Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher in 2025 Chess Revival!- Page 17

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 2:01pm

I'm looking forward to seeing this for the cast and score alone. Michael Mayer's track record with revivals is fairly hit (Hedwig, Little Shop) or miss (Funny Girl, On a Clear Day). I'm curious to see what work he will do with Chess.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 5:59pm

I think people need to wait until at least intermission of the dress rehearsal to criticise the approach to the production.  'Almost a concert'...I got the impression that the London production of Evita was 'almost a concert.'...I will admit that this was mostly from people who criticized it, but -- given all the praise -- that would work for me.

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 7:15pm

GirlFromOz68 said: "well bully for you ."

Ah yes.

A classic BroadwayWorld retort when someone actually engaged with the substance of your post, but didn't agree with you.

 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 10:31pm

Actually I was responding to your condescension in an Australian way.

Is it so bad for people not wanting a show to be beaten up on before it even opens? To want to be able to look to forward to something without the all knowing experts here trashing it with their opinions?

The people who are putting on this production of Chess are excited about and I am sure want to put on the best production possible,  like any show coming to Broadway but the cynical "experts" here always know best and are constantly condescending to anybody who shows the least bit of excitement for something.

no wonder this place struggles to attract new people to participate.  the cynicism,  condescension and worse aren't attractive.

 

Updated On: 8/30/25 at 10:31 PM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 10:40pm

Jarethan said: "I think people need to wait until at least intermission of the dress rehearsal to criticise the approach to the production. 'Almost a concert'...I got the impression that the London production of Evita was 'almost a concert.'...I will admit that this was mostly from people who criticized it, but -- given all the praise -- that would work for me."

and this is a completely fair approach. I'm not saying this or any show is above criticism. Their approach might fail like the original Broadway version did. its not an easy show to get right.

However maybe wait until its actually on the stage before you critique it?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 11:03pm

GirlFromOz68 said: "
However maybe wait until its actually on the stage before you critique it?"

Why? All of this build up, marketing, interviews, etc. Are a means to generate conversation and (in their hopes) ticket sales. If this period of time of discussion and dissection did not matter then the production be announced 3 weeks before performances begin and they would talk about nothing. Anything that has been provided is fair game to talk about, I don't see why it shouldn't be. I guarantee 90% of the people on this message board will not have seen it in previews. Should the discussion be limited to only those who are able to see it? 

The short of it is, there is nothing wrong with talking. They want you to be talking. They would be running around with their heads cut off if none of their marketing generates discussion. 

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 11:57pm

way to twist my words. I didnt say dont talk! ive been constantly talking about it with friends of mine who are interested in it but my issue is SOME people's willingness to write the whole show off as a failure before it even starts rehearsals based on a colour scheme for promotion and Aaron saying ALMOST a concert.

By all means, share your takes on Aaron's version of One Night in bangkok,  and do the same when Lea and Nik's are released.  Share your thoughts, positive or otherwise when we get rehearsal information and sitzprobe video,  just dont claim its already failed before it even properly gets started.

 

 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 12:02am

GirlFromOz68 said: "way to twist my words. I didnt say dont talk! ive been constantly talking about it with friends of mine who are interested in it but my issue is SOME people's willingness to write the whole show off as a failure before it even starts rehearsals based on a colour scheme for promotion and Aaron saying ALMOST a concert.

By all means, share your takes on Aaron's version of One Night in bangkok, and do the same when Lea and Nik's are released. Share your thoughts, positive or otherwise when we get rehearsal information and sitzprobe video, just dont claim its already failed before it even properly gets started."

Again, who cares? It's words. Show comes out and it can blow people's socks off and then those people would be wrong. That's resolution of people's discussion here. Do you have money in the project? If no, why do you care?

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 12:10am

TheatreFan4 said:
"The short of it is, there is nothing wrong with talking. They want you to be talking. They would be running around with their heads cut off if none of their marketing generates discussion."

