Lea Michele, known for her role in Glee, returned to Broadway after two years for Michael Mayer’s Chess.
The veteran Broadway star is teamed up with Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher and the performance is held at New York’s Imperial Theatre.
The play is a musical, set during the Cold War era and revolves around a high stake international tournament.
It follows two chess champions from the opposing countries Freddie Thumper (Tveit, playing a brash American), Anatoly Sergievsky (Christopher, a disciplined Soviet chess play) and a woman (Michele) caught between them.
The show combines a Cold War narrative with the iconic music of ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
Following the early few performances since November 16, some major news outlet revealed their mixed reviews. As per Variety, the production felt uneven despite powerhouse vocal performances.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter noted the show seemed emotionally at war with itself.
According to Zoombangla.com, Michele’s performance as Florence emerged as the unanimous highlight. Critics praised her technical skill and emotional delivery. Her rendition of Nobody's Side was singled out as a standout moment.
Christopher also earned significant praise for his portrayal of the Soviet champion. Meanwhile, Tveit delivered a solid performance as the American grandmaster.
On the other hand, fans on X (formerly Twitter) shared their own mixed reviews. While some called it "ragebait" others rallied to give "Tony Award to this cast".
However, despite the mixed reviews, the production has already extended its run through May 3, 2026.
Tickets for the show are available on the show’s official website.
