Broadway.com

Chess moves you

"Chess is an absolute must-see. Whether you're a seasoned theatergoer or stepping into a Broadway house for the first time, this production delivers on every level. The storyline — a Cold War chess match that becomes a deeply human story of ambition, love, and divided loyalties — is as gripping as it is timely. The stage design is stunning, the performances are powerhouse across the board, and the score is simply extraordinary. One of those rare evenings where everything comes together perfectly. Highest possible recommendation."

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Tanya F from Brooklyn on Jun 10, 2026

Chess was Amazing!!!

"I absolutely loved everything about Chess! The talent was incredible! Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher were AMAZING!!!! I have nothing negative to say. I wish they would record the show like they did Hamilton and make it available on a streaming platform! "

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Erika L from Lima on Jun 8, 2026

Amazing rendition with songs very faithful to the original

"The performances were amazing, and the show had more humor than I expected. Nicholas Christopher's voice is just off the charts amazing. The only reason I don't recommend this for children is that there is a decent amount of adult language in the show. "

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Robert D from SUGAR HILL on Jun 7, 2026

Love Chess and amazing Lea Michele!

"The music and the orchestra was great. The voices of all actors were amazing, the dancers did a great job. It was a little bit cold in the theater. But we had a great night. "

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Broadway.com Customer on Jun 6, 2026

Great Night!

"Brought my 14 year-old son for his first Broadway show. The show ticked all of the boxes for him and cemented his desire to perform on Broadway."

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Broadway.com Customer on Jun 5, 2026

Beautiful and funny

"So many talented singers and dancers. I enjoyed the story. "

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Patricia L from Staten Island on Jun 5, 2026

SOOO good! See it while you can!

"There were some truly outstanding performances in this fantastic musical!!! It truly should have been nominated for a Tony for best revival! LIVE the music and vocal performances!"

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Broadway.com Customer on Jun 3, 2026

Spectacular! Wish I had time to see it again!

"I laughed, I cried, and I left in awe of the sheer talent I had the privilege to experience! I don't know how Lea Michele and the show itself weren't nominated for a Tony!! Speechless!"

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Broadway.com Customer on May 31, 2026

Fantastic!

"I loved it from start to finish! The music was amazing and the performances from the entire cast were phenomenal. I’m sad it’s closing so soon or I would see it again. "

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Broadway.com Customer on May 31, 2026

41 years

"Since falling in love with the London cast album in 1985, I have been waiting for this and it did not disappoint! Did I miss some of the songs that were cut? Yes, but not enough to lower my rating. Did I like the new songs they wrote for it? Yes! They fit right in. A Gen X musical for anyone who remembers the Cold War or wants to enjoy a story set there. Loved it! "

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Elizabeth W from Germantown on May 30, 2026

Chess by Tim Rice, Music be ABBA

"I am a musician, I played in Chess in Texas in the 90’s. This 2026 Broadway performance was exquisite, perfect and a staple of Excellence. You will likely admire the cast, especially Florence, Svetlana, Freddie, and Anatoli, as well as the Arbiter and the mean CIA agent. Thanks "

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Sergio N from Phoenix on May 29, 2026

More than I could have expected

"This was my first Broadway show and I did not know the topic until a few minutes before I arrived. I was excited that I knew Lea Michelle and figured anything would be worth seeing her perform. First of all, the assistance entering, finding my seat, use of restrooms was above and beyond good. I was very impressed and pleased. Second of all, I was blown away with the performance of every person on the stage. I cried because I had waited so long in life to attend Broadway and this performance was mind blowing. The musicians on stage only added to the experience. The ensemble was fantastic, I could watch it again and the lead characters were phenomenal. I did not know a performance could be so good, understandable, moving and entertaining. I was very intrigued in the portrayal of history that seemed so unknown , yet clearly depicted in this play. The added humor was fantastic, unexpected and never failed to make me chuckle. I understood everything which I did not expect and wish we could have extended the standing ovation. How do you show such extraordinary performers that it was more than you could ever imagine and I left the theater wondering how I had stumbled into something this incredible. It moved me, how all the work and effort prior to my attendance came to such a well orchestrated performance. I highly recommend it, I will remember my eyes roaming the stage to not miss anything and leaving a better person for having seen the performance. "

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Natalie S from LAWRENCEVILLE on May 27, 2026

Stunning Vocals and an Amazing Show

"I absolutely loved Chess the Musical! I mainly went for Lea Michele, and she was incredible, but honestly the entire cast completely amazed me. The vocals were stunning and every performer brought so much emotion and talent to the stage. The songs were beautiful and so much fun to listen to. The theater itself was also gorgeous and gave the whole experience such a classic Broadway feeling. Even my boyfriend, who normally isn’t a huge musical fan, thought it was an amazing experience and really enjoyed the show. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip!"

