CHESS Will Close Early on Broadway

It’s game over. BroadwayWorld has just learned that Chess will play its final performance on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre after over 250 performances starring Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher.

Chess is nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Nicholas  Christopher), Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Bryce Pinkham), Best Performance by a Featured Actress  in a Musical (Hannah Cruz), Best Orchestrations (Brian Usifer) and Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Kevin Adams). The new production was nominated for the Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Revival  of a Musical and received three Chita Rivera Award nominations including Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show  for Lorin Latarro and Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway show.  

Chess opened on November 16, 2025 at the Imperial Theatre. Check out what the critics had to say. Joanna “JoJo” Levesque was previously set to return to Broadway as “Florence Vassy” following Lea Michele’s final performance on June 21. 

Producers Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization said, “We are immensely proud of the extraordinary  work this cast and creative team have done in reimagining Chess for a new generation of theatergoers while honoring  the passionate fans who have championed this musical for nearly four decades. To see longtime fans and first-time  audiences alike embrace this production so wholeheartedly has been incredibly rewarding for everyone involved and a  powerful reminder of why Chess has endured for so many years. The opportunity to witness Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele,  and Nicholas Christopher perform this legendary score by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Tim Rice alongside a  company filled with some of Broadway’s most remarkable talent is something that will stay will audiences long after they  depart the Imperial Theatre. Bringing Chess back to Broadway for the first time in nearly 40 years has been an enormous privilege, and we are extremely proud of everything this production accomplished during its historic Broadway run.” 

Starring Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit, Emmy Award and 2026 Drama League Award nominee Lea Michele and 2026  Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award nominee Nicholas Christopher, Chess also features 2026  Tony Award nominee Hannah Cruz, 2026 Tony Award nominee Bryce Pinkham, Bradley Dean, Tony Award nominee Sean  Allan Krill and an ensemble that includes Kyla Bartholomeusz, Daniel Beeman, Shavey Brown, Emma Degerstedt, Adam  Halpin, Aliah James, Sydney Jones, David Paul Kidder, Sarah Michele Lindsey, Sean MacLaughlin, Robin Masella, Sarah  Meahl, Michael Milkanin, Ramone Nelson, Fredric Rodriguez Odgaard, Michael Olaribigbe, Katerina Papacostas, Aleksandr Ivan Pevec, Samantha Pollino, Adam Roberts, Regine Sophia and Katie Webber. 

Over the last seven months, the cast of Chess has been featured on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night  with Seth Meyers, The Today Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, LIVE with Kelly and Mark, The Drew Barrymore Show,  Sunday Today with Willie Geist, CBS Sunday Morning and Watch What Happens Live, and holds the distinction of being  the final Broadway performance broadcast on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Featuring a new book by Emmy Award winner Danny Strong, with music and lyrics by Emmy and Tony Award nominees  ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner Tim Rice, based on an  idea by Tim Rice, this new production is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer and choreographed by Drama  Desk Award nominee Lorin Latarro with original orchestrations by Anders Eljas, orchestrations by Anders Eljas and 2026  Tony Award nominee Brian Usifer and music supervision by Brian Usifer. 

Chess features scenic design by Tony Award winner David Rockwell, costume design by Tom Broecker, lighting design by  four-time Tony Award winner and 2026 Tony Award nominee Kevin Adams, sound design by John Shivers and video design  by Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini. Johanna McKeon serves as Associate Director, Travis Waldschmidt serves as  Associate Choreographer and Music Direction is by Ian Weinberger. Casting is by Jim Carnahan C.S.A. and Jason Thinger  C.S.A. Hair, Wig and Makeup Design are by Luc Verschueren for Campbell Young Associates. 

Ghostlight Records recently released the Chess (2025 Broadway Cast Recording), which is now available in digital and  streaming formats. The recording will be released on CD and vinyl later this year. The new album is based on the record breaking production – presented by Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative  Partners Productions – currently running at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. The recording is produced by Brian Usifer,  Benny Andersson, Ludvig Andersson, and Michael Mayer, co-produced by Danny Strong and Susie Graves, and executive  produced by Robert Ahrens, Tom Hulce, The Shubert Organization, Mary Maggio, Creative Partners Productions, and 2 On The Aisle. The album features music direction by Ian Weinberger. 

Chess is produced on Broadway by Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners  Productions and co-produced by Mary Maggio, Nederlander Presentations Inc., Stephen & Nancy Gabriel, Carl  Moellenberg, Danny Strong, Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, Björn Ulvaeus, Ludvig Andersson, Robert Fox, Lea Michele, Scott Abrams, 2 On The Aisle, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Ruth Hendel, John Gore Organization, Michael Mayer &  Stark Sands, Judith Ann Abrams & Peter May, James Bolosh & Hillary Wyatt, Ira Pittelman, Kate Cannova, Jamie deRoy, Chema’s Checkmates, Bradford & Melissa Coolidge, Jonathan Farkas, Jeffrey Finn, Willette & Manny Klausner, Kors Le  Pere Theatricals, Lang Entertainment Group, Maestro Invest, Stephanie P. McClelland, No Guarantees Productions, Ostar Adam Riemer, Vivek J. Tiwary, Tom Tuft, Lee / Schild, Bijoux / Glass, Byrnes Lamon, Davault Braun, Dickinson /  Federman, Kolson / Prisand, Mo Maxi, Nabatoff / Kamler, Trichter / Fink, Burkhardt Stern, and O’Connor / YSSM. Chess  is presented by arrangement with Three Knights, The Shubert Organization and Robert Fox Ltd.