“Chess” will close early on Broadway, with the buzzy revival ending its run on June 21.
Although Lea Michele was scheduled to depart the production in late June, the musical had intended to remain on Broadway with Joanna “JoJo” Levesque set to take over the lead role of Florence Vassy through at least September. Instead, the show’s closing date will now coincide with Michele’s exit.
“Chess” was a hot ticket when it opened last fall, breaking several house records at the Imperial Theatre. But the show has struggled to maintain momentum, with attendance dropping to roughly 70% capacity in recent weeks. Then the musical had a weaker-than-expected showing when Tony Award nominations were announced in early May. Although “Chess” scored five nods — including lead actor for Nicholas Christopher, featured actor for Bryce Pinkham and featured actress for Hannah Cruz — the show’s two biggest stars, Michele and Aaron Tveit, were snubbed while the production wasn’t recognized in the musical revival category.
“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,” said producers Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization. “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.”
