CHESS Previews- Page 6

[getatme]

Posted: 10/17/25 at 11:40pm

THDavis said: "bryan2 said: "Please not Rachel in Evita for the win! Evita is another no set and people running around in their undies

just a rehash of the Sunset presentation down to the HOLDING a note way to long for no reason and paint all over the male lead at the end (blood , paint whatever)"

Which note was held for too long? If it isn’t “the truth is I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEver left you…”, I don’t think it’s a fair comparison to the masturbatory AIWNSG that Nicole won for. 🤣"

It's "I'm THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIR savior" in Rainbow High.

Regardless, Evita isn't coming this season.

[twotrey]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 6:34am

EricMontreal22 said: "Which begs the question... why not just go back to the original London, almost entirely sung-through version? It ran three years (granted with an insane set design and staging back when that was a key reason to go to London musicals) and no one seemed all too bothered about the intricacies of the stories beyond the basic plot points until Trevor Nunn decided that he wanted to be able to start fresh for New York and not with the ideas he was left with from Michael Bennett...

"

The 2008 Royal Albert Hall version reverted to more or less the London sung-through original (with "Someone Else's Story" added), and at the time, Tim Rice, both on stage at the concerts and in the CD/DVD liner notes, said that that would now be the "official" version.  Not long after that, that version became available for US licensing for the first time (in addition to the Richard Nelson Broadway version, which remained available), and I did see both staged and semi-staged productions of that version here in the States.  But then out of nowhere a few years ago came the new Strong version.

[MDWHIT57]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 9:54am

I love this post.  And I'm really too dumb to answer the hard questions - all of which are really good by the way.  

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 10:04am

Auggie27 said: "Maybe the ultimate lesson will surface: leave the effing songs alone, move 'em downstage, back em with a good band, and a majority will be happy. We knew that 20 years ago, but okay."

I happen to agree with you, but there's not exactly a consensus on this, especially (and obviously) among the creators. If Tim Rice really liked the London version the best, I imagine that's what we'd be seeing on Broadway this fall. (Thank you for your always well-considered thoughts on Chess and on theater in general, by the way!)

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 10:04 AM

[HaveAGoodShow]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 11:13am

What, pray tell, does Casey Garvin do in the second act of CHESS?

Toggle with a spoiler warning if you'd like.

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 11:13 AM

[ER765]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 11:29am

I am thinking about purchasing the “partial view” seats in Orchestra Row J (seats 21 & 23). 

Can anyone confirm exactly how obstructed the view is? 

[EvaLupone]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 1:24pm

Hi! I sat in P21. I can’t imagine that being two seats over and six rows back would make much of a difference. When I bought my ticket (on the day they went on sale), P21 was listed as unobstructed and it really was. The only thing I “missed” was Aaron and Lea’s first entrance, and even then, it was just a split-second delay compared to the other side of the theatre. On the bright side, from that seat I actually got the first view of Nicholas! There isn’t much action on the far ends of the stage, so you should be perfectly fine.

 

[AndrewLlloydWebersButler]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 6:52pm

Saw Chess Thursday night. It definitely delivers.

Nicholas/Aaron/Lea all have incredible voices and each deserves the giant rounds of applause. Each is a star in their own way. The book is much clearer than it ever has been. I saw the mess on Broadway many years ago. I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up.  But singing? Nicholas blows the roof off the joint. Lea is great, but her voice is smaller than Idina or others previous. Hannah Cruz is a triumph and He Is A Man works well on her. The song is long. There is a lot of standing and singing but I guess everyone is there for the music. The set and lighting gives concert vibes. Kevin Adams paints the most beautiful beams of light. The video work is nothing new but does some cool tricks. There is a dream love triangle ballet on a platform that was the most beautiful thing I have seen onstage. The dances and ensemble work is pretty awesome and comes as a respite from an otherwise concert like night. Audience was on fire and I wish it well! 

I sat rear orchestra left-band was fantastic. 

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 06:52 PM

[always bway]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 7:29pm

HaveAGoodShow said: "What, pray tell, does Casey Garvin do in the second act of CHESS?

Toggle with a spoiler warning if you'd like."

Casey Garvin, Michael Olarigbigbe, Sara Meahl dance a pas de trois by Loren Latarro that is stunning. They are wearing very little !  But the dance is elegant and modern. It adds a moment of beauty and leans toward opera/ballet. Very unexpected. 

