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Welcome to Today on Broadway for Monday, November 17, 2025 on Broadway Radio's Matt Tayonetti. I am coming to you late in the Patreon feed because on Sunday night over at the Imperial Theater, the first ever Broadway revival of the musical Chess officially opened. So I wanted to wait for those reviews to come out at 11pm Eastern Time, which means it is very late. It is much later than I would like to be recording just because I have to be up and out of my 5am to make my flight back home. But we will get into all of that here in just a second. But I wanted to remind you a little bit about what I have coming up here in the Patreon feed. I have already given you reviews for various reasons of two shows that I have already seen. First, I talked about Caroline earlier this week and I also included my review of Oedipus or Oedipus in the rest of the reviews that I talked about earlier this week. That means that I still have. However, I can't talk about them all just yet. The ones that are still on the list that I need to talk about are Kyoto Bo, the Musical Chess, which is we're gonna talk about here in a minute. The Baker's Wife, Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, and the Seat of Our Pants, two Strange, which doesn't open until Thursday, so I'm gonna have to wait on that. But there will be a Patreon Travelogue episode in which I talk about Kyoto, Beau, the Musical, the Baker's Wife and the Seat of Our Pants, since those are already and I'm gonna talk about my thoughts about Chess here when we get into those reviews. So if you want to hear my thoughts on those Off Broadway shows, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio broadwayradio.com patreon alright, so let's head over to the Imperial Theater where Sunday night the first Broadway revival of the musical Chess officially opened. It is of course a musical that features music by the ABBA duo of Benny Anderson and Bjorn Alvez, with lyrics by the great Sir Tim Rice. This version of the show features a book by brilliant writer and actor Danny Strong. It is directed by Michael Mayer and choreographed by Lauren Lotaro. The cast features a trio of heavyweights at the top of the bill, starting with Nicholas Christopher as Anatoly Sergaevsky, Lea Michele as Florence Vassi, Aaron Tveit as Freddy Trumper, which does lead to a fairly fun joke by the arbiter played by Bryce Pinkham. Also in the company are Hannah Cruz as Svetlana Sergaevsky, Bradley Dean as Alexander Molokoff and Sean Alan Krill as Walter De Courcy. The ensemble is filled with a ton of very talented folks that you will likely recognize, but if you're unfamiliar with the story, which I guess probably might be a good thing, it follows a triangle of Tveit, Michelle and Christopher's characters in a seductive showdown of love, loyalty and power on stage. 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. As a recording Time review aggregator site Did They like it? Has recorded 15 reviews, three were positive, nine were mixed and three were negative. We'll start with Elizabeth Mantantelli of the New York Times, who was mixed, who said parts of the show are absolutely thrilling and parts are flat at best, aggressively dumb at worst. At least Mayer's production, starring Nicholas Christopher, Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit is not a bland bore. Thinking back to Michele's big then bigger then biggest, nobody's side or Christopher's red hot neck vein bursting anthem, I can feel the needle move toward the positive of the dial. Sarah Holdren of Ultra, who was also mixed, said one night in Bangkok walked so Sam Rockwell's white Lotus monologue could run. The song is such a ridiculous rush that it pretty much justifies the whole project. I think some plot still happens after that, but frankly I left my heart and my wallet and my keys and my sobriety in this Bangkok and I'm okay with that. Who knew chess could get you so high? David Gordon of Theatremania was mixed, saying Chess has always been a great score in search of a good book, and writer Danny Strong believes he's cracked the code by reframing it as a self referential examination of Cold War era American and Russian relations filled with a healthy dose of humor and antipathy. He hasn't, but it's nice to hear the score live. Shayna Russell, writing for Entertainment Weekly, also mixed said the script has been reworked and the characters retooled, only for Chess to end up back where it started. Impeccable music, a flat story and a baffling execution. But the eternal contradiction of Chess is that while its flaws are many, it's still a delight to witness. Like those that came before, this lively production is bursting with talent both on and off stage. Much of that is owed to the still impeccable score from egot winner theater lyricist Tim Rice and songwriters Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulveas of ABBA fame. Add in some flawless vocals and the electrifying lighting design from Kevin Adams and you can almost ignore its failings. Adam Feldman of Time out in New