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 additional 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).