It should be obvious that they don't want people to hurry to BWW trash the show, to declare that Chess is being "done dirty" just because some don't like the colors of the writing on some promo pics (can you please at least discuss the photos instead of the writing?).

And you make it sound like "this build up, marketing, interviews, etc" is a super clever, calculated marketing campaign like Taylor Swift's. No, they're just putting out what little they currently have so that people know this show is coming. They want people to think "Oh, Chess? My favorite show I never saw:,with a new book! Aaron? Lea? And who is this Nicholas Christopher?...Could be good".

Because that's basically all they've told us so far. Of course they want to go public early so the news has time to spread and people can make plans and travel arrangements.

"Should the discussion be limited to only those who are able to see it?"

You might have noticed that there are quite a few grumpy traditionalists on this board who will tell you exactly that. I'm not that radical, but I maintain that we should reserve judgement at least until there are some trustworthy reports from the previews.

In the meantime, we could discuss - not predict doom - this potential half concert concept with everyone on stage. This has been done before. In case anyone hasn't noticed, there even is about 30 minutes of footage from Mayer's staging at the Kennedy Center on Youtube, mostly of low technical quality and with one of the leads sick. And it's clearly a low budget production with short rehearsals, a "set" they'd better had omitted altogether and costumes bought by the dozen. And the stage is just too small.

Bearing that in mind, the whole thing fits Aaron's description quite well. And it's not like this way of staging Chess hasn't been done before. Maybe I'll add some links later.


OTOH, I'm almost sure that can't be all. I'm not one of those complaining about the ticket prices, but for that money they will have to ramp it up a little. Or add more elements of a more standard staging.

Updated On: 8/31/25 at 12:10 AM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 12:26am

TheatreFan4 said: "GirlFromOz68 said: "way to twist my words. I didnt say dont talk! ive been constantly talking about it with friends of mine who are interested in it but my issue is SOME people's willingness to write the whole show off as a failure before it even starts rehearsals based on a colour scheme for promotion and Aaron saying ALMOST a concert.

By all means, share your takes on Aaron's version of One Night in bangkok, and do the same when Lea and Nik's are released. Share your thoughts, positive or otherwise when we get rehearsal information and sitzprobe video, just dont claim its already failed before it even properly gets started."

Again, who cares? It's words. Show comes out and it can blow people's socks off and then those people would be wrong. That's resolution of people's discussion here. Do you have money in the project? If no, why do you care?"

I'm in far away Australia and cant afford the airfare so how could I possibly be invested.  I would say if you had a different President id be trying my best to get to see it as I love Chess and am a fan of people involved on stage and off but given my posts on social media about Dear Leader I would either get deported or thrown in jail if I tried to come right now.

Why do I care? because im a big fan of Chess and would like to see it succeed.

also, ive taken great pleasure in recent weeks seeing Nik and his family and friends so excited about him being cast as a lead and seeing his face on the marquee etc.  I've heard such great things about him as a performer I'd love his first big lead to be a success. id like others in the show to also have that success.

I like theatre for the joy it can bring and some people here seem to have forgotten about that.

 

"OTOH, I'm almost sure that can't be all. I'm not one of those complaining about the ticket prices, but for that money they will have to ramp it up a little. Or add more elements of a more standard staging."

I totally agree with you on that point. in fact you made a number of good, sensible points in your post.  

Updated On: 8/31/25 at 12:26 AM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 12:50am

GirlFromOz68 said: "Why do I care? because im a big fan of Chess and would like to see it succeed.

also, ive taken great pleasure in recent weeks seeing Nik and his family and friends so excited about him being cast as a lead and seeing his face on the marquee etc. I've heard such great things about him as a performer I'd love his first big lead to be a success. id like others in the show to also have that success.

I like theatre for the joy it can bring and some people here seem to have forgotten about that. "

Well it sounds like you don't like people saying negative things because it's bumming you out which is a bit silly...

