CHESS (2025 Broadway Revival) Reviews- Page 3

[Jumpin_J]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 4:18pm

malcs98 said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "

Depending on howCatsandThe Rocky Horror Showare both received in the spring, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one left out for Best Musical Revival."

The only real front-runner for Best Musical Revival at this point is still RAGTIME, correct?"

It seems to be the case. To be fair, Rocky Horror won't open until the spring as is Cats: Jellicle Ball (which I have to presume will be counted as a revival). Short of either of them blowing the roof off, I think Ragtime should get several awards but Best Revival is all but certain. 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 5:04pm

I hope you are right because I think this is one of the three most 'thrilling' productions I have seen in the last decade, the others being Oklahoma (which I hated until the Daniel Fish production) and SB.  Since neither of the others returned their investment, I would like to see at least one do so.  Further, I won't be back in NYC until late May and want this to be around when I return.

I have to say that I expected more reviews like Sara Holdren's (it may be a mess, but that did not prevent me from loving it), and I was really disappointed to see that there were not more of those.  Of course, it is totally unclear to me how much impact reviews have on a musical's box office success unless they are all raves or mostly pans. 

Someone commented that they have a lot of great pull quotes...do shows still take full page ads in the Sunday times? (I have not seen a hard copy Sunday Times in at least 15 years).  If not for the full-page ad, how much do pull-quotes even matter anymore?  I have been assuming that the cast, combined with the Chess 'cult', and positive audience word-of-mouth will sell enough tickets to at least last through the current cast's first year (vs. peter out after a few solid grossing months), but don't know how much of that is wishful thinking.

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 5:12pm

I loved the show-  truly I did.  Lea, Aaron, Nik, all fab.

The reviews are as I suspected.  I still wish that they would have cut the stupid jokes - talking directly to the audience in real time (2025) - from the Arbiter, I mean narrator. I mean Bryce.  Or in the words of Molina "Only At The Movies" ---WHATEVER IT IS!  

Maybe they should have just called it Chess in Concert.

Some reviews were positive, I hope this show lasts for a nice long while.  

Updated On: 11/17/25 at 05:12 PM

[BJR]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 5:42pm

As Gatsby proves, you can’t tell people not to see what they want to see. And these current grosses are massive. 
 

it’s got a shot at a run while they’re in it. 

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 5:51pm

Jarethan said: "I hope you are right because I think this is one of the three most 'thrilling' productions I have seen in the last decade, the others being Oklahoma (which I hated until the Daniel Fishproduction) and SB. Since neither of the others returned their investment, I would like to see at least one do so. Further, I won't be back in NYC until late May and want this to be around when I return.

I have to say that I expected more reviews like Sara Holdren's (it may be a mess, but that did not prevent me from loving it), and I was really disappointed to see that there were notmore of those. Of course, it is totally unclear to me how much impact reviews have on a musical's box officesuccess unless they are all raves or mostly pans.

Someone commented that they have a lot of great pull quotes...do shows still take full page ads in the Sunday times? (I have not seen a hard copy Sunday Times in at least 15 years). If not for the full-page ad, how much do pull-quotes even matter anymore? I have been assuming that the cast, combined with the Chess 'cult', and positive audience word-of-mouth will sell enough tickets to at least last through the current cast's first year(vs. peter out after a few solid grossing months), but don't know how much of that is wishful thinking."

I see pull quotes all over social media ads.

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/17/25 at 6:14pm

BJR said: "As Gatsby proves, you can’t tell people not to see what they want to see. And these current grosses are massive.


it’s got a shot at a run while they’re in it."

True that!  Insanely massive.  I hope it has legs.  Look, I adore Chess. I adore this production (mostly) but if this version doesn't work out - IMO they need to give this show a rest. 

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 8:18pm

Not a real review but some great pictures and history of the show:

Chess Revival

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 6:25pm

Aaron Tveit will not perform on January 27, February 24, March 17 - 19 and April 28.

Lea Michele will not perform on December 14, December 16, January 23, February 18 - 22, April 1 - 5, and April 11.

Nicholas Christopher will not perform on December 3 - evening.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 9:31pm

Sutton Ross said: "Not a real review but some great pictures and history of the show:

Chess Revival

"

[Robbie2]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 9:33pm

Robbie2 said: "Sutton Ross said: "Not a real review but some great pictures and history of the show:

Chess Revival

"

"

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/22/25 at 7:11am

I can't stop thinking about these performances.  I must come to NYC soon, to see once again. 

Updated On: 11/22/25 at 07:11 AM

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 11/22/25 at 8:46am

"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."

I believe show will hold up just fine as long as the three leads are in it. The minute they are all gone, show will close pretty quickly.

