Chess in February question (Understudies)

[Keiichi2]

Posted: 11/28/25 at 9:20pm

I'm going to be in NY February 21 to the 25, and am looking at tickets for Chess while I am there.  During a few of the dates I am looking at, it says Lea Michele will not be performing.  On one of the other dates, it says that Aaron Tveit will not be performing.

For those who have seen it, who would be the safer bet to miss and go with the understudy?  

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/28/25 at 9:27pm

Considering there is no comparison to speak of right now, it’s really a matter of personal taste of who you want to see more. Honestly, I think skipping Lea would be your better bet personally. I like Aaron’s synergy with Nicholas as Anatoly.

[Lot666]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 10:44am

If I had to choose, I would book a performance without Tveit; IMO, he's the weakest link. I'd like to know if someone else could salvage "One Night In Bangkok".

Updated On: 11/29/25 at 10:44 AM

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 10:50am

I believe Tveit is giving the best performance of his career, but I also agree that he's the weakest link here and you'd be better off seeing Lea and Nicholas.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 1:13pm

If I had to pick one of them to be out, I would go with Aaron Tveit. He is certainly giving a very solid performance, but I thought Nicholas Christopher and Lea Michele's performances were far superior.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 1:22pm

Lea and Nicholas are brilliant in the show. Don't miss them.

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 1:46pm

It’s weird because had this come up a month ago, I would’ve said skip Tveit but I feel like he’s grown quite a bit while Lea has remained a bit static

[Robbie2]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 2:53pm

That's a tough one as all 3 are giving special performances but if you have to make a choice in this situation don't miss Lea & Christopher.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 11/29/25 at 3:48pm

I've seen Aaron and Lea on Broadway many times. They never disappoint, so I'd never miss them. But I'm also excited to see Nicholas and hear his ''Anthem.'' It's so subjective. Sara Holdren, a theater director and Pulitzer finalist-critic at New York magazine, raved about ''Chess.'' And her favorite highlight was Tveit in ''One Night in Bangkok''; she calls it the musical's best song: ''It's such a ridiculous rush that it pretty much justifies the whole project. ... I left my heart—and my wallet and my keys and my sobriety—in this Bangkok, and I’m okay with that. Who knew chess could get you so high?''

Updated On: 11/29/25 at 03:48 PM

[Lot666]

Posted: 11/30/25 at 10:45am

Wayman_Wong said: "Sara Holdren...raved about ''Chess.'' And her favorite highlight was Tveit in ''One Night in Bangkok''; she calls it the musical's best song: ''It's such a ridiculous rush that it pretty much justifies the whole project. ... I left my heart—and my wallet and my keys and my sobriety—in this Bangkok'"

I couldn't disagree more. I've loved the song since the original by Murray Head, but this was for me the weakest performance in this production. The word that kept coming to my mind was "amateurish".

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/30/25 at 11:50am

Personally, I would see it with Tveit in. I have only seen him in Moulin Rouge and outside of his wonderful voice, I was not a fan of his performance. I found it to be very stiff. Saw him in Chess 5 weeks ago and he was fantastic. He let that swagger loose that I saw small flashes of in Moulin Rouge. 

Lea was fine but, for me, was out-shined by her co-stars the evening I saw it.  JMO

[WearSunblock]

Posted: 11/30/25 at 12:23pm

I saw it 2 weeks ago, and they were both great.  But at the end of the show, I cared more about Freddie than I did Florence, and that isn't usually the case.  I also thought Pity the Child was more emotional and more powerful than Someone else's Story.  I think Lea was very good, but I think Aaron was wonderful.  And Nick was exceptional.

[yyys]

Posted: 11/30/25 at 12:24pm

I think Lea is the weakest of the three and will probably not get nominated for a Tony. I’d be shocked if she does. I find her acting to be dull in this production, sadly. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/30/25 at 1:11pm

yyys said: "I think Lea is the weakest of the three and will probably not get nominated for a Tony. I’d be shocked if she does. I find her acting to be dull in this production, sadly."

I’m sooner going to bet she will get in based on threefold criteria:

1) The field for Actress in a Musical is THIN this year. (I think the four likely nominees are going to be Michele, Levy, Pitts, and Chenoweth)

2) There is precedent for the role being nominated (Judy Kuhn in 1988) and the big to-do about the revival itself.

3) It will likely be a cover to try and nominate/award her for saving Funny Girl.

[inception]

Posted: 12/1/25 at 9:58am

I thought she was really good.  The person they all should be grateful can't be nominated is Micaela Diamond because I think she blew them both (Levy & Michele) out of the water with what she was doing at the Public.  But I'd give Michele the edge over Levy just because it was a more showy performance. I loved her Nobody's Side.