Chess (Imperial Theatre)

By Harry Forbes

The ever-popular Benny Andersson–Tim Rice–Björn Ulvaeus score remains the chief allure of Chess, the sleek pop-rock musical that has persisted for decades despite its famously vexed book. Since the show’s 1986 London premiere, nearly every major revival has felt compelled to overhaul its narrative, and Danny Strong’s new version is only the latest attempt to resolve its structural problems. But when a production can boast at least three dynamic actor-singers, half the battle is won. In that respect, this revival succeeds handsomely: Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher deliver the score with clarity, intensity and star-level assurance.

The Cold War plot still centers on the volatile American champion Freddie Trumper (Tveit) and his formidable Soviet rival, Anatoly Sergievsky (Christopher). Their high-stakes chess match becomes further charged by Florence (Michele), Freddie’s lover, strategist and “second,” who rekindles a past romance with Anatoly. As in previous versions, Florence’s Hungarian background—specifically the disappearance of her father after the 1956 uprising—figures into an already overstuffed narrative that rarely gains the emotional traction it seeks.

By the second act, Freddie has abandoned competing for a career in television commentary, and Anatoly’s wife, Svetlana—summoned by the K.G.B.—enters the fray to pressure him homeward. These complications feel familiar, yet the production finds its surest footing whenever the music takes over.

All three leads shine in their signature numbers: Tveit tears through “Pity the Child” with raw ferocity; Michele delivers a taut, pointed “Nobody’s Side”; and Christopher brings stirring command to “Anthem.” Michele and the excellent Hannah Cruz (as Svetlana) give “I Know Him So Well” the requisite warmth. Svetlana’s role seems to have been expanded with the addition of a new song, “He Is a Man, He Is a Child.”

Musically, the show feels somewhat streamlined. Several of the more lyrical, operetta-like passages appear to have been trimmed in favor of the propulsive rock material, resulting in a somewhat less varied palette. John Shivers’s sound design, firmly in the modern Broadway mold, tends toward overamplification.

Strong work also comes from Bradley Dean and Sean Allan Krill as Molokov (K.G.B.) and Walter de Courcey (C.I.A.), respectively. And Bryce Pinkham, an ever-reliable presence, plays the Arbiter and, in Strong’s revision, doubles as narrator. This device proves less effective: the intermittent contemporary jokes about President Biden, RFK Jr., and Donald Trump may earn quick laughs but undermine the show’s original dramatic context. Beyond these additions, Strong’s rewrite does not meaningfully advance the book’s long-standing problems.

Longtime admirers will inevitably recall earlier incarnations. The 1988 Broadway version, with a freshly crafted book by Richard Nelson, offered a more traditional storytelling frame. And the original London cast—Elaine Paige, Murray Head, and especially Tommy Körberg, whose “Anthem” remains the performance to beat—still casts a long shadow. The New York company of that era, featuring Philip Casnoff, the late David Carroll and Judy Kuhn, introduced the lovely Florence ballad “Someone Else’s Story,” sung here by Michele in a new position near the show’s conclusion. Fans will note several other re-ordered numbers as well. And for some, the memory of the 2003 New York concert, with Josh Groban, Adam Pascal, Raúl Esparza and Julia Murney, remains vivid.

Michael Mayer, building on his 2018 Kennedy Center staging, directs with his customary savvy. With the orchestra visible on David Rockwell’s minimalistic set—cleanly lit by Kevin Adams—the production occasionally evokes a City Center Encores! presentation. Lorin Latarro’s choreography keeps the ensemble in fluid motion, particularly in a sleek “One Night in Bangkok.”

Tom Broecker’s costumes are neatly tailored for the principals, with the ensemble largely clad in gray except for the flashier second-act opener.

For all its enduring flaws, Chess continues to exert a peculiar fascination. And this revival, buoyed by three commanding performances and that indelible score, makes a strong case for why theaters keep returning to it: when the music is delivered with this level of artistry, the game remains hard to resist.

