Chess

My first viewing of Chess was a community theater production. My second viewing was the filmed concert version starring Josh Grobin, Idina Mentzel, and Adam Pascal. Having not particularly enjoyed either of those productions, I was skeptical that there would be much for me to enjoy in this Broadway revival of a musical that is notorious for failed script rewrites.

Screenwriter Danny Strong, whose most notable accomplishment is the fantastic Hulu Dopesick series, finally created a script that audiences can love based on a critical change: he acknowledged that a lot of what is happening on stage is ridiculous (even if some of it is true).

Strong has added a narrator (Bryce Pinkham, who doubles as the arbiter for the chess games) and a Greek chorus dressed in matching tailored suits. With the narrator comes the second significant improvement in Strong’s script: the audience can follow the plot, which involves the CIA and the KGB attempting to manipulate the main characters to accomplish Cold War objectives. It all plays out much like a chess game in which lesser pieces are sacrificed for the greater goals. I’m sure the previous scripts also played on the parallels between Cold War objectives and a game of chess, but this new version manages to make that metaphor work.

Everything else delivered on what one would expect from a Broadway revival—energized choreography, an ingenious set, and top-notch belting of the ballads from leads Lea Michaelle, Aaron Tevit, and Nicholas Christopher. Yet, it is the new script that makes me hope this production tours, so I can experience it at least once more.

Ragtime

In the book Razzle Dazzle, Michael Reidel provides an in-depth examination of how a promising show like Ragtime managed to underperform in its original Broadway run despite possessing all the ingredients for much greater success. Among other errors, the producers underestimated The Lion King, which also debuted in 1997-98 season and has lived on to become the most profitable Broadway show of all time.

Whatever mistakes were made 28 years ago were not repeated in 2025 – Ragtime is one of the hottest tickets of the season and is a frontrunner to win a long-overdue Best Musical Tony (albeit for Revival). Much of the success for any Ragtime production sits squarely on the singing chops for the actor playing Colehouse Walker, and Joshua Henry is a true powerhouse. In fact, he received a first-act standing ovation following his rendition of “Wings of a Dream.” Yet, for me the highlight of Ragtime is not any one song or performer but instead the ways that the script merges its characters to tell the story of America.

Much of the conflict in Ragtime stems from the clashing of the three groups presented in the opening number: the wealthy white citizens of New Roselle, the immigrants landing at Ellis Island, and the African-Americans from Harlem. Certain moments remain deeply disturbing to watch—the vandalization of Colehouse’s scene and propositioning of Tateh’s daughter, to name two. But there is also great hope in Ragtime—maybe the people in our divided society can look past differences and find unity.

Many have connected this revival to political events, calling this “the right show for this time.” I would argue that, current events aside, Ragtime more than any other musical represents America—past and present.