Lea Michele leads the new Broadway revival of Chess with a performance that Variety calls a crown-worthy standout, even as the production itself draws mixed marks. In a review published on Monday, the outlet describes the staging as uneven, yet it singles out Michele’s star power as a key draw in a musical that has long fascinated and frustrated audiences. The show features music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice, with a newly revised book by Emmy-winning writer Danny Strong. The story centres on a Cold War chess showdown between American maverick Freddie Trumper, played by Tony winner Aaron Tveit, and his Soviet rival, Anatoly Sergievsky. For a title famous for soaring songs and a knotty plot, the verdict signals a familiar tension: a big score and big voices, set against a story that often resists tidy solutions.
The review ran on 17 November 2025. The production plays on Broadway in New York, marking the latest high-profile attempt to crack the show’s enduring challenges.
A star turn anchors a risky revival
Variety positions Michele as the defining force of this revival. The actor-singer, who returned to Broadway in 2022 to headline Funny Girl after early acclaim in Spring Awakening, brings name recognition and proven vocal power to a score that demands range and stamina. Her presence gives the production a clear centre, which a show like Chess often needs. The musical builds its drama around intense personal stakes set against geopolitical pressure, and it rewards performers who can make that pressure feel urgent and human.
Opposite Michele, Aaron Tveit steps into the role of Freddie Trumper, the brash American champion. Tveit, a Tony Award winner for
