The Broadway revival of Chess will close earlier than scheduled.
According to a report by Variety, published on Tuesday, May 26, the show will see curtains fall for good on June 21 when its star, Lea Michele, was already confirmed to be departing the production.
The news comes after the Cold War musical, which debuted in London’s West End in May 1986, failed to garner a 2026 Tony Award nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Musical despite widespread acclaim directed at Michele, 39.
The snub came amid the production attracting five 2026 Tony Award nominations in other categories: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Michele’s costar Nicholas Christopher’s work, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role for Bryce Pinkham’s work, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role for Hannah Cruz’s work, Best Orchestrations and Best Lighting Design of a Musical.
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The original plan for Chess was for Michele to be replaced by Joanna “Jojo” Levesque in the role of Florence Vassy as the production ran until “at least September,” per the outlet.
It also noted that Chess has “struggled to maintain momentum, with attendance dropping to roughly 70% capacity in recent weeks.” Michele’s leading costar Aaron Tveit was also snubbed in May when the 2026 Tony Awards nominations were announced.
Chess producers Tom Hulce and Robert Ahrens, as well as The Shubert Organization, Broadway’s oldest professional theatre company, shared a statement on the show’s closing with the outlet. “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 statement read. “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.”
Lea Michele Through the Years: From ‘Glee’ Star to ‘Funny Girl’ Lead
Michele spoke to Us Weekly in July 2025 about starring in Chess, her sixth Broadway show, while raising a young family. The actress shares two children with husband Zandy Reich: son Ever, 5, and daughter Emery, 21 months.
“I’m constantly learning and growing and asking advice from moms around me, working mothers, like, ‘How do you do this?’ and, ‘How do you balance it all?’” the Glee alum told Us at the time. “[I’m] really trying to prepare my family as best I can for me approaching my work and keep myself as present as possible when I’m home with my family, and then as present as I can be when I’m at work.”
She continued, “It’s not about perfection, it’s about being present. That’s what I just try to remember as much as I can.”