The show is gonna do what the show is gonna do completely independent of what a small handful of people are saying on an outdated barely functioning website.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 2:02am

TheatreFan4 said: "GirlFromOz68 said: "Why do I care? because im a big fan of Chess and would like to see it succeed.

also, ive taken great pleasure in recent weeks seeing Nik and his family and friends so excited about him being cast as a lead and seeing his face on the marquee etc. I've heard such great things about him as a performer I'd love his first big lead to be a success. id like others in the show to also have that success.

I like theatre for the joy it can bring and some people here seem to have forgotten about that."

Well it sounds like you don't like people saying negative things because it's bumming you out which is a bit silly...

The show is gonna do what the show is gonna do completely independent of what a small handful of people are saying on an outdated barely functioning website."

No, if people don't like how Aaron sings One Night in Bangkok, or they have a problem with the staging when they see it I have no issue with that, it's the gleeful hoping it fails before it even starts rehearsals I can't stand. 

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 6:57am

I haven’t seen any gleeful hoping that it fails. I want it to succeed. This production really is the last chance the show has in the theatre zeitgeist of climbing out of the “that show never works” box.

I have such love for the show that I’m very happy and comfortable to say “that’s not good enough” when they’ve fumbled something so fundamental about the branding of the show. Or when we’ve had nine out of ten past productions be concerts or almost-concerts, I think it’s reasonable to say “Here we go again! Nothing new then.”

Compare this to Ragtime, which could be said to have failed more on Broadway than Chess has. Nobody is criticizing their promotion or design or sound bites so far, because it’s all a perfect match to the piece. And when asked if it’s just going to be Encores at LCT, they’ve responded with “nope. Full production.”

And the criticism of the Bangkok track isn’t limited to this forum. It’s happening on Reddit and Facebook as well. 

Updated On: 8/31/25 at 06:57 AM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 10:41am

GirlFromOz68 said: "
No, if people don't like how Aaron sings One Night in Bangkok, or they have a problem with the staging when they see it I have no issue with that, it's the gleeful hoping it fails before it even starts rehearsals I can't stand."

You are projecting emotions and conclusions that aren't there, unclench. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 10:44am

Ragtime at LCT still has the same director as well as Cassie levy.  Two reasons people shouldn’t expect some big improvement from city center. 

[inception]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 11:59am

Let it go!

Birdie Boy said: "Ragtime at LCT still has the same director as well as Cassie levy. Two reasons people shouldn’t expect some big improvement from city center."

 

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 12:36pm

I am a huge proponent of the Broadway Trevor Nunn flop production form the late 80's. I had refused to see it as I didn't like that girl who sang that stupid title song from Rags on the Tonys (oh foolish me)  and I had heard they changed so much form my beloved black album. But I just so happened to be walking by the Imperial and someone was selling a ticket for $5 for show that was about to begin.  So I thought, sure.  I love the songs.  

I fell in love with that show. Absolutely adored it. I loved the Richard Nelson book .What a love story!! And with that cast!!! Saw it two more times (including the final performance) and go back semi-regularly to watch it at Lincoln Center. I have seen subsequent off-Broadway and British versions, all approved by Tim Rice who hated the Broadway production.  And I hated every Rice approved production (the Brit versions especially, exemplified by that Albert Hall London version inexplicably starring three Americans).  There is no real structure to Tim's versions.  Nothing moved me (I saw that one on TV, but I saw an actor musician UK tour and a recent West End limited revival and both were sh*t as well).  I traveled to DC to see THIS version in its infancy and found it better than any of the others, but far, far from the Richard Nelson production. Using real history (the Salt II talks rest on Anatole and Freddie's final game) doesn't enhance the plot much. But even though Aaron doesn't have the requisite rock n roll voice for the role, I love the casting of the other two characters and am hoping this version has been enhanced since the Kennedy Center and I will be at one of the first previews.  Fingers crossed. 

[malcs98]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 12:52pm

Birdie Boy said: "Ragtime at LCT still has the same director as well as Cassie levy. Two reasons people shouldn’t expect some big improvement from city center."

Well there is one tiny improvement for LCT, that nobody has actually mentioned and it’s that David Korins is doing the new scenic design.