CHESS (2025 Broadway Revival) Reviews- Page 2

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 11:27pm

Daily Beast

‘Chess,’ Theater’s Most Notorious Strange Beast, Finally Returns

CHECKMATE

A chess rivalry, the Cold War, and a love triangle: The quintessentially ‘80s musical is back on Broadway, in all its bombast.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/chess-review-theaters-most-notorious-strange-beast-finally-returns

"rather like a chess match, the show (directed by Michael Mayer, with a new book by Danny Strong), stares down each one of its own structural and narrative flaws, fixes the audience with a challenging glare, then makes a series of moves best known to itself to win our attention.

The show—less about chess, more about the possible end of the world because of Russian-American tensions—works in enough fits and starts to cohere, and in a few sung moments to actually thrill, thanks to the go-for-broke commitment of Christopher, Tveit, and Lea Michele as Florence, Freddie’s lover and chess strategist. The trio are differently excellent performers, who try— ultimately in vain—to make Chess’ characters and story intelligible."

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 11:37pm

Many of the negative comments focus on the arbiter. Yet I have seen numerous comments by amateur reviewers whom - jokes aside - the arbiter actually helped to follow the story. The problem is: The pro reviewers, just like most commenters on BWW, already know one or more versions of Chess and thus can't really appreciate the guidance.

Updated On: 11/16/25 at 11:37 PM

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 11:39pm

these reviews in any other busy season would be poison but considering the lack of new musical options this Fall it will atleasy get to June before the wheels fall off from word of mouth

[FightTheDragons]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 11:45pm

I'm not sure why these reviews are being read as a bad thing. The consensus seems to mostly be mixed-positive, with almost everyone coming away saying "the leads are great, the score still rocks, and you'll have a good time even if it's kind of nonsense with a bad book." That's about the best they could've hoped for with this show. I'm sure the team is happy.

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 11:48pm

FightTheDragons said: "I'm not sure why these reviews are being read as a bad thing. The consensus seems to mostly be mixed-positive, with almost everyone coming away saying "the leads are great, the score still rocks, and you'll have a good time even if it's kind of nonsense with a bad book." That's about the best they could've hoped for with this show. I'm sure the team is happy."

I'm sure Danny Strong is not happy, but otherwise you may have a point.

 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 11:50pm

FightTheDragons said: "I'm not sure why these reviews are being read as a bad thing. The consensus seems to mostly be mixed-positive, with almost everyone coming away saying "the leads are great, the score still rocks, and you'll have a good time even if it's kind of nonsense with a bad book." That's about the best they could've hoped for with this show. I'm sure the team is happy."

Agreed. None of this is really unexpected and I don't think it will effect the box office as most of the "ordinary" people I've seen commenting  (ie not here or Reddit or Broadway obsessives) are saying they had a great time with the occasional quibble. Chess is, and ever will be, thus! 

I find the variation in takes on the performances quite amusing but as I've said about other things, it's all subjective. 

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 12:00am

DTLI Consensus: Rollicking pop-rock score? Check. Three charismatic leads with immense vocal prowess? Check. Slick, sleek direction? Check. An improved revival of a famously flawed tuner? Not quite checkmate.

9 mixed (including the NYT), 3 positive, 3 negative. 

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/chess/

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 12:03am

EDSOSLO858 said: "DTLI Consensus:Rollicking pop-rock score? Check. Three charismatic leads with immense vocal prowess? Check.Slick, sleek direction? Check. An improved revival of a famously flawed tuner? Not quite checkmate.

9 mixed (including the NYT), 3 positive, 3 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/chess/"

I usually find it tiresome to argue over what's been classified positive/mixed/negative...but Holdren's review should clearly be positive, not mixed. 

Updated On: 11/17/25 at 12:03 AM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 12:10am

Mary_Poppins said: "Many of the negative comments focus on the arbiter. Yet I have seen numerous comments by amateur reviewers whom - jokes aside - the arbiter actually helped to follow the story. The problem is: The pro reviewers, just like most commenters on BWW, already know one or more versions of Chess and thus can't really appreciate the guidance."

