Chess 2025- Page 6

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/6/25 at 4:39am

OuttaTowner said: "Wondering if Skylar Astin could sing Freddie? He’s a tenor, and reads younger, though he and Lea are the same age (sort of a mini Spring Awakening reunion)."

Funny you should mention Skylar. A friend of mine floated him as a possibility as Freddie a while back and I think acting wise he could certainly do it but it's a matter of if he can manage Pity the Child eight times a week as it is with anybody playing Freddie.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/10/25 at 9:23pm

Lea Michele just posted on IG - “tune in tomorrow morning, some fun news to share” 

………….

Updated On: 3/10/25 at 09:23 PM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/10/25 at 10:15pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Lea Michele just posted on IG - “tune in tomorrow morning, some fun news to share”

…………."


Either this or Evita! 

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 3/11/25 at 12:17am

She also pointed people to her web site, to subscribe to her news feed. Seems more like a few concerts coming up. Taking her earlier post very literally (not a always a good idea with Lea), she will have more news in the next few weeks.

So my best guess is: concert dates tomorrow, theater role announcement late March/early April.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/11/25 at 1:46am

Mary_Poppins said: "She also pointed people to her web site, to subscribe to her news feed. Seems more like a few concerts coming up. Taking her earlier post very literally (not a always a good idea with Lea), she will have more news in the next few weeks.

So my best guess is: concert dates tomorrow, theater role announcement late March/early April."

I agree. It's going to be concerts first and then the Chess announcement will come later. If she isn't starting Chess till the fall she has plenty of time to do some concerts. 

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 3/11/25 at 12:13pm

Yup. It’s concerts. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/11/25 at 12:16pm

OuttaTowner said: "Yup. It’s concerts."

Long break between late May and late June, probably so that CHESS can be announced, she can do a press tour, and present at the Tonys before the end of her mini concert tour.

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 3/11/25 at 6:55pm

Yes, now that you mention it, that timing does make sense. Otherwise it seems rather unusual to have 6 weeks of breaks in an eight date tour. 

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 3/11/25 at 10:02pm

EDSOSLO858 said:
Long break between late May and late June, probably so that CHESS can be announced, she can do a press tour, and present at the Tonys before the end of her mini concert tour."

Two things to know about Lea:

First (and foremost): she's currently all about her kids, perhaps even more so than other mothers with a six months old daughter are. She's not willing to do 8 dates in a row, being away from them for 11 days or so. And 3 dates then 3 days with the baby then another 3 dates and so on is not ok. It has to be many more days with the kids.

Second, after some bad experiences on Glee as well as having to cancel one of her own concerts because of voice problems she's very careful not to do too many dates with no rest in between. OTOH, the most efficient way to minimize time away from home is to do concerts closely spaced with perhaps a day of rest in between to allow for rest and longer travel between venues.

If you consider these two things, the tour schedule practically writes itself. She could have stretched out the schedule even longer, but there may be two problems with that. Her tour musicians may not be available or preparations for her new Broadway gig begin in summer..

Announcements and press tour wouldn't require 3 week tour pauses. That's maybe a press conference with cast and producers, maybe a photoshoot and some more interviews, all of which can be done quickly, with convenient scheduling and all of it in NYC.

Updated On: 3/11/25 at 10:02 PM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/12/25 at 3:24am

Mary_Poppins said: "EDSOSLO858 said:
Long break between late May and late June, probably so that CHESS can be announced, she can do a press tour, and present at the Tonys before the end of her mini concert tour."

Two things to know about Lea:

First (and foremost): she's currently all about her kids, perhaps even more so than other mothers with a six months old daughter are. She's not willing to do 8 dates in a row, being away from them for 11 days or so. And 3 dates then 3 days with the baby then another 3 dates and so on is not ok. It has to be many more days with the kids.

Second, after some bad experiences on Glee as well as having to cancel one of her own concerts because of voice problems she's very careful not to do too many dates with no rest in between. OTOH, the most efficient way to minimize time away from home is to do concerts closely spaced with perhaps a day of rest in between to allow for rest and longer travel between venues.

If you consider these two things, the tour schedule practically writes itself. She could have stretched out the schedule even longer, but there may be two problems with that. Her tour musicians may not be available or preparations for her new Broadway gig begin in summer..

