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Chess (Imperial Theatre, Broadway) - ★★ REVIEW
One of this season's most anticipated shows has recently opened at the Imperial Theatre, the first ever Broadway revival of CHESS.
The musical, first seen on stage in the 1980s, depicts a chess-centred love triangle in the midst of cold war tensions, written by Benny Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Sir Tim Rice.
This new production, with a rewritten book by Danny Strong, stars Lea Michele (Funny Girl), Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd), and Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge! the Musical) as well as Bryce Pinkham and Hannah Cruz.
Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the new version as a longtime fan of the show...
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00:00 | introduction
02:08 | history / plot
06:09 | the new material
15:10 | Lea Michele
19:29 | the rest of the cast
25:42 | creative choices
31:37 | conclusion
About Mickey-Jo:
As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: MickeyJoTheatre is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 95,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre
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16:44|It was announced recently that the musical adaptation of THE NOTEBOOK would arrive in London's West End in 2027. The show, which ran for less than a year on Broadway will play at the soon to be renamed Judi Dench Theatre (currently the Shaftesbury), with full casting to be announced. As well as recapping the details shared so far, Mickey-Jo is sharing his thoughts on whether the musical will find greater critical and commercial success in London... sign up to Mickey-Jo's weekly substack newsletter: www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com00:00 | introduction01:54 | what do we know?08:49 | will it be a hit?15:54 | conclusionis the GLEE reboot a great idea?! | thoughts on the return of the landmark TV series and Broadway
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23:45|Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is back on stage in London with a brand new production at the Troubadour Theatre Wembley Park. 20 years after it first premiered on screen, the nostalgic show stars Tobias Turley as Troy Bolton, Leonor Correia as Gabriella Montez, Caitlin Tipping as Sharpay Evans, Luke Bayer as Ryan Evans, Harry Judd as Coach Bolton, and original film alum KayCee Stroh as Ms Darbus. Find out what Mickey-Jo thought of these sizeable new production and the atmospheric audience experience it provides, as someone who was never *that* into High School Musical...sign up to Mickey-Jo's weekly substack newsletter: www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com 00:00 | introduction01:54 | overview / synopsis08:02 | creative choices16:02 | performances22:28 | conclusion