"Fun, lively and engaging. Great performances. Timely. The narrator kept things going. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Nov 24, 2025
A little hard to follow
"The singers were fantastic as I expected them to be. The storyline was a little slow in act one. Act two definitely picked up."
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Broadway.com Customer on Nov 9, 2025
Good music, bad book
"The plot connecting Soviet/American relationships to a game of chess is clever but not realized. Maybe if you know about chess you would appreciate it more. The ABBA/Rice music and performances are good. But it is too long and bogged down by a narrator who seems to be apologizing for the production and inserting irrelevant contemporary references. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Nov 7, 2025
Wonderful stage setup
"But why does the singing have to be so amplified and loud? I wanted to put something in my ears to protect them. The lyrics are very important for this musical and the extreme singing and the enhancement makes it hard to understand."
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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 14, 2026
Good plot, boring storytelling
"I have mixed feelings because I thought this was a really good story and there was a really talented cast and band.
Unfortunately there was something missing...it was really yawning to have so many solo songs which were really not too well written and when performed the person was alone on stage. I thought the show didn't make enough use of the talented dancers and musicians and could have a lot more visual sophistication. I really tried to like it more but it needs a revamp to give it some life."
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Regina W from Brooklyn on Mar 7, 2026
Incredible talent - not an organized story
"The talent in the show is incredible but the story doesn’t flow well and doesn’t feel genuine. The songs are just not memorable. "
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Donald O from Fort Worth on Mar 5, 2026
Hmmmmmm
"The three leads; great!
The supporting cast; great.
The story, hmmm. Even after the rewrites, comedic infusions and political punching it fails to change the redundant lyrical exposition that constantly tells you what will happen so you, the audience member, never experience it.
Hey! The theater’s FOH crew were wonderful!"
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Broadway.com Customer on Feb 15, 2026
The Game Of Chess
"The Broadway play, Chess, had some strong vocal scenes. The performers worked hard to engage the audience. However, the premise of the story and the music was lacking; there was no incredible and naming score. I had mixed feelings and it was not memorable."
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Broadway.com Customer on Jan 28, 2026
It’s a concert
"This show has been near and dear to my heart since the concept album came out in the 80s. I’ve never seen it live and was very excited. There are terrific performances. A terrific band. And some good fixes to the book. However. It’s very stripped down and really nothing more than an off book concert version of the show. The new songs weren’t necessary. And the ending is a let down. But an incredible score that deserves to be heard. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Dec 18, 2025
The 3 Main Characters are great
"The voices are amazing. The songs only so so. The orchestra was so loud that few words could be understood. More background on the characters would have been helpful. Choppy plot. The dancers were fantastic but seemed to really be overplaying their role."
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Broadway.com Customer on Dec 10, 2025
Opera??
"I really wanted to love this show, and I would have if I could have understood the lyrics to the songs. Unfortunately, the range was “operatic” — performed in a very high range — which made it EXTREMELY difficult to understand the lyrics and keep up with the story. The VERY BEST part of the whole show was the Opening Number of the Second Half — ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK! It was TERRIFIC!!! "
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Broadway.com Customer on Nov 7, 2025
Check out
"I liked the storyline; staging; choreography and some of the softer music.
Didn’t like the musical numbers that much. Too much music that sounded screechy and piercing. More dialogue would improve the production and less musical numbers."
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Andrea K from New York on Nov 6, 2025
The show is too long
"The actors are amazing with fabulous voices. The show was not captivating for me. I did like seeing the orchestra on upper stage. Lots of beautiful duets. I judge a show by would I want to see it again. No. Many Broadway shows, I’ve seen multiple times. I saw Hell’s Kitchen at the matinee same day. I would love to see it again and again. Not Chess, but it is an interesting historical and metaphorical lesson. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Oct 26, 2025
Excellent vocals but….
"Too many showstoppers and too few catchy tunes. Dull for the most part; but would see any of the 3 leads in another show."
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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 11, 2026
Talented Cast, Underwhelming Production
"Unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The show felt somewhat slow and at times a bit boring, mainly because the storyline didn’t seem to have particularly strong arguments or much emotional depth. From a production standpoint, it also felt relatively simple compared to other Broadway shows.
That said, I want to give credit where it’s due—the cast is clearly very talented. The actors have impressive voices and delivered the musical numbers beautifully. Their performances were the highlight of the show for me.
Overall, while the vocal performances were strong, the story and staging left me wishing for something more engaging and compelling."
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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 4, 2026
STOP WRITING THIS BOOK!
"Bryce Pinkham was hilarious. Nicholas Christopher sang the house down. And the chorus was amazing. But this story made no sense. A chess game determining the Cold War? Stop reworking this book! It was good in London. Leave it be!"
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Auna C from Charlottesville on Feb 22, 2026
Great cast and way too long.
"It was too long. First act was good. Second act had too many ballads and the show dragged on. Voices were strong choreography was great. Just too long. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Jan 18, 2026
hand holding through chess
"the singing of aaron tveit and lea michele is phenomenal, but the script is lackluster and trite. if you like a narrator interrupting every few minutes to explain what is happening, then you would enjoy it. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 3, 2026
A lot of noise and a depressing storyline
"Great voices throughout the ast and ensemble, but absent of heart. Felt very “stagey” and overblown. I grew up during the Cold War, but felt a strong disconnect between the storyline and world events of the time. The only compassionate character was Anatoly's wife Svetlana. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Jan 4, 2026
Not worth it
"Nothing memorable, story is weak, can’t understand the chorus"
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Broadway.com Customer on Dec 28, 2025
Great singing. Terrible revision
"The singing was great. The revision of the story was a mess. They tried to make it a bit “camp” but also a new storyline. It didn’t work. And nobody cared about the character. Glad they could sing. And even worse. Not even 1980s dance moves. As if they couldn’t take the time to look back at earlier productions or the times. Just. Painful. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Jan 14, 2026
Sadly disappointed!
"Four of us went with great expectations. We didn't enjoy the score although Nicholas Christopher's performance was spectacular while Lea Michele's voice left us expecting goosebumps but feeling blah. The arbiter's attempt to update the story was flat and unnecessary. While others may have different views, it's certainly not a show that we will recommend to friends and family."
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Broadway.com Customer on Nov 21, 2025
Wish I had brought earplugs.
"I wanna begin by paying due respect to the entire cast, the band, and the production team… My critique of this performance should not be viewed as a commentary on their hard work and talent.
BUT…the music, to me, was boring and drab. I want to leave a Broadway musical trying to mediate the fight that the ear worms in my head are having as they are all trying to hum their favorite song….but I couldn’t remember one good song even two minutes after the show ended. (“Bangkok” doesn’t count as we’ve all been listening to that song for 30+ years.)
Just because it’s a musical, the producers and director shouldn’t feel the need to stuff 25 songs down our throats…. Ummm, ahem…ears! Truly, some of the songs were so fabricated it hurt to pay attention.
Final critique…it’s ok to send me home after 2 performance hours…. Stop insulting the audience with repeated plot themes and story-line conflicts. More is not more! The show was insufferably long.
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michael h from Katonah on Nov 17, 2025
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About
Chess
Chess is the iconic musical where power and passion collide, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. 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.