[Huss417]

Posted: 11/22/25 at 12:48pm

Robbie2 said: "Robbie2 said: "Sutton Ross said: "Not a real review but some great pictures and history of the show:

Chess Revival

"

"

"

The bed is such an odd choice to me. You have no sets for the majority of the show and then you have a random bed come up from the stage.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/22/25 at 1:20pm

I raised questions about the book from the first preview, but now see that its foundational flaws are ultimately almost an irrelevancy. This hybrid staging - Encores! meets Encores Moves a Show to Broadway - seems to satisfy the paying public. This shot of a shirtless man gives the production the optics of a hot intimate character piece, not a mega-amplified concert dominated by down center power ballads. But no one is kvetching or crying false advertizing. There's nothing else on B'way like this, and I suspect it will do just fine. They'll find new people to replace these 3, perhaps one at a time or maybe a new trio, and as long as one of them is a name, tickets will sell. I did notice that Wednesday matinees in January and February are almost unsold, so maybe discounting will emerge for the winter. But not much of comparable marquee value looms large, so maybe the TKTS booth will suffice.  It smells like a modest hit.  

Updated On: 11/22/25 at 01:20 PM

[Ball of Buttah]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 2:08pm

https://youtu.be/zuuuMJ9OS6E?si=dFp_FK79SO0LAQaU
 

Lea on CBS Sunday Morning News 

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 5:34pm

Plus 5 minute segment from the actual Broadcast (the interview above is web only).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiQOLrCCHts

Little talking, but some seconds of pro footage from the show that, IIRC, are not in the B-Roll.

Updated On: 11/23/25 at 05:34 PM

[inception]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 6:21pm

Chess for the win. 

Everyone kvetching about changes.. the narrator... song placement.. lack of chemistry ( there's no f-ing lack of chemistry!)...etc etc... They're wrong.  Simple as that. 

The story has been streamlined and goes from one banger to another.  From one sensational moment to another. There's intrigue and palpable anxienty.  The audience is on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next.  The end brings a real emotional wallop and is completely satisfying.  This Chess works. 

The very best show I saw this week. 

Not one extraneous piece.  It has that over Ragtime which kept all its baggage.
Welp, that's my opinion. 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 7:36pm

Mary_Poppins said: "Plus 5 minute segment from the actual Broadcast (the interview above is web only).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiQOLrCCHts

Little talking, but some seconds of pro footage from the show that, IIRC, are not in the B-Roll."

and confirmation of what she has vaguely mentioned during an interview a couple of years ago that she had a miscarriage during FG and going by John Manzari's furious reaction on IG to the haters being horrible to Lea for missing the first three performances of the final week of FG i suspect that was when it happened.

[Ensemble1763372746]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 2:00am

Hear hear!!

 

inception said: "Chess for the win.

Everyone kvetching about changes.. the narrator... song placement.. lack of chemistry ( there's no f-ing lack of chemistry!)...etc etc... They'rewrong. Simple as that.

The story has been streamlined and goes from one banger to another. From one sensational moment to another. There's intrigue and palpable anxienty. The audience is on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. The end brings a real emotional wallop and is completely satisfying. This Chess works.

The very best show I saw this week.

Not one extraneous piece. It has that over Ragtime which kept all its baggage.
Welp, that's my opinion."

 

[corninthesky]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 7:14am

inception said: "Chess for the win.

Everyone kvetching about changes.. the narrator... song placement.. lack of chemistry ( there's no f-ing lack of chemistry!)...etc etc... They'rewrong. Simple as that.

The story has been streamlined and goes from one banger to another. From one sensational moment to another. There's intrigue and palpable anxienty. The audience is on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. The end brings a real emotional wallop and is completely satisfying. This Chess works.

The very best show I saw this week.

Not one extraneous piece. It has that over Ragtime which kept all its baggage.
Welp, that's my opinion."

Saw this Friday night and was trying to figure out how to put all my thoughts together. inception completely wrote them for me. 
 

I have always loved the score, but was NOT prepared for the roof to be blown off. What an insanely fun night at the Imperial. 

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 5:34pm

corninthesky said: "inception said: "Chess for the win.I have always loved the score, but was NOT prepared for the roof to be blown off. What an insanely fun night at the Imperial."

I am SOOOOOOOOOO ready for a cast recording.

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 11/25/25 at 2:16am

GirlFromOz68 said: "Mary_Poppins said: "Plus 5 minute segment from the actual Broadcast (the interview above is web only).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiQOLrCCHts

Little talking, but some seconds of pro footage from the show that, IIRC, are not in the B-Roll."

and confirmation of what she has vaguely mentioned during an interview a couple of years ago that she had a miscarriage during FG and going by John Manzari's furious reaction on IG to the haters being horrible to Lea for missing the first three performances of the final week of FG i suspect that was when it happened."

I don't understand why people would think that Lea, or most other professional actors, would skip shows just because they want to.

Lea had some medical procedure done just weeks before joining Funny Girl and had to stay in bed for a while. Probably because of her PCOS. Could have been related to IVF but I doubt it. She apparently had three miscarriages, the third leading to a surgical intervention. The chronology is a bit unclear, though, in particular what happened before FG and what during FG. Maybe there was a fourth miscarriage?

Her son got very ill and was in a hospital for a few days. Even before that happened I already suspected that her calling in sick was actually because of her son being sick. Her son took a while to recover afterwards. Maybe that's what John Manzari was referring to.

And considering all her dialogue and countless songs they likely had some Abundance Of Caution policy in addition to the alternate on Thursdays.

Add to that two weeks of Covid and we have more than enough to explain all of Lea's absences during FG.

