then pregnant and that the people involved with the show were very well aware of all of this. Doesn't sound like she's dropped out of the show at all, just delayed to have her daughter and have some family time post pregnancy but I guess we'll find out in the next six months.
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Chess 2025 Dec 24
2024, 07:43:29 PM
jagman106 said: "Adam Pascal was in a concert version of Chess in I think, 2005? His rendition of "Pity the Child" was the best I ever heard, and I only heard a recording of it. I'd pay a small fortune to hear him sing it live."
Adam Pascal was indeed fabulous in the 2008 London concert version of Chess and if he was 10 years younger I would say sign him up now but at 54 he's aged out of the role. '
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Chess 2025 Dec 23
2024, 02:58:50 PM
You heard wrong but to be fair I think people got confused between Jessica playing the role at MUNY and this incoming Chess production.
In this Michael Mayer production Lea is Florence and it appears she was attached before she even did Funny Girl. Lena Hall confirmed this in a comment on TikTok earlier this year when she said she only played Florence at the NYC Concert in December 2022 because Lea had to pull out of the concert.
So timeline line seems to be the C
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Broadway Rumors/Whispers Jul 11
2024, 05:24:58 AM
"This would actually make me happy, as i'd much prefer Lena Hall over Lea in the role"
Lena Hall said on tiktok in the comments on someone else posting about Chess a few months ago that she only did the Chess concert in 2022 because Lea was not available. Lea was apparently booked to do it but had to drop out. I assume this means Michael Maher asked her to do it in early 2022 (with a view to her doing it as her return to Broadway) bef
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Broadway Rumors/Whispers Jul 10
2024, 09:24:26 PM
Newbie here so hi.
Chess is still alive. Lea gave an interview to Marc Malkin at the Met Ball 2024 about her still being signed to the same show they chatted about at the 2023 Met Ball and that was Chess.
We don't know whether it will come in 24/25 or 25/26 season but it is coming at this stage from Lea's comments. Also Tim Rice was doing a bit of a "concert" tour in the UK earlier this year, chatting about his career in between people singing his songs and apparently he said in April that Chess was returning to Broadway next year so according to Lea & Tim it's happening.
Seeing as Ramin (who was Michael Maher's favoured Anatoly since the first concert series of this version back in 2018 and again in NYC in 2022 and especially since he and Lea had such fabulous chemistry in Funny Girl) is doing Pirates of Penzance from April to June 2025 he won't be available if they come in for this season before April so maybe they will hold it if he is still interested or they will need to find a new Anatoly which won't be easy. Just not Josh Groban, please. Great voice but wooden and had zero chemistry with Lea's fictional mother Idina when they did it in London in 2008.
So we'll see which season it comes in but at this stage, still happening from those who know more than we do.
https://x.com/Variety/status/1787603823281779146
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