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 07:29 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 9:14pm

"I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up..."

Wait, what? Not a ringing endorsement for the fixed book. Strong has had 5+ years and two well-platformed Encores! styled readings to hone and discover unexplored nuance; it's hard to fathom a major changes during previews. But who knows? I keep reading, "the book is still a problem but--" and then we circle back to the songs and how well they're sung. As I opined earlier, maybe that is enough. . 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 9:24pm

Auggie27 said: ""I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up..."

Wait, what? Not a ringing endorsement for the fixed book. Strong has had 5+ years and two well-platformed Encores! styled readingsto hone and discover unexplored nuance; it's hard to fathom a major changes during previews. But who knows? I keep reading, "the book is still a problem but--" and then we circle back to the songs and how well they're sung. As I opined earlier, maybe that is enough. ."

Hal have you seen or heard any of those concerts?  His book is one of the worst books for a musical I've ever encountered (I say that with all seriousness--it's *awful*)  I'll say it again--just go back to the "rock opera" format of the London production.  Almost each later incarnation seems worse than the previous one.

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 9:32pm

I take it you haven't seen his Galileo. 

 

EricMontreal22 said: "Auggie27 said: ""I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up..."

Wait, what? Not a ringing endorsement for the fixed book. Strong has had 5+ years and two well-platformed Encores! styled readingsto hone and discover unexplored nuance; it's hard to fathom a major changes during previews. But who knows? I keep reading, "the book is still a problem but--" and then we circle back to the songs and how well they're sung. As I opined earlier, maybe that is enough. ."

Hal have you seen or heard any of those concerts? His book is one of the worst books for a musical I've ever encountered (I say that with all seriousness--it's *awful*) I'll say it again--just go back to the "rock opera" format of the London production. Almost each later incarnation seems worse than the previous one."

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 12:23am

Ensemble1711444445 said: "I take it you haven't seen his Galileo.



EricMontreal22 said: "Auggie27 said: ""I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up..."

Wait, what? Not a ringing endorsement for the fixed book. Strong has had 5+ years and two well-platformed Encores! styled readingsto hone and discover unexplored nuance; it's hard to fathom a major changes during previews. But who knows? I keep reading, "the book is still a problem but--" and then we circle back to the songs and how well they're sung. As I opined earlier, maybe that is enough. ."

Hal have you seen or heard any of those concerts? His book is one of the worst books for a musical I've ever encountered (I say that with all seriousness--it's *awful*) I'll say it again--just go back to the "rock opera" format of the London production. Almost each later incarnation seems worse than the previous one."


I actually saw the London show in the 80s four times in the 3 or so years it was open, as I was traveling to London on business regularly.  After the first viewing, I accepted the fact that the show had a decent number of boring parts and I continued to re-visit it because the highs, i.e., most of the score, were so high.  It was very bloated, not in a good way, which is why Nunn wanted to take a new look at it.  I truly do not remember whether it was sung through and, if so, whether there was recitative or actual melodies.

When I saw it is NYC in 1987 or 1988 (I think), I thought it was much worse than the London version, despite the good voices. Nunn's vision was a total bore.  I had an opportunity to see it a second time for free in the 10 weeks it was open, but I felt it was so lousy that I had no interest in seeing it again.  I did continue to listen to the original London cast recording on a regular basis, since it is probably to this day my favorite cast recording ever. 

 I next saw a revival in Shirlington, VA about 12 or 13 years ago at the Signature Theatre.  I saw it three times (I lived in VA at the time) that I felt was the best version I had seen, but I began to assume that the show was never going as good as the score. Despite what I felt was a better book I still didn't care about the characters, although the fact that the male leads were not strong enough didn't help matters.  For the next 11 or 13 years, I continued to listen to the cast recording more regularly that any other one, including new ones

I purchased (and splurged on really good)  tickets the first day they went on sale because I will take any opportunity to see a new production of Chess (which hasn't happened a lot for me, only being in Manhattan about 10 - 12 days a year), and I have been really looking forward to seeing it, given the voices of the leads.  Based on everything I have read, I have to admit that I have already lowered my expectations that this might be the production that solves the basic problem (and, more importantly, gives it a chance to reach a larger audience and run more than the 6 or so months that it will probably run, given Tveit's and Michelle's ability to sell tickets.

