The first Broadway revival of Chess will arrive this fall with Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher in the starring roles.
The production will open fall 2025 at a Shubert theater to be announced. Tony winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) will direct, with Tveit playing the character Freddie Trumper, Michele as Florence Vassey and Christopher portraying Anatoly Sergievsky.
Produced by Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners Productions, Chess will feature a new book by Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (Dopesick). Music and lyrics are by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice based on an idea by Rice.
Chess tells the story of a Cold War-era grandmaster chess tournament between American Freddie Trumper and the Soviet Union’s Anatoly Sergievsky. The character Florence is Trumper’s manager/second and possible lover who becomes involved with his opponent.
Official synopsis: “It’s America versus Russia at the World Chess Championship, where the espionage and romance are as complicated and exhilarating as the game itself. For the two players and the woman torn between them, everything—personal, professional, and political—is at risk…and nobody’s rules are the same.”
The revival will mark Michele’s first Broadway appearance since her acclaimed performance as Fanny Brice in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl. She played Rachel Berry in the TV series Glee. Tveit won a Tony Award for his lead performance in Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Christopher appeared as George Washington in the Broadway production of Hamilton and played Pirelli in the 2023 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd.
Chess had its West End premiere in 1986 in a production directed by Trevor Nunn after original director Michael Bennett withdrew due to health issues from AIDS-related lymphoma. After receiving mixed reviews that largely targeted Rice’s book, Nunn recruited playwright Richard Nelson to rewrite the book prior to its Broadway premiere in 1988. A much-revised Chess began Broadway previews on April 11 1988, opened on April 28 and closed on June 25, again after largely dismissive reviews.
The musical has developed a devoted following over the years, and spawned a global 1985 hit with “One Night In Bangkok” performed by the original production’s Murray Head.
The Broadway revival will be choreographed by Lorin Latarro (Waitress), with music supervision by Brian Usifer. Chess will be presented by arrangement with Three Knights, the Shubert Organization and Robert Fox Ltd.
Production dates, additional casting and creative team will be announced shortly.
