Checkmate! Chess Returned to Broadway with a Starry Opening Night and After-Party
On a windy Sunday night, kings, queens, and all kinds of players flocked to the Imperial Theater for the highly-anticipated opening night of Chess.
With music by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice, the musical has had a journey that is anything but black and white. Originally released as a concept album in 1984, the pop-rock tracklist found fans worldwide. Two years later, a full scale production debuted on London’s West End to mixed reviews, as did its arrival on Broadway in 1988. The story centers on a love triangle plagued by internal and geopolitical warfare, dynamically staged through the lens of a grand master chess match. Alas, some forty years later, with a new book by Danny Strong and the precise direction of Michael Mayer, Chess is reclaiming the board. It doesn’t hurt that three of the strongest vocalists in the theater world have been enlisted to lead the charge: Lea Michele as Florence Vassey, Aaron Tveit as Freddie Trumper, and Nicholas Christopher as Anatoly Sergievsky. Heralding in the new chapter with aplomb, the trio practically sang the roof off the place for two-and-a-half-hours straight.
Judy Kuhn, who played Florence in the Broadway original, was elated to pass the proverbial torch onto Michele. “To be able to sit in the audience is great, because I know how hard it is to perform that role,” she told Vogue. The pair recently enjoyed a congratulatory run-in when they found themselves rehearsing at the same studios (Kuhn is currently starring in The Baker’s Wife at Classic Stage Company): “On the first day of rehearsal, we showed up and they were right across the hall. It was like ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here!’”
Around the theatre, audience members filed in holding special Playbills embossed with a silver opening night seal. It took some longer than others to get to their seats—Tony winner Jonathan Groff was stopped at every row by friends and fans alike, all while oozing charisma and looking effortlessly cool in tinted sunglasses. Actors Jenn Colella and Krysta Rodriguez were all smiles, sharing hugs, and posing for pictures with Annaleigh Ashford. Sara Bareilles and Renée Elise Goldsberry had an unlikely meetup, with Goldsberry calling out: “I heard you were here from the audience and now I meet you in the bathroom line!” Sarah Hyland bobbed her head along through the overture, her ponytail bouncing as if she was at a rock concert.
The curtain soon rose to unveil masterful production elements, including a live feed broadcast (à la Sunset Boulevard), a band flanking the entirety of the stage, a high-energy ensemble, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it costume stunt by Tveit during One Night In Bangkok. At the final bow, the crowd leapt to their feet for a thunderous applause as the cast was bestowed with bouquets of red roses.
Tveit, wearing custom Todd Snyder, basked in the moment. “Live theater is so special because it s just one night; the audience is going through this as we are,” he told Vogue. “The music is so incredible. Hopefully we throw a left hook in there to hold a mirror up to society and what’s happening in our world. [We want people] to have a moment of thought about how we can hopefully make this better, while singing great music.”
The after-party at Pier 60 unfolded against a backdrop of the Hudson River and a sparkling skyline. The crowd was abuzz with congratulatory sentiments, as they sipped signature Merano Spritz cocktails and indulged in mini mugs of hot chocolate. When the stars arrived, parents and friends rushed forward. Christopher’s overjoyed father could be seen wearing a silver chess-themed vest for the occasion.
Once the first beat of an ABBA hit could be made out, the dancefloor was in full swing. Lea Michele was hovering nearby, taking it all in. “I’m overcome with emotion every single day thinking about the fact that when I started at 8-years-old, I told my parents ‘I want to do this every single day for the rest of my life.’ I think back to my younger self and I think that she would be so grateful that I continued doing this.”
Any Broadway buff knows the viral image Michele recently shared on her Instagram; a snapshot of her full-circle destiny almost 30 years in the making. The photograph shows a young Michele in costume, making her Broadway debut at the Imperial Theater as a young Cosette in Les Miserables. Behind her on the wall are four Playbills—one of which happened to be the original Chess program. “That picture? I saw it online. I was scrolling and it was served to me—you know how those algorithms are,” she laughed. She initially couldn’t remember exactly where that picture was taken all those years ago, but when she walked into the theater for a preliminary tour of the space with Nicholas, she was greeted by that very same Playbill on the stage door wall.
Chess is open now through May 3, 2026.
Photo by: Jenny Anderson1/12
Photo by: Jenny Anderson2/12Sarah Hyland, Sadie Dickerson
