Chess It will close earlier than expected, with its final Broadway run on June 21.
The musical, starring Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher, ends after about seven months on Broadway. Michelle previously announced she would be leaving the show on June 21, but the musical has put tickets on sale until mid-September and announced that Joanna “JoJo” Levesque will replace her.
Since the announcement, Chess It has been nominated for five Tony Awards, including nods for Christopher and featured actors Bryce Pinkham and Hanna Cruz, and the winners will be announced on June 6. But the musical missed out on a best revival of a musical nomination and a nomination for Michele, which has seemed to attract ticket buyers so far.
The musical’s revenues have been on a downward trajectory since its opening in November, when it received mixed reviews. The production had its highest gross of $2 million the week of Thanksgiving, but in recent weeks has grossed less than $900,000 with capacity at about 70 percent.
The show opened at Broadway’s Imperial Theater on October 15, 2025, before opening on November 16. Danny Strong revised the book and turned it into a musical, which originally ran on Broadway in 1988, with a score by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA.
Originally written by Tim Rice, the musical follows two chess grandmasters, American prodigy Freddie Trumper (Tveit) and Russian grandmaster Anatoly Sergeyevsky (Christopher), who face off in tournaments amid Cold War tensions. Florence Vassi (Michelle) is torn between the two as Tramper’s trainer and companion and potential love interest for Sergeevsky. Michael Mayer directs the production, with choreography by Lauren Lataro.
“We are extremely proud of the exceptional work this cast and creative team did on the reimagining Chess for a new generation of theatergoers while honoring the passionate fans who have championed this musical for nearly four decades. Seeing long-time fans and first-time audiences alike embrace this production so wholeheartedly was incredibly rewarding for everyone involved and a powerful reminder of why. Chess “It has held up for many years,” said producers Tom Hulse, Robert Ahrens and the Shubert Organization.
