Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher in 2025 Chess Revival!- Page 15

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/14/25 at 8:42am

I so appreciated Mary Poppins post above. Apparently Strong's kept "Merano," which means the show opens as an operetta in the Alps. That may prove an ironic frame on the dark, intimate piece that follows rather than verisimilitude-establishing old school musical theater. But it'll be a challenge. Ditto, as noted, "Bangkok," an earworm-fueled pop hit that can feel self-indulgent in 2025. In other words, does an audience need to know about these contrasted cultures as a context for the competition and personal contention? And since neither locale has much to do with Russia and the US, the nations that engage in a tug of war (ludicrously, as many reviews noted - even after the Kennedy Center) do they add or detract? I can see a 100 minute intermission free iteration that pushes the triangle downstage, strips away the creatives' original desire to build a big musical drama, and lets the story's stakes remain personal. (This has been tried in several places with Camelot, and I'm not talking Sorkin's cheesey revision.) Less is often more with West End bombast, and this score - and I've loved it since I bought the concept album - quickly turns to bombast.  

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 8/14/25 at 9:53am

Also, producers are holding tons of the better seats for every performance, and the first 3 rows aren't even on sale yet.....so, my guess is it REALLY isn't selling well. Bring on the discounts!!