Yes there  is such a divide with him between the "ordinary" person going who has no previous experience of the show and the Chessheads and the critics.  Which is why I don't think these mostly mixed reviews will make much difference, especially when even the mixed ones are praising the singing and the music.  

[Up In One]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 12:39am

EDSOSLO858 said: "DTLI Consensus:Rollicking pop-rock score? Check. Three charismatic leads with immense vocal prowess? Check.Slick, sleek direction? Check. An improved revival of a famously flawed tuner? Not quite checkmate.

9 mixed (including the NYT), 3 positive, 3 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/chess/"

The mixed reviews on this one need to be qualified. They are listing reviews that essentially are saying this is pretty awful - book, staging - a very stupid and annoying narrator but … the music and the singing are great.  Dunno about you but that’s not mixed. It’s negative with a possible redeeming feature. 

[bear882]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 2:18am

Everyone on this thread either knows Chess better than I do or reads reviews. My favorite reviewer, Sara Holdren, had a grand time. Even the negative reviews say the score and performances are good to great. I don’t think the reviews will hurt much, especially because they have nice pull quotes to grab and reviews don’t matter anyway, plus it still will get some high-profile nominations in a weak season.

The revival doesn’t interest me, but I’m not a typical tourist. Nicholas Christopher deserves to be a bigger star anyway so good for him.

ETA: My only caveat, despite the revival’s big box office success thus far, has less to do with the reviews than how the revival is perceived by people who aren’t major Chess enthusiasts or fans of the show’s two highest-profile stars, especially Lea Michele.

Even though Chess is less a prestige revival than a star-driven revival of an odd show with a much-loved score, the obvious comp here is the Merrily We Roll Along revival. That also was star-driven but some of the smartest people in Broadway and London had spent decades fixing that show and word of mouth was great.

What will word of mouth be for Chess? Maybe it holds up well on the strength of its score and star power. But I can imagine it fading after a few months as the novelty wears off and more people realize this isn’t Merrily.

Updated On: 11/17/25 at 02:18 AM

[MezzA101]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 5:27am

Unlocked NYT

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/theater/chess-review-lea-michele-broadway.html?unlocked_article_code=1.108.oz9n._2wlhvAv06e5&smid=nytcore-android-share

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 6:13am

In praise of the BWW posters, whose comments during this long-ish preview period track perfectly with this consensus. As a 22-year veteran of this board, this morning I'll toast the savvy discussions that ensued.in an always engaging thread. The flaws noted from the first performance are all amplified in the media critiques, to a point, and for daily visitors to this site, these reviews validate the head scratching, the sighs, the one thumb way up/one down reporting. Those scolded for naysaying (I was targeted; it happens) can find their points argued about Strong's meta apologist spin gratifying. Those insisting the show didn't ever need to work will find pleasure in the Holden take, which is the best this production gets: Chess will never be well-crafted musical theater but for many will always be exciting. I have no idea how these will translate into box office, but I'd guess that invaluable pull quotes are coming, and will form a positive (enough) wall.  

Congratulations, wise posters. Once again, you prove this is a place to savor lively debate.  

Updated On: 11/17/25 at 06:13 AM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 6:50am

EDSOSLO858 said: "In a more competitive musical season, I'd bet this would get zero Tony nods. (1 or 2 if the nominating committee were feeling kind?)

All three leads, the lighting design, and revival of a musical seems like a solid expectation for 2026."

Depending on how Cats and The Rocky Horror Show are both received in the spring, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one left out for Best Musical Revival.

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 7:28am

Just an opinion from a Chess virgin. This was a concert with a comedian. Sadly very little chemistry or real character development. Bad accents. Great vocals.  Bangkok was not a sexually charged show stopper. Lea should demand more money. "WTF was that" was the refrain as we walked out with strangers.