York, unfortunately was one of the negatives, saying the production at Broadway's Imperial Theater, directed by Michael Mayer, has plenty of good moves, memorable and tuneful songs, including some bonafide bangers? Check. Slickly staged musical numbers? Check. Talented actor singers Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher in the lead roles? Check. Check. Check. But no Checkmate. Once again, the show blows its assets shackled to storytelling that is arguably worse than ever. Chess goes down in Forfeit Chris Jones of the New York Daily News was one of the positives, writing, this is the Broadway show of the fall that some will claim to dislike and yet most everyone will enjoy, even if that has to be in secret. Happily, that's a match for one of the main themes of a 1980s musical that always saw geopolitics, even the danger of nuclear proliferation, as games played by those who merely enjoyed the strategizing. Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post was negative, saying, quote, with hardly any helpful staging from director Michael Mayer, who has developed an EpiPen level allergy to good shows, the endless production becomes totally reliant on the amplified up singing of leads Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher to give it a boost. In Act 2, the Russian spurned wife Svetlana shows up and the very good Hannah Cruz becomes the first cast member to give acting a go. Personally, I love the score of Chess. I famously went to St. Louis to see the production a few years ago at the Muny. Who knows how often I was going to ever have the opportunity to see this show live. When they did a concert staging of this version of the the show a few years ago on Broadway, I very coincidentally ended up sitting next to one James Marino and his wife, having gotten our tickets separately to see it. So I was very excited about this production. I thought the cast was very exciting and could lead to something very special Unfortunately, I felt the same as many of the people whose reviews I have read and more that you can find in the Did They Like It? Review review roundup that I will have in the show. Notes the book rewritten by Danny Strong is I think much better than some of the other people, including David Gordon thought. I think it's funny and it gives us a reason to care about the story and everything that's happening in between all of the songs. While yes, it is still confusing and not all that necessary to have all of the rigmarole going on, it is funny, it is self referential, it is more meta, it is fourth wall breaking and I think in a lot of hands that might be a little too much and a little bit too cloying. But because Bryce Pinkham plays the arbiter who doubles as the narrator, it works. Bryce is so charismatic in this and funny that it's hard not to just go along for the absolutely absurd ride that you are in for. He does do a little channeling of John Mulaney. I feel like where he knows that everything he is saying is ridiculous, but because of that it makes it even the more fun. So he is a highlight of the production for me as Johnny Oleksinski referenced. Hannah Cruz is also a highlight. Unfortunately, she has less to do than Svetlana normally does. The song that has been one of Svetlana's standout moments for decades in this show, someone else's story has been taken away from her and given to Lea Michele's Florence Fassi. In fairness, that is where the song actually originated. It was originally a Florence song, then given to Svetlana, now being taken back. However, it really does undermine Svetlana's presence in the show because she doesn't have this standout moment. She does have other songs, including one that I think might have actually been given to her that hadn't been there in previous versions. But the song doesn't necessarily make sense in any context. No matter who's singing it. It doesn't really tie much to the plot and that is very much the case here. When Lea sings it. Unfortunately, the three leads in this I was left wanting from I am not sure that Aaron Tveit or Lea Michele does much in terms of actual acting in the show. Anything they do is very surface level from an acting standpoint and to make this kind of ridiculous plot work, I think we needed something deeper than that. They sing it well, but unfortunately the electricity that I expected from the vocals of Tveit and Michelle just isn't there and I'm not sure if that's because their voices don't actually match the score or it sits in a wrong key for them. And it doesn't sound bad. It sounds lovely, but it sounds safe and very unexciting to me. And a lot of times, again, it sounds nice but. But it doesn't give me the energy and the excitement and the edge that I feel like this score needs. Nicholas Christopher is a bit better, unfortunately. He's hamstrung by a Russian accent that sounds straight out of Rocky and Bullwinkle, unfortunately. And it's too bad because all of the other Russian accents, especially that from Hannah Cruz playing Svetlana and Bradley Dean playing Alexander Molokov, the they're both very good