B'way Update: Chess Revival; Ragtime Casting

Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and 
Nicholas Christopher will star in Chess.

Tony winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rogue), Emmy nominee Lea Michele (Funny Girl) and Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd) will star in the first Broadway revival of Chess at a Shubert Theater TBA this fall. This musical about an international romance against the backdrop of a world chess championship match will feature a new book by Emmy winner Danny Strong (Dopesick) and music and lyrics by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice. Tony winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) directs.

Chess began life as a concept album released in 1984. The show opened in London's West End in 1986 and ran for three years.  The original Broadway production was much changed from the British edition and opened on Broadway in 1988 with a new book by Richard Nelson. It only ran for 68 performances. The show has been presented in varying forms in revivals and concert versions in Australia and Sweden. The score which features such hits as "One Night in Bangkok," "I Know Him So Well," "Pity the Child," and "You and I," is regarded as the show's strongest point with the book cited as a stumbling block.

In addition news, Lincoln Center Theater has announced additional casting for its revival of Ragtime. Joining the previously announced Tony® nominee Joshua Henry (deBessonet’s Into the Woods, Carousel), Olivier® and Grammy® nominee Caissie Levy (Hair, Frozen), and Tony Award-winner Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt, LCT’s Falsettos) are Colin Donnell (Anything Goes, NBC’s “Chicago Med”), Nichelle Lewis (The Wiz), Ben Levi Ross (Dear Evan Hansen, Gatsby at A.R.T.), Tony Award-winner Shaina Taub (Suffs, Public Works’ Twelfth Night at the Delacorte), John Clay III (New York, New York), and Rodd Cyrus (Encores! The Light in the Piazza). 

Broadway/Off-Broadway/Awards Season Calendar
Spring 2025
May 29--The Counterfeit Opera (Little Island)

Summer 2025
June 1--Drama Desk Awards (NYU Skirball)
June 2--Theater World Awards (Hard Rock Cafe)
June 2--Eurydice (Signature Theater)

June 2--The Imaginary Invalid (New World Stages)

June 3--Lunar Eclipse (Second Stage/Signature Center) 
June 8--Tony Awards (Radio City Music Hall)
June 11--Angry Alan (Studio Seaview)
June 12--Call Me Izzy (Studio 54)
June 16--Prince Faggot (Playwrights Horizons)

June 17--Viola's Room (The Shed) (previews begin; opening TBA)
June 25--Trophy Boys (MCC Theater)
June 25--Low Country (Atlantic Theater Co./Linda Gross)

July 8--The Gospel at Colonus (Little Island)
July 20--Joy (Roundabout/Laura Pels)
Aug. 7--Ava: The Secret Conversations (City Center Stage I)
Aug. 14--Mamma Mia (Winter Garden)
Aug. 21--Twelfth Night (Public Theater/Delacorte)
Masquerade (Phantom of the Opera)--Lee's Art Shop

Fall 2025

Sept. 6--Galas (Little Island)

Sept. 10--The Brothers Size (The Shed)

Sept. 16--Art (Music Box)

Sept. 25--The Other Americans (Public)

Sept. 28--Waiting for Godot (Hudson)

Oct. 15--Oh Happy Day (Public)

Oct. 16--Ragtime (Vivian Beaumont/LCT)

Oct. 24--Did You Eat? (Public)

Oct. 30--This World of Tomorrow (Shed) (previews begin; opening TBA)

Nov. 10--Queen of Versailles (St. James)

Nov. 13--The Seat of Our Pants (Public)

Nov. 20--Initiative (Public)

Archduke (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Chess

Cottonfield

Little Bear Ridge Road

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Oedipus (Roundabout/Studio 54)

Oratorio of Living Things (Signature Theater Company)

Punch (MTC/Samuel J. Friedman)

Queens (MTC/City Center)

Saturday Church (NYTW)

Sugar Daddy

The Seat of Our Pants (Public)

Take a Banana for the Ride

Winter 2025-26

Jan. 2026--Ulysses (Elevator Repair Service/Public)

Antigone (This Play I Read in High School) (Public)

Chinese Republicans (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Jesa (Public)

Monsters (MTC/City Center)

Public Charge (Public)

Tartuffe (NYTW)

Mother Russia (Signature Theater Company)

What We Did Before Our Moth Days

2026

Dolly: An Original Musical

Wanted (formerly Gun and Powder)

Spring 2026

Animal Wisdom (Signature Theater Company)

The Balusters (MTC/Friedman)

Fallen Angels (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

The Lost Boys (Palace)

Montauk

My Joy Is Heavy (NYTW)

The Rocky Horror Show (Roundabout/Studio 54)

2026-27

Death of a Salesman

Private Lives

Future--10 Things I Hate About You; Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death; Beaches the Musical; Beat Street; Black Orpheus; Coal Miner's Daughter; Come Fall in Love--The DDLJ Musical; Crazy Rich Asians; The Devil Wears Prada; Ella: An American Miracle; Eurovision Song Contest; Everybody's Talking About Jamie; Fahrenheit 451; Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Musical; Frida, the Musical; Game of Thrones; Get Happy; The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation; High Noon; Imitation of Life; The Interestings; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; The Karate Kid; La La Land; The Mousetrap; Nancy Drew and the Mystery at Spotlight Manor; The Nanny; The Normal Heart/The Destiny of Me; Pal Joey; Particle Fever; Purple Rain; The Queen's Gambit; Rear Window; The Secret Garden; Sing Street; Slumdog Millionaire; Soul Train; Studio 54; Waking Ned Devine; Working Girl.

2025-26 Broadway Season Breakdown

New Plays

The Balusters

Call Me Izzy

Cottonfield

Little Bear Ridge Road

Montauk

Oedipus

Punch

New Musicals

Dolly: An Original Musical

The Lost Boys

Queen of Versailles

Play Revivals

Art

Fallen Angels

Waiting for Godot

Musical Revivals

Chess

Mamma Mia!

Ragtime

The Rocky Horror Show