Is a 'Chess' revival headed to Broadway?
Philip Casnoff, Judy Kuhn, and David Carroll in Chess Martha Swope/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
by Chris Peterson
Chris Peterson is the founder of OnStage Blog
Is ‘Chess’ headed back to Broadway?
Yesterday, Tim Rice tweeted that he was headed to New York to discuss his 1984 Cold War rock musical he created with ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
Given that the show’s 40th Anniversary is just a couple of years away and US-Russian relations are far from friendly, it’s believable that there might be an effort to get a revival on 42nd Street.
I spoke with an investor friend of mine and they told me that there would be considerable interest in a revival if it came to pass.
The other rumbling I’ve heard is that a movie adaptation is being developed as well.
The story involves a politically driven, Cold War-era chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American, and the other Soviet, and their fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other.
After a successful run on the West End, the show flopped on Broadway, closing after 17 previews and 68 regular performances. However, it certainly has developed a devoted fan following since then. There have been multiple tours, a concert version starring Josh Groban, and a West End revival in 2018.
The show was revived at the Kennedy Center in 2018 featuring Tony Award winners Ruthie Ann Miles and Karen Olivo and Tony Award nominees Raúl Esparza and Ramin Karimloo.
So time will tell if we see this rock musical head back to Broadway.