A STAR IS BORN!
Broadway’s newest revival of Chess lands at the Imperial Theatre with all the ambition of a Cold War epic and all the complications of its famously tangled plot — but in the middle of the chilly spectacle, a star is unmistakably born.
Let’s get this out of the way: Chess remains a head-scratcher. Danny Strong’s new book doesn’t quite untangle the show’s infamously knotty politics-meets-romance storyline, and the minimalist concert staging — a semicircle of metal platforms housing the onstage orchestra — often leaves the audience grasping for emotional footholds. Director Michael Mayer offers some sweeping tableaus, but very little narrative clarity, making much of the experience feel more like an ambitious concept album than a full-bodied musical.
And yet — through all the fog and frost — Nicholas Christopher shines like a searchlight in Chess.
As the Russian chess master Anatoly, Christopher delivers what can only be called a career-defining breakthrough. His Act I showstopper “Anthem” doesn’t just land — it detonates, flooding the room with warmth and conviction. His voice is golden, muscular, and eerily effortless, cutting straight through an otherwise icy production. Whenever he sings, the musical briefly transforms into what it could be: stirring, human, and fiercely alive. He may not be the top-billed star, but he is, unquestionably, the one people will leave the theater talking about.
Lea Michele, fresh off her Funny Girl triumph, brings her signature vocal power as Florence, though the role’s emotional center never fully materializes. Her big ballads (“Nobody’s Side,” “Someone Else’s Story”) are solid but curiously cool — more polished than passionate. Aaron Tveit leans into Freddie’s swaggering, self-destructive charm, though the character’s prickly bravado can at times blur into flatness. Bryce Pinkham gamely battles through the Arbiter’s oddball narration, which swings wildly between political punchlines and meta commentary, landing with mixed results.
Where this revival undeniably excels is in its music. Andersson and Ulvaeus’ pop-opera score — long the show’s strongest asset — sounds vibrant, lush, and surprisingly contemporary. The iconic numbers still soar, even if the story supporting them wobbles.
Ultimately, this Chess is a paradox: visually stark, narratively uneven, but musically thrilling when its cast is allowed to sing freely. The show may not convert skeptics of this Cold War cult musical, but it does something arguably more exciting — it introduces Broadway to Nicholas Christopher as a leading man of tremendous power and presence.
In a production battling its own contradictions, he emerges not just as the highlight, but as the revelation.
Broadway takeaway:
The revival may be mixed — but a star has unmistakably arrived.
Rob Shuter is a celebrity journalist, talk-show host, and former publicist who has represented an A-list roster including Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Kate Spade, Diddy, Jon Bon Jovi, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Jessica Simpson, and HRH Princess Michael of Kent.
He is the author of The 4 Word Answer, a bestselling self-help book that blends Hollywood insight with deeply personal breakthroughs. Rob hosts Naughty But Nice with Rob, a Top-20 iTunes entertainment podcast, and previously served as the only dedicated entertainment columnist at The Huffington Post. A veteran of television, magazines, and red-carpet crisis management, he also led OK! Magazine during its most competitive era.
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