CHESS (2025 Broadway Revival) Reviews- Page 9

[Ball of Buttah]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 2:05pm

suzcap said: "Well the Chess instagram account is teasing a album so..."

It's official. They're recording one finally! But, WHEN is it going to drop???

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT0oChej_nf/?igsh=MWl1anUxM3QzNWFycw==

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 2:10pm

Yessss so exciting. Such bangers.

[suzcap]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 2:56pm

Ball of Buttah said: "suzcap said: "Well the Chess instagram account is teasing a album so..."

It's official. They're recording one finally! But, WHEN is it going to drop???

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT0oChej_nf/?igsh=MWl1anUxM3QzNWFycw=="

 

I am gonna guess first week of March.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 4:16pm

suzcap said: "I am gonna guess first week of March."

I’ll guess the Friday before the Tonys.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 5:44pm

CATSNYrevival said: "suzcap said: "I am gonna guess first week of March."

I’ll guessthe Friday before the Tonys."

I was just doing a bit of a look back and the Funny Girl cast recording was released about three weeks after they recorded it ( clocked that date from ensemble members talking about doing something exciting that day) and then it was released about a day after Lea announced it in stage.

Now this is different producers etc and that was a late decision after Lea joined the show so it may not be that fast but I think March at latest but wouldn't be surprised if we get it next month.

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 8:19pm

I remember hearing that the instrumental tracks had been laid down already so it may just be a matter of recording the vocals and mixing them

[suzcap]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 10:33pm

CATSNYrevival said: "suzcap said: "I am gonna guess first week of March."

I’ll guessthe Friday before the Tonys."

 

Just curious why do you think they would wait 4 months?   Not sure how that close to the Tonys would help either.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 1/22/26 at 10:38pm

suzcap said: "CATSNYrevival said: "suzcap said: "I am gonna guess first week of March."

I’ll guessthe Friday before the Tonys."



Just curious why do you think they would wait 4 months? Not sure how that close to the Tonys would help either."

Agreed. Also Ragtime took six weeks from announcement to release so I still say mid March at latest.

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 1/23/26 at 8:25am

CATSNYrevival said:

"I’ll guessthe Friday before the Tonys."

I’ll guess that was a joke.

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 1:44pm

suzcap said: "CATSNYrevival said: "suzcap said: "I am gonna guess first week of March."

I’ll guessthe Friday before the Tonys."

Just curious why do you think they would wait 4 months? Not sure how that close to the Tonys would help either."

I can’t imagine they want to wait too long, if only because the music (and the cast that’s singing it) is a MAJOR selling point for the show and the snippets we’ve had since the summer are only driving the demand for it. They’ve got a taste and they want more! 

A well-timed release could also give them a boost during leaner months and also take some thunder away from shows that are opening and don’t have a cast recording.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 2:45pm

Mary_Poppins said: "I’ll guess that was a joke."

I wasn’t joking necessarily. Sometimes albums are recorded and released in 4 to 6 weeks and other times it does seem like producers will hold back a release a few weeks or months for some sort of strategic reason even though we all know it’s not really taking that long to finish it.

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 3:56pm

CATSNYrevival said: "Mary_Poppins said: "I’ll guess that was a joke."

I wasn’t joking necessarily. Sometimes albums are recorded and released in 4 to 6 weeks and other times it does seem like producers will hold back a release a few weeks or months for some sort of strategic reason even though we all know it’s not really taking that long to finish it."

The date you gave was overly specific and too close to the Tonys to have any effect. If that wasn't a joke I'd like to see you joking here. Must be hilarious.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 4:21pm

It is possible. 3 full Broadway cast albums have released on the Friday before the Tonys in consecutive years.

2024 had THE WIZ, THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL, and LEMPICKA, while 2025 had BOOP!, BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, and REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 4:24pm

Thank you. Just an observational guess not a joke.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/24/26 at 5:00pm

5 out of 6 of those shows were failures though and I think the very best part of Chess is the score, so I think it will be released around March. It's highly anticipated, unlike the other cast albums J mentioned. 

Updated On: 1/24/26 at 05:00 PM

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 2/2/26 at 4:46am

Lea will be on Live with Kelly and Mark Thursday, Feb. 5

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/2/26 at 4:15pm

CHESS DISCOUNT

Everybody's playing the game this February ♟️

The week of Feb 16 is a rare chance to see three Florences on stage:

Tue, Feb 17: Lea Michele

Wed/Thu, Feb 18+19: Katerina Papacostas

Fri-Sun, Feb 20-22: Samantha Pollino

Get 20% off tickets for performances Feb 18-22 along with select other dates with code YOURMOVE: 

slk1.io/2wgr/29701612

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/2/26 at 4:24pm

Have Lea Michele, Nick Christopher, or Hannah Cruz missed any shows aside from their previously scheduled absences? I recall Aaron called out of a show or two around Christmas.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 2/2/26 at 5:15pm

AC126748 said: "Have Lea Michele, Nick Christopher, or Hannah Cruz missed any shows aside from their previously scheduled absences? I recall Aaron called out of a show or two around Christmas."

Neither Lea or Hannah have had any unscheduled absences.  Nik's first unscheduled absence was the Sunday of the snowstorm.

 

[suzcap]

Posted: 2/4/26 at 11:17am

New scheduled days off for Aaron - 

March 1 and 3rd and April 21 and 28

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 2/8/26 at 12:39am

Lea was out both shows today. If it was preplanned, I didnt know it. Her understudy, Katerina Papacostas, has a real powerful belt and from the mezz, looked alot like her, but I'm betting Lea does more with the role. Or maybe its just written as poorly as everyone else is? 

Truly bizarre piece of theater. Bryce Pinkham is lively and as close to interesting as we get, even with the wince-worthy jokes about RFK Jr et al. His big number in Act 1 was fun, and Papacostas did a nice job with Nobody's Side which is a solid song. But other than those numbers, and One Night In Bangkok, none of the music really caught on for me. And the book is wooden, turning the evening into a really long slog.  Tveit and Christopher both sound incredible but I got zero sense of either character. Shrug.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 2/8/26 at 12:50am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "Lea was out both shows today. If it was preplanned, I didnt know it. Her understudy,Katerina Papacostas, has a real powerful belt and from the mezz, looked alot like her, but I'm betting Lea does more with the role. Or maybe its just written as poorly as everyone else is?

Truly bizarre piece of theater. Bryce Pinkham is lively and as close to interesting as we get, even with the wince-worthy jokes about RFK Jr et al. His big number in Act 1 was fun, and Papacostas did a nice job with Nobody's Side which is a solid song. But other than those numbers, and One Night In Bangkok, none of the music really caught on for me. And the book is wooden, turning the evening into a really long slog. Tveit and Christopher both sound incredible but I got zero sense of either character. Shrug."

not planned. Lea's first unscheduled absences of the run.

 

Updated On: 2/8/26 at 12:50 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 2/9/26 at 1:22pm

TDF just sent a Telecharge promo code for tickets starting at $58 (but include very good $156 orch seats, as well) for select performances through mid-March. Code is TDFChess. 

[HaveAGoodShow]

Posted: 2/9/26 at 2:11pm

The $58 seats are kind of a steal. CHESS is staged almost entirely down center, so even if you’re way off to the side, you’ll still catch basically everything. Truly, you’re not missing much at all. Grab them while you can!

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 2/9/26 at 2:11pm

Nick and Lea will perform at Miscast 26. Individually, it seems, i.e. not a duet.

April 27 at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Updated On: 2/9/26 at 02:11 PM