I am still really optimistic that I will like this, given the voices of the three leads and Lea Michelle's charisma (I have never seen Christopher), but my reset expectations are already thinking that Chess is likely to remain a niche property and that periodic concert stagings will have to do.  I am really hoping that I will be wrong, as I really want this to capture a wider audience.

Updated On: 10/19/25 at 12:23 AM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 11:16am

To partially addresses Eric's point, I'll come back to my own, earlier in this thread, about the fixed DNA of the characters of Florence and Svetlana. Folks in the playwriting community know about The Bechdel Test, i.e., the creation of women characters. It was established for literary managers to eliminate from production consideration a certain kind of storytelling via a simple three-part rule: to evaluate female representation  a work must have at least two women, these women must have a conversation, and their conversation must be about something other than a man.

Therein lies one issue with Chess. Florence is defined entirely by her views of two shapeshifting men. And when she finally sings a duet, well, of a sort, it has lyrics that all run along: "He needs his fantasy and freedom," inviting us to wonder, late in the show, "What about your fantasies and freedom?" Strong had an opportunity to expand Florence beyond codependent preoccupation with two high maintenance dudes and their, fantasies freedoms, narcissism, and settled on clarifying what was already there. To me, honing Florence's arc is the missed opportunity. It wouldn't take mass reworking in the second act to pull her out from under - literally - two navel-gazing egotists - and find herself a chess playing career trajectory. Instead, she goes from substituting boyfriends for her missing father to a missing father for her boyfriends. Even if you do not feel the Bechdel test is useful, the story fails to give Florence a place to land beyond her love life. 

Updated On: 10/19/25 at 11:16 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 11:22am

I’m happy this show seems to be selling well. However - I wanted to take someone to see it so went online to look at availability. FIVE HUNDRED+ DOLLARS for mid/rear orchestra?!?!

Even for “modern” pricing this is offensive. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 12:18pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I’m happy this show seems to be selling well. However - I wanted to take someone to see it so went online to look at availability. FIVE HUNDRED+ DOLLARS for mid/rear orchestra?!?!

Even for “modern” pricing this is offensive."

Same. Was looking to take someone to the Sat Mat I am going to. I have Row E Center Orch. Paid 321.00 when went on sale. Now 521.00. CRAZY.

Also anyone know if the running time is staying at 2:40? I was going to try to see Oh Mary again but think it is cutting it too close.

[CopleyScott17]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 12:40pm

Unless I slipped into a brief coma, the dream ballet was cut completely on Saturday night. I know they're in previews, but I think this revival would have benefitted greatly from an out-of-town tryout. If you are charging Broadway prices you should be further along.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 1:08pm

CopleyScott17 said: "Unless I slipped into a brief coma, the dream ballet was cut completely on Saturday night.”

And Jesus wept… :-( 

 

[WearSunblock]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 1:27pm

Sarah Meahl was injured and had to leave mid-show.  My guess is the swing wasn't ready for that??

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 1:28pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I’m happy this show seems to be selling well. However - I wanted to take someone to see it so went online to look at availability. FIVE HUNDRED+ DOLLARS for mid/rear orchestra?!?!

Even for “modern” pricing this is offensive."

 

Agreed. I was going to see it when I'm town. Especially to see Nick. But not crazy about the semi concert format and I went in to look at seats and those prices are ridiculous. I am leaning toward passing on seeing it.

 

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 1:36pm

For all the talk of a love triangle with the two men, has there ever been a version of the show where Florence’s relationship with Freddie has been portrayed as a romance of any kind? Even in the concept album and expanded London version (as portrayed on the Danish Complete Recording), it’s felt like a codependent but mostly platonic situationship with a narcissistic and controlling closet case. She escapes it by falling in love with an actually passionate man, but find herself embroiled in political and personal struggles because of it, not because of love for/from Freddie.

[itsahopi]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 2:31pm

WearSunblock said: "Sarah Meahl was injured and had to leave mid-show. My guess is the swing wasn't ready for that??"

I believe it was cut cut.

[EvanHansen]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 4:14pm

The ballet was indeed cut. 

[always bway]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 4:28pm

Noooooooooooo! That ballet was so beautiful. Also made this version unique. Michael Bennett must be in tears. Is there a bootleg online?

[THDavis]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 4:38pm

EvanHansen said: "The ballet was indeed cut."

Any decision to deprive the audience of Casey Garvin in a “flattering” costume is, in fact, a hate crime.