Yesterday, I actually won the Chess lottery! I couldn’t believe it and it’s been called the show of the season, so my hopes were high. I was even more thrilled when Maria could come with me!
Aaron Tveit was out for the night, which is probably why I got tickets, but honestly, I didn’t mind. I’d rather see it without him than not at all. The singing was excellent, but I didn’t really love the show overall. The set felt weak, and the production seemed lazy, as if it leaned too heavily on the cast’s talent to carry it. They delivered strong performances, but I’m not sure it was enough to save the production.
I’m sure Aaron Tveit would have elevated the role more than the understudy did, but it still wouldn’t be worth sitting through the whole thing again. Lea Michele was stunning vocally, though her songs all started to blur together, and her acting felt one-note.
So, in the end, I’m glad I got to see it—especially for free—but it’s definitely not a show I’ll be rushing back to.