Announcements and press tour wouldn't require 3 week tour pauses. That's maybe a press conference with cast and producers, maybe a photoshoot and some more interviews, all of which can be done quickly, with convenient scheduling and all of it in NYC."

spot on. I was just going to say something similar. I think Lea sees this tour as a chance to get back into a work mode after an 18 month break without having too much time away from the family but also, as you say, she's super conscious of not straining her voice, especially when she's about to start a show with a complicated score, so to me this tour set up makes sense to give her voice a run before Chess, without overtaxing it.

 

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 12:30pm

I’ll throw another hat in the Freddie ring - Isaac Cole Powell. I believe he’s a tenor. 

Updated On: 3/15/25 at 12:30 PM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/18/25 at 8:08am

starlightlocamotion said: "Could be Jojo? She has expressed interest in more broadway endeavors in her future."

I'm starting to think this is indeed possible.  She fits the music business hint,  popular and I saw a quote from an interview in August where she was asked if she had her sights set on any other Broadway shows and she said yes but indicated she couldn't talk about it. 

At 34 she's also in the right age range.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/18/25 at 8:33am

JoJo is doing WORKING GIRL, if I’m not mistaken. 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/18/25 at 8:45am

EDSOSLO858 said: "JoJois doing WORKING GIRL, if I’m not mistaken."

 well if that's true there goes another idea lol.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 8:17am

in a new interview about his own tour in the Guildford and Surrey Downs Magazine ( on his instagram account) , Tim Rice says Chess will be coming to Broadway in November.

Updated On: 3/19/25 at 08:17 AM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 1:55pm

An autumn 2025 curtain date for Chess is also mentioned in his program bio in a local opera company's staging of JCS in Manhattan. I know that's not exactly the most reliable source, but if he's talking about it publicly and it's in his handouts...

Updated On: 3/19/25 at 01:55 PM

[Voter]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 2:49pm

Let’s play everyone’s favorite game. Which theatre is this long awaited production going in?

 

My guesses: Barrymore, Belasco, Booth, Jones, 

[Voter]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 2:49pm

Let’s play everyone’s favorite game. Which theatre is this long awaited production going in?

 

My guesses: Barrymore, Belasco, Booth, Jones, 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 2:57pm

GirlFromOz68 said: "in a new interview about his own tour in the Guildford and Surrey Downs Magazine ( on his instagram account) , Tim Rice says Chess will be coming to Broadway in November."

 

Tim has been saying this for 20+ years.

 

[inception]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 3:05pm

Has anything else booked the Barrymore after Othello?

Voter said: "Let’s play everyone’s favorite game. Which theatre is this long awaited production going in?



My guesses: Barrymore, Belasco, Booth, Jones,"

 

[Mr.Liir]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 3:13pm

Previews October, opening November.

[mshalo18]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 3:23pm

Voter said: "Let’s play everyone’s favorite game. Which theatre is this long awaited production going in?



My guesses: Barrymore, Belasco, Booth, Jones,"

Doesn’t  Real Women Have Curves have the Jones? 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 3/19/25 at 4:31pm

mshalo18 said: "Voter said: "Let’s play everyone’s favorite game. Which theatre is this long awaited production going in?



My guesses: Barrymore, Belasco, Booth, Jones,"

Doesn’t Real Women Have Curves have the Jones?"

it's already been hinted at here that it's taking  the Al Hirschfeld after Moulin Rouge announces a closing date. Given Moulin Rouge's box office lately that doesn't sound far fetched. 

Tim also said he'll be working with Benny and Bjorn again and they might adjust a few things but not too much as he knows the songs work well.

The songs have never been the problem lol. They need this version of the book by Danny Strong to work.

Updated On: 3/19/25 at 04:31 PM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 4/15/25 at 4:24pm

I just noticed that Moulin Rouge has now extended to November 2025, which i assume now rules it out for Chess for the Al Hirschfeld which was one rumour going around, given all the rumours say November iswhen Chess opens and I assume an earlier closing is needed than that for load out/load in.

Does this mean they are waiting for one of the newer shows to fold to take another theatre?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/15/25 at 5:14pm

GirlFromOz68 said: "I just noticed that Moulin Rouge has now extended to November 2025, which i assume now rules it out for Chess for the Al Hirschfeld which was one rumour going around, given all the rumours say November iswhen Chess opens and I assume an earlier closing is needed than that for load out/load in.

Does this mean they are waiting for one of the newer shows to fold to take another theatre?"

Moulin Rouge was never a limited run -- so there's no "extension".  Just like every other long-running show, they just keep adding new blocks of tickets.