Your First Behind-The-Scenes Look At Chess Before It Opens On Broadway

Lea Michele is returning to Broadway, and Rachel Berry would be so proud. Fresh off rave reviews for her turn in Funny Girl, the Glee star is joining Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit and Sweeney Todd actor Nicholas Christopher in the first-ever Broadway revival of Chess, and Bustle has an exclusive first look at the cast’s rehearsals.

Chess centers around American chess player Freddie Trumper (Tveit) and his Soviet opponent Anatoly Sergievsky (Christopher), who enter a love triangle of sorts with Florence Vassy (Michele), making their geopolitical rivalry personal. The musical was originally written as an allegory for U.S.-Russia relations during the Cold War, but it could also be viewed as the OG Challengers.

“Chess is a seductive showdown of love, loyalty, and power on a global stage,” reads the official synopsis. “As two of the greatest chess players in the world compete for something beyond victory, the woman between them is caught in a high-stakes battle of desire and devotion.”

The musical, originally written by EGOT holder Tim Rice with music by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, debuted on London’s West End in 1986 before heading to Broadway in 1988.

Along with the trio of Michele, Tveit, and Christopher, the cast also features Suffs star Hannah Cruz as Svetlana, Phantom of the Opera actor Bradley Dean as Molokov, Tony nominee Sean Allan Krill as Walter, and Tony nominee Bryce Pinkham as The Arbiter.

The revival is directed by Michael Mayer, who worked with Michele in Funny Girl and Spring Awakening, with a new book by Emmy-winning Dopesick writer Danny Strong and choreography by Drama Desk Award nominee Lorin Latarro.

Chess begins previews at the Imperial Theatre on Oct. 15, with opening night set for Nov. 16.