Chess, the first-ever Broadway revival of the Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Tim Rice musical that will star Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher, will begin previews at the Imperial Theatre on Wednesday, October 15, with an opening date of Sunday, November 16, producers announced today.
The production, previously announced, will feature a new book by Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (Dopesick) in place of Rice’s original (the musical is based on Rice’s original idea). Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) is on board to direct.
The fall revival will mark Michele’s return to Broadway following her acclaimed 2022-2023 run in Funny Girl. Tveit is a 2021 Tony winner for his performance in Moulin Rouge!, and Christopher last appeared on Broadway in the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd.
Additional casting and creative team will be announced shortly.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, June 26, a day after presale tickets available to fans who signed up on the official website.
Choreographed by Lorin Latarro (Waitress), with music supervision by Brian Usifer, Chess is being produced by Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners Productions, and presented by arrangement with Three Knights, the Shubert Organization and Robert Fox Ltd.
Chess debuted in London’s West End in 1986 and transferred to Broadway two years later. The 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.”
