Chess: The Musical at Imperial Theatre

“…a must-see, as this show is rarely produced.” – Stage and Cinema

It’s game on. Power and passion colliding on that age-old checkered board; two grandmasters going head to head for victory – and something way more than that. Bold moves – tensions rising, tempers flaring, and lives forever changed. Checkmate. 

Few games have aged as well as the one delving deep into a checkered and seductive battle in black-and-white of love, loyalty, and power, and this season you’re invited to a showdown much bigger than a chessboard. The stakes are high, the passion burning, the rivalry unparalleled – and this season it is coming to life on stage once more! 

It’s one of the greatest musical theatre scores ever written alongside intricate psychological drama; it’s memorable melodies are paired with a king’s worth of passion and a queen’s worth of battles surpassing the blocks of a chessboard; it’s one of the boldest moves to hit Broadway in recent years – and it is coming to the Imperial Theatre this season! That’s right – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Tim Rice’s timeless piece CHESS: THE MUSICAL is reimagined, revived, and redone – and is back on Broadway! 

Chess: The Musical Tickets

“With a captivating cast, orchestra and staging, this is “Chess: The Musical” at the best it has ever been.” – The Indiependent 

SYNOPSIS

What happens when two grandmasters – one an American and the other Soviet – sits down over a chessboard and go head to head not only for victory, but for the heart of a woman who manages the one grandmaster and falls in love with the other?

Florence Vassy, a much admired and brilliant Hungarian-American second, finds herself caught between the black and white of the chessboard – the brash Freddie Trumper and the strategic Soviet Anatoly Sergievsky. With the chess championship being manipulated by superpowers for their own political gains, the love triangle between Freddie, Anatoly, and Florence escalates into a battle for victory, not only on the chessboard, but for her heart and political gains.

Written as a mirror of the heightened passions of the Cold War, insinuating that the Cold War itself was a manipulative game, and addressing and satirizing the hostility of international political conflict, the stakes are high in CHESS: THE MUSICAL. International conflict, personal ambition, intrigue, emotional fallout, manipulation, betrayal, passion, and of course, love is at the core of the highly captivating tale. 

“… an incredible musical score and an intriguingly complex story.” – Theatre Matters

CREATIVE TEAM

CHESS: THE MUSICAL has been around for quite a while – and now finally, with a new book by Danny Strong, and under the masterful hands of award-winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Lion In Winter, Hedwig And The Angry Inch), critically acclaimed choreographer Lorin Latarro, musical supervisor Brian Usifer, musical director Ian Weinberger, set designer David Rockwell, costume designer Tom Broecker, lighting designer Kevin Adams, and sound designer John Shivers, is set to revisit the Broadway stage. 

“In fact, it remains one of the most brilliant, electrifying, original, juicy, complex and astonishing scores ever written.” – Stage and Cinema

CAST

The cast for this season’s run of CHESS: THE MUSICAL will be headed up by a powerhouse trio like you’ve never experienced before, featuring Tony Award-winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge!, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street; Wicked; Assassins) as Freddie Trumper, Lea Michele (Les Misérables, Ragtime, Fiddler On The Roof, Spring Awakening) as Florence Vassy, and breakout talent Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, Miss Saigon, Hamilton). The trio will be joined on stage by a stellar cast, including the talents of Hannah Cruz, Bryce Pinkham, Bradley Dean, and Sean Allan Krill among others.  

“… thrilling pop-based anthems, rich, show-stopping power ballads and quirky novelty numbers…” – London Theatre

HISTORY & LEGACY

What started as Tim Rice’s brainchild, the tale of a long-standing United States-Soviet Union chess rivalry as told through the lens of the Cold War, escalated into pure stage magic with the assistance of ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The work was released as an album musical first, spawning numerous singles, including One Night In Bangkok and I Know Him So Well, with the latter earning an Ivor Novello Award as Best Selling Single. The full stage version of CHESS: THE MUSICAL premiered in 1986 on the West End at the Prince Edward Theatre, with direction by Trevor Nunn. Since then, there have been numerous productions of CHESS: THE MUSICAL worldwide. To date, CHESS: THE MUSICAL received three Laurence Olivier Award nominations, two Tony Award nominations, five Drama Desk Award nominations, and won a Theatre World Award. 

“… this awesome revival of one of the greatest, and most troubled shows in musical history, is frankly quite spectacular.” – Stage and Cinema 

THE IMPERIAL THEATRE

The spectacular Imperial Theatre, situated in the Theatre District of Midtown Manhattan, New York, has been entertaining audiences for over a century – not just with the best of the best in all things performance, but also with its classic charm. Featuring to-the-minute sound and lighting, superb acoustics, great amenities, ample parking, and fantastic unobstructed sightlines due to the fact that its luxurious seats for up to 1,417 patrons are spread across an orchestra floor and two mezzanines, the Imperial Theatre is a favorite among Broadway theatregoers. 

So what are you waiting for? Make your move – get your tickets. 

“Most of all, it has a great score, with some of the best songs Andersson and Ulvaeus ever composed, such as ‘Someone Else’s Story’, the duet ‘I Know Him So Well’ and ‘Anthem’, which turned into a bone-chilling Act I finale.” – Musical Theatre Review