Tony nominated or not, the time has come for the curtain to close on the 2025 revival of Chess.
On Tuesday, May 26, the production announced the show’s closing date on the official Facebook page, stating, “Nothing is so good it lasts eternally. Chess will play it’s final performance on June 21.”
Initially slated to end on September 13, the creative team decided on a “change of plans” mere hours before Joanna “Jojo” Levesque was scheduled to begin rehearsals. The creative team stated that they believed the show could not maintain adequate profit margins on performances when star Leah Michelle was not scheduled to appear.
Levesque reacted in the show announcement’s Instagram post saying, “So bummed. All my love to the company.”
Levesque was set to begin her run in Chess on June 23.
The revival features a new book by Danny Strong (Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)—replacing the original by Tim Rice.
The production previews began on Oct. 15, 2025, and the show officially opened on Broadway on November 16, 2025, to strong box office numbers. It quickly became one of the season’s most buzzed-about revivals and holds the distinction of being the final Broadway performance broadcast on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The early closing was announced by producers Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens, and The Shubert Organization, who said in a joint statement, “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 long-time 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.”
Ironically, Michelle was one of two actors in the cast who were not nominated for a Tony Award. The production garnered five nominations for this year’s Tony Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Nicholas Christopher), Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role (Bryce Pinkham), Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role (Hannah Cruz), Best Lighting Design of a Musical, and Best Orchestrations. The show’s main attractions (Michelle and Aaron Tveit) were shut out.
Whether it comes away with a gold statue on June 7 or not, Chess will still be counted as a success in the grand scheme of things.
The revival soundtrack is now available on digital and streaming platforms. Physical copy releases are slated for later this year.
Tickets for the final performance are on sale now.
Photo courtesy of social media
