Chess
Aaron Tveit, Lea Michelle (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
By Fern Siegel (Posted Nov. 25, 2025)
Chess in the Cold War was more than a game. For the Soviets, it was a weaponized form of diplomacy. For the Americans, the championships were an impediment to any nuclear disarmament talks. That’s the backdrop to the latest revival of Chess, a soft-rock musical which has been reworked since its initial 1984 debut as a concept album.
Now on Broadway at the Imperial Theater, it was conceived by Tim Rice, who teamed with Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA. Toss in a romantic triangle, oversized egos and the dire consequences of losing and the show doubles as the ultimate power play, fronted by three stellar performers: Aaron Tveit, Nicholas Christopher and Lea Michele.
The current book by Danny Strong is a series of moves: political and romantic.
Tveit is American chess wizard Freddie Trumper, based in part on Bobby Fischer. Christopher is his Russian counterpart Anatoly, while Florence (Michelle) is the woman they both love. They are ably aided by narrator/arbiter Bryce Pinkham.
To give it a present-day relevance, new zingers are added, such as: “So the Americans and the Russians team up to defeat Freddie Trumper, an attempted partnership so unusual it wouldn’t be seen again for many decades until RFK Jr. attempted to team up with the worm in his brain.”
The stakes are high: continuing SALT talks to avoid nuclear annihilation. That such an apocalyptic event could be determined by a chess match is insane, frightening or both. Also, the last Russian to lose a key title ”disappeared.” The score adds musical dimensions to the do-or-die scenario.
CIA operative Walter De Courcey (Sean Allan Krill) approaches Anatoly’s coach, Alexander Molokov (Bradley Dean), with a proposition: Bring the Soviets back to the negotiating table and America will ensure paranoid Freddie’s defeat. Can a country negotiate with an adversary when they can’t agree on basics? Fortunately, Freddie forfeits the match, playing out his anger and debauchery in a high point for Tviet in the “One Night in Bangkok” number.
The first act is strong, helped by historical context. The second act is more problematic, loaded with endless ballads that break up the brisk pacing. That’s no reflection on the actors; the three inhabit their roles superbly. Michelle gets to flex her amazing vocal and acting muscle, as Tveit neatly conveys brash and suspicious convincingly. Nicholas Christopher speaks volumes just by his physical bearing. The child chess prodigy has been a tool of the Soviets and his pain, caught between desire and duty, is heartbreaking. But as the tension builds, the show needs to stay focused. Diplomacy is played like a chess match — it sacrifices pieces in order to win.
The bare set works, given the serious themes. It keeps the attention on the various plot lines. The back wall projections by Philip Nigrini, including the domes of St. Basil’s in Moscow, American and Soviet flags, nicely set the tone. Given the two chess matches in the show, it would have been more interesting to see moves projected, rather than announced.
Yet despite its shortcomings, Chess is riveting to watch, though at ear-shattering volumes. Director Michael Mayer ensures that audiences are cheering after many of the songs. “Anthem” and “Nobody’s Side” are perennial favorites.
Chess and Cold War buffs will appreciate the musical’s context. The revival is thought-provoking — and arrives at an interesting time in U.S.-Russian relations, as some suspect Russia has captured our king.