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Joy V from 's-Hertogenbosch on May 25, 2026

An anniversary to remember

"When you think of a broadway musical, taking place in the late 70’s-early 80’s, I automatically think Sondheim. A little something familiar, and pleasant that take me away from the day-to-day struggles of everyday living. Where the entire cast has more going on in a 90-120 min performance than I do in a 24 hour day. Knowing nothing about Chess, I was completely taken aback by the story line and the brilliant casting for this fast-paced electric musical ( dare I say ) comedy. Aaron Tviet portrays Freddy Trumper with such ease and grace that watching him perform is almost like he doesn’t need to try at all. He is a phenomenal performer, and genuine talent that most generations will never see. Both Leah and Nicolas were not performing, which at first was disappointing. This quickly changed when their understudies became the stars. It’s no secret that stars need a break, but when the understudies have to perform 8 days a week and then have to be on standby mode at all times in these situations; you need to give an award to Samatha Pollino and Sean Maclaughlin for how they CARRIED the show. But the true talent who took me by surprise, was the quick witted and charismatic Bryce Pinkham. His performance kept me laughing, engaged, and wanting more. The ensemble, pit, stage crew, and all those who worked on this show gave 100%, and it’s no wonder it has received the attention and recognition it deserves. 10/10 from two theatre kids who celebrated their 15 year anniversary. Chess is an absolute triumph. "

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Matthew C from Easton on May 25, 2026

Great revival!

"Thought this was a worthy revival of the Cold War epic. Wasn’t sure it would translate, but it’s actually more relevant today than I thought. Although no cast can touch the original West End cast, this one came close…looking forward to the Tonys to see if the nominees from this cast can pull it out. Definitely catch Lea Michelle while you can!"

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Gerald P from Whitinsville on May 24, 2026

Seamless interweaving

"I loved the seamless interweaving of political turmoil with human emotions and the beliefs of the chess players. Also, felt like we could relate quite a bit of chaos going on now. Most of all I just loved the range of singing voices of both Lea Michelle and Nicholas Christopher. In all, every single member of the entire musical crew did a fantastic job 🥰🥰🥰"

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Broadway.com Customer on May 24, 2026

Remarkable show

"This show was magic. Such a wonderful story filled with laughter and tears. It hits on everything you want out of a broadway musical - great songs, witty humor, and true emotion from each and every actor. I came in knowing nothing about the plot and left with tears streaming and an enormous smile on my face. Run, don’t walk, to see the revival of Chess. "

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Emily B from New York on May 23, 2026

Wow, it was truly amazing

"Travelled from Sweden to do a trip on my own and decided to book Chess on my last night in New York. Though I’m a huge fan of both Björn & Benny, Tim Rice and Lea Michele (since Glee) I had high hopes, and they did not disappoint. So impressed by the whole ensemble. Wow! I left the Imperial in tears. Happy tears! Go see it!!"

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Pearl Å from Bromma on May 23, 2026

Must see show!

"Absolutely stunning dancing, singing was incredible. Great story!"

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Broadway.com Customer on May 23, 2026

Can you hold a note for 25 seconds?

"What an amazing show! I saw the original version in the 1990s, and this updated version was incredible. The jokes, the story, the actors were all great! No wonder they were nominated for 5 Tony Awards. "

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Broadway.com Customer on May 22, 2026

Fantastic Show & Talent

"It was everything I hoped it would be. I am a big Aaron Tveit fan, but now have added Nicholas Christopher to the list. Lea was also phenomenal and should have been nominated for a Tony. Bryce Pinkham was awesome, too! I loved the humor he brought to the otherwise serious topic of the Cold War."

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Broadway.com Customer on May 22, 2026

CHESS , a cold war musical

"I had the opportunity last night to see the new revival in Broadway of CHESS, the musical. When this ABBA musical (written by the 2 men of the group) was first performed in NY, it did not do well. The music is awesome, but the book had its critics. Well this time, it is still the same story, but the narrator/referee (a quirky Bruce Pinkham), has some great new lines to make this production much more current, although it plays out during the cold war period of the '80s! 👏 Bruce absolutely deserves his Tony nomination! The orchestration and band is also amazing! Well done to Tony nominated, Brian Usifer. Stay till the very end for a brilliant guitar solo!! The lighting by Kevin Adams is also spectacular, a category that also received a Tony nomination. The lead actor, Nicholas Christopher, steals the show and gives an emotional, brilliant performance of the Russian, Anatoli, and he absolutely deserves his Tony nomination and should probably win it by a mile and more!! 👏 Hannah Cruz as the astranged Russian wife delivers in only 23 minutes in tour de fource that gave her a Tony nomination as featured actress as well. Aaron Tveit is the arrogant US Chess player and gives his all in the performance. Lea Michelle also excells as Florence, but unfortunately no Tony nomination yet again. Why? The biggest controversy however is that Chess did not get a nomination for Best Musical Revival. There were not enough revivals this year and only 3 were allowed to be nominated. This is a travesty. If you are in New York and want to see a brilliant performance, go and see this new revival of Chess! You will not be disappointed! 👏🔥🥇"

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Roswill M from Carlisle on May 21, 2026

Terrific show!

"We were so happy to see this show, since I have wanted to see a full production for about 30 years, and it exceeded expectations! The three leads were excellent, especially Nicholas Christopher. Ensemble was terrific, dancing was energetic, and of course, the score was fabulous. Highly recommend!"

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STEWART M from GREENSBORO on May 21, 2026

We loved this show!

"My wife travels to New York quarterly for work; we see a play each time we come. This was the top we've attended! The performances were amazing -- across the board. It was quite a treat to watch the orchestra in action, arrayed above the stage. The story was propulsive. The narrator type role was very funny. The songs were full throated. The only downsides - some needless profanity, and some of the song lyrics were hard to follow. But mere quibbles - we highly recommend this wonderful show! "

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dean p from falls church on May 20, 2026

Witty and satirical musical

"It integrates international intrigue with chess and love. Also adds some very timely asides that apply today. "

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AGUSTIN L from BOYNTON BEACH on May 20, 2026

Chess Reviews

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