and natural and not a problem at all. Nicholas's is not great and it certainly undermines, I think to me, his believability because it does kind of just take you out of the moment. And I. And not that I couldn't get over it, I got used to it and it was fine. But I think it just puts some artifice between what he is trying to do with the character and the audience. So it's a little underwhelming. I think the ensemble here is completely unnecessary. It is over choreographed by Lauren Lotaro and while you have to have them, unfortunately, it would almost be better if this was like a six person show and it was just the triangle. Svetlana Molokov, De Coursy and Arbiter. So I guess that's seven people. It would almost be better if that was the show and everybody else just kind of was the ensuing ensemble there and. And maybe throw in a few others, I guess. But the ensemble is just unnecessary and. And doesn't justify itself in this one, especially because it just sits on stage for most of the time. But overall it is nice to hear this score. It is well sung and there are some moments that are absolutely thrilling. But for a show that has spent decades kind of languishing in this. This state of cult fandom and people trying to justify its existence by tinkering with the script, I don't know that this got us any closer to having a revelatory moment for Chess. I do think again the book worked better for me than it did probably for other people. It's one of those things where I think your level of acceptance of the meta very jokey. Tongue in cheek presentation of the arbiter will determine whether or not you like it. Because the plot itself is still mind numbingly stupid in terms of the character motivations and all of that, but it's fun to see chess, it's fun to hear the score, it's fun to see some of these people on stage together. But ultimately it is a stalemate for me and nothing that is going to be incredibly memorable come Tony time. All right, let's get into this week's theatrical schedule and we will start tonight over at New World Stages, where the Off Broadway revival of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee officially opens. They did their gala on Sunday night, so you probably saw a ton of pictures and stuff from that. The reviews will be embargoed for tonight. That show, of course, is one of the highlights of the Off Broadway season with a fantastic company. The cast includes Felipe Arroyo, Autumn Best, Liana Ray Concepcion, Justin Cooley, Lily Cooper, Jason Kravitz, Matt Manuel, Kevin McHale and Jasmine Amy Rogers. Also opening Off Broadway tonight is Meet the Cartosians from Second Stage. It is being presented as all Second Stage shows are now over at the Signature Theater. It is written by Talon Monahan and directed by David Cromer, features a cast of Rafi Barsoomian, Will Brill, Andrea Martin, Nael Nasser, Susan Porfar and Tumerus7. The show is based on a real story and a, quote, reality story. This bold, witty play follows two sets of Armenian Americans, one man fighting for legal recognition in the 1920s, while a century later his descendant fights for followers and a competent glam team. Then on Tuesday night, we have a couple other openings Off Broadway. The first comes to us from Playwrights Horizons in what I have been told is one of the best shows of the season and in many recent years. Our friend Ashley Steves went and saw it the other night and raved about it when I saw her following it. This is Practice by Nazareth Hassan and directed by Kenan Tyler Oliphant. The show is about an acting ensemble with a charismatic yet manipulative director. It takes grit, determination, self awareness and years of training to be an artist. But what does it take to be a genius? A scathing, intricately observed take on power and surrender. Nazareth Hassan's new play follows a company of dedicated actors, dancers and performance artists as they lose themselves to the violent and beautiful will of a visionary. Ashley did tell me that the show runs 2 hours and 45 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. However, the first act is 2 hours, there's a 15 minute intermission and then there's a 30 minute second act. While that seems ridiculous, there is a reason and it does make sense. But just be warned, if you do go see it that if you feel like you have to go to the bathroom, go early because there is a fairly long wait until the break. The over the other opening happening Off Broadway on Tuesday is taking place over at the Shed and this is with Tom Hanks's the World of Tomorrow. Not only does it star the Academy Award winning legend, but it was also based off of short stories that he wrote. He co wrote this version with James Glassman. The cast is also led by Kelli o' Hara and features Carrie Bechet, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Donald Webber Jr. And more. It's the end of the 21st century and Burt Allenbury is longing for the past. This World of Tomorrow features Tom Hanks and Kelli o' Hara in the story of a disenchanted scientist from the future. When Burt embarks on a time traveling