(Imperial Theatre, 249 West 45th Street; chessbroadway.com; through May 3)

Photos by Matthew Murphy: 

Top:  (l.-r.) Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele

Below: (l.-r.) Lea Michele, Nicholas Christopher

Sweet Smell of Success (MasterVoices)

By Harry Forbes

MasterVoices, under the assured and ever-curious leadership of Artistic Director Ted Sperling, ventured beyond its customary repertoire of Gershwin, Weill, and Sondheim for this year’s annual Broadway musical presentation.

Instead, the company offered a lovingly reconsidered revival of Marvin Hamlisch’s Sweet Smell of Success, the ambitious 2002 musical that, despite its pedigree, lasted only 109 performances on Broadway. In MasterVoices’ hands, however, the piece revealed fresh vigor—and, more importantly, fresh reason for admiration.

Drawn from the 1957 film by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman (from Lehman’s own novella), the musical follows a ruthless gossip columnist, unmistakably modeled on Walter Winchell, and the hungry young press agent he draws into his orbit.

Hamlisch’s score, among the most musically substantial of his theatrical career, surged with new clarity under Sperling’s baton. Conducting and directing the semi-staged production, he led his 17-piece orchestra through William David Brohn’s original orchestrations with exuberant sweep and crisp detail. The result was a sound both muscular and propulsive—an engine powering the drama forward.

Though an early sound glitch required a brief restart, the evening soon settled into confident form. If Rose Hall’s wide stage occasionally challenged the storytelling’s focus, the performers met the moment with such presence that the narrative’s shifting tensions ultimately landed impresssively.

Raúl Esparza, stepping into the role originated by John Lithgow, gave a chillingly charismatic performance as J.J. Hunsecker, confidently poised and commanding vocal authority. The irony that Esparza once might have been cast as the younger, scrappier Sidney Falco was not lost; that part was expertly handled by Ali Louis Bourzgui, whose breakthrough turn in last season’s The Who’s Tommy has clearly marked him as a rising star. His rendition of “At the Fountain,” his character’s recurring theme, was delivered beautifully.

Lizzy McAlpine offered a luminous presence as Susan, J.J.’s sheltered sister, imbuing her songs with a quiet sensitivity. Noah J. Ricketts, as her musician-lover Dallas, lent the evening some of its warmest vocal moments, particularly in “I Cannot Hear the City” and his duet with McAlpine, “That’s How I Say Goodbye.” And Aline Mayagoitia, as Sidney’s neglected girlfriend Rita, all but stole the show with a sultry, roof-rattling “Rita’s Tune.”

Part of the production’s fascination lay in the participation of lyricist Craig Carnelia and book writer John Guare, who helped refine the material for this presentation. Their reinstatement of earlier passages—including replacing the original opening number, “The Column,” with the number “Rumor”—and their bold rethinking of the ending gave the work a renewed sense of dramatic coherence.

Andrew Palermo’s choreography invigorated several sequences, while the MasterVoices Chorus—arrayed on three imposing tiers behind the action—provided a sonic richness that deepened the production’s emotional and musical palette.

Even with the orchestra prominently placed onstage, Ryan Howell’s scenic design, accented by Isabella Byrd’s atmospheric lighting, effectively conjured the city’s murky underbelly. Tracy Christensen’s period-perfect costumes were another plus on the creative team.

MasterVoices’ Sweet Smell of Success may not erase the musical’s complicated Broadway past, but it offers a persuasive argument for its artistic worth. Under Sperling’s stewardship, the piece feels not merely revived, but rediscovered.

(Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center; 10 Columbus Circle;; mastervoices.org; Nov. 21 and 22 only)

Photos by Toby Tenenbaum:

Top: (l.-r.) Ali Louis Bourzgui, Raúl Esparza

Below: “Sweet Smell of Success” ensemble