 

On a lighter note, here's a trailer to the aforementioned CBS interview:

https://www.instagram.com/cbssundaymorning/reel/DRQHvzTksO7/

Lea being cute while detailing her little piece of Heaven on Earth, then remembering that CBS Sunday Morning's current theme is Food, then hinting that watching football on TV may be not her favorite pastime but you got to compromise in a marriage. And it's still Heaven. All that in 15 seconds. Lea looking sideways but smiling while mentioning football made my day.

 

 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 11/25/25 at 3:05am

Mary_Poppins said: "GirlFromOz68 said: "Mary_Poppins said: "Plus 5 minute segment from the actual Broadcast (the interview above is web only).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiQOLrCCHts

Little talking, but some seconds of pro footage from the show that, IIRC, are not in the B-Roll."

and confirmation of what she has vaguely mentioned during an interview a couple of years ago that she had a miscarriage during FG and going by John Manzari's furious reaction on IG to the haters being horrible to Lea for missing the first three performances of the final week of FG i suspect that was when it happened."

I don't understand why people would think that Lea, or most other professional actors, would skip shows just because they want to.

Lea had some medical procedure done just weeks before joining Funny Girl and had to stay in bed for a while. Probably because of her PCOS. Could have been related to IVF but I doubt it. She apparently had three miscarriages, the third leading to a surgical intervention. The chronology is a bit unclear, though, in particular what happened before FG and what during FG. Maybe there was a fourth miscarriage?

Her son got very ill and was in a hospital for a few days. Even before that happened I already suspected that her calling in sick was actually because of her son being sick. Her son took a while to recover afterwards. Maybe that's what John Manzari was referring to.

And considering all her dialogue and countless songs they likely had some Abundance Of Caution policy in addition to the alternate on Thursdays.

Add to that two weeks of Covid and we have more than enough to explain all of Lea's absences during FG.



On a lighter note, here's a trailer to the aforementioned CBS interview:

https://www.instagram.com/cbssundaymorning/reel/DRQHvzTksO7/

Lea being cute while detailing her little piece of Heaven on Earth, then remembering that CBS Sunday Morning's current theme is Food, then hinting that watching football on TV may be not her favorite pastime but you got to compromise in a marriage. And it's still Heaven. All that in 15 seconds. Lea looking sideways but smiling while mentioning football made my day.



"


In other news someone on Facebook who saw the show said they spoke to a co producer on opening night who claimed it was going so well they were planning a two year run and a transfer to the West End. 

That sounds like one of those excitable "co producers" who put money in a show and think it will run for ever.  ive never thought it would run beyond the current stars contracts.

Updated On: 11/25/25 at 03:05 AM

[inception]

Posted: 11/25/25 at 7:37am

Don't trust news from Facebook people.  They're going to transfer to Broadway?  Really?  The show is already on Broadway.  

I should be sleeping, but does anyone else ever get an earworm in your head so much that you even dream it?  I don't why but that part of "Florence quits" when he's sings "Woman woman" keeps repeating in my head.

Something I didn't mention in my comment Sunday night was I didn't try to rush out of the theatre even though I had only about an hour from when Chess got out until I had to get down to the Public for Seat of Our Pants, and I wanted to eat in that time as well.  But there were some ladies also just waiting for the crowd to disperse and we got talking.  They really liked Bryce Pinkham a lot.  At intermission I also heard similar comments.  So the stuff that people here might not go for, perhaps plays better with a more general audience.  The jokes about RFK & Biden were pretty lousy, but they still got a huge response at my showing Sunday.  Those ladies also asked me if I knew what happened in real life to Freddie and Anatoly and Florence, and I had to break it to them that it isn't based on real people, that it's all made up fictional characters.  That's how well the stuff about the Able Archer exercises etc works in upping the stakes - it makes it feel like it's based on a true story.  But at the time Chess was originally written the Able Archer events would have all been highly classified information, and all that plot is new to this version.  Also it's interesting how readily audiences can accept today that the CIA agent is such a creep ready to sacrifice the American team for his goals.

GirlFromOz68 said: "
In other news someone on Facebook who saw the show said they spoke to a co producer on opening night who claimed it was going so well they were planning a two year run and a transfer to Broadway.

That sounds like one of those excitable "co producers" who put money in a show and think it will run for ever. ive never thought it would run beyond the current stars contracts."

 

Updated On: 11/25/25 at 07:37 AM

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 11/25/25 at 9:56am

@GirlFromOz68

not quoting everything again because it might be getting annoying to everyone else

 

 

I'm aware of the earlier info about the miscarriages, assuming we're talking about the same. I don't see a real contradiction between what we both said. It's just that Lea is, as usual, neither precise nor complete with the facts, so there are several possible interpretations and timelines.

 

I'm not saying Lea is lying or deceiving anyone, it's just that she would be the worlds worst mathematician. (Amusingly, there's a line about that in FG). For example, after all these years, including her latest CBS interview, it's still not completely clear how her hiring process for Glee went down exactly. Not that it really matters, ofc.

 

The only thing that tripped me up is what you said about someone hoping to move the show to Broadway. Huh?