quest, he returns again and again and again to one special day at the 1939 New York World's Fair in Queens and revives a dream of what the future could be. This one is directed by Kenny Leon and is currently scheduled to play through December 21st. Then on Thursday as I mentioned earlier, we will head over to the Longacre Theater where two strangers carry a cake across New York officially opens on Broadway. This has been a phenomenal hit over in the UK and in London. It was written by Jim Barn and Kit Buchan and is directed by Tim Jackson and who also does the choreography. Azmaret Gibbermichel is the Associate Director in Associate choreography. And I will say we saw Tim and Azmaret outside the theater when I saw it on Sunday chatting about it. And again I can't talk about my thoughts with this show until it officially opens, but I think it's fairly safe to say that I will be thinking about this one in about seven and a half months time very heavily when it comes to certain ballots that I will be presented with. The show stars Christiani Pitts as Robin and Sam Tutty as Dougal. It is a two hander that follows the sister of the bride and the estranged son of the groom as they try to navigate New York City before the wedding. The show is kind of framed as a rom com which makes sense, but to me it feels more like a buddy comedy, like a road trip, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope kind of thing. But again I will talk more about that on Friday's episode after the reviews are officially out. Also happening on Thursday over the Lucille Lortel Theater is the Off Broadway opening of Gruesome Playground Injuries which is the play by Rajeev Joseph and directed by Neil Pepe. It stars Emmy nominee Nicholas Braun and and two time Tony Award winner Kara Young. It is a darkly funny and heartbreakingly tender revival of this show that involves playground injuries. I don't know. I haven't seen it, but I've heard great things about it. It is currently scheduled to play an eight week run at the Lucille Ortel Theater through December 28th. So certainly you want to get your tickets if you have a chance to see this one. Then on Thursday we have the first Broadway preview of a new show, Marjorie prime which is coming to us from Second Stage. This is happening over at the Helen Hayes Theater. It is written by Jordan Harrison and directed by Anne Kaufman. There was a movie version of this a few years ago, but the cast of this one is tremendous. Featuring Danny Burstein, Christopher Lowell, Cynthia Nixon and June Squibb. What would you say to someone you lost if you could see them again? What if they're a better listener now than they were when they are alive? Jordan Harrison reinvents the family drama in this richly spare, wryly funny and powerful Marjorie Prime. A heart achingly beautiful rumination on aging and artificial intelligence, memory and mortality, love and legacy. Then on Friday in movie theaters across the country and around the world, Wicked for Good or Wicked 2 Electric Boogaloo officially opens. That means that actually you can start seeing it in theaters regularly without like press folks, screenings or previews or anything on Thursday night. So make sure that you go out and see that. I will have a link in the show notes for where you can find screenings in your area. On Friday we also have an Off Broadway closing from Ars Nova which is HO Church, which I've heard great things about. Saturday we'll have another closing Off Broadway from the Atlantic Theatre Company for let's Love the Ethan Cohen trio of one acts featuring Aubrey Plaza. Then on Sunday we have the the Off Broadway first preview for the Old Vic's Christmas Carol that is playing this year Off Broadway. This version will star the great Michael Cerverus as Ebenezer Scrooge. Then we have four other closings on Sunday. The Honey Trap from Irish Rep. This one's coming back in January. Oratorio for Living Things at the Signature Theater. The Other Americans from the Public from John Leguizamo and Tartuffe starring Andre de Shields at the House of the the Redeemer. All right, I will wrap up the show with two recommendations. First, Sadie Sink joined Lord at a concert for a performance of the song Green Light, which is obviously without spoiling things too too much a central part in the show. John Proctor is the villain that Sadie starred in on Broadway and maybe will star in in London and in the movie version as well. But that was very fun. And then, speaking of Wicked for good, there's a new performance out of Cynthia Erivo singing the song no Good Deed, but she is joined by the iconic ballet dancer Misty Copeland, who just recently retired from the American Ballet Theater. So two very cool videos for you to check out there. All right, everybody, that's all that we have for today. Thanks for listening to TODAY on Broadway. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram broadwayrading. If you want more Broadway radio, head over to Patreon broadwayradio. Have a wonderful Monday, a wonderful week, and we'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.