Chess to close on Broadway, ending JoJo Levesque’s planned run

The Broadway revival of Chess will close at the Imperial Theatre on June 21, bringing an early end to a star driven production led by Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher. The musical will finish its run after more than 250 performances.

The closing follows the production’s 2026 Tony Award nominations, where Chess received five nods but missed out on a nomination for Best Revival of a Musical. Michele was also left out of the Best Leading Actress in a Musical category, despite strong audience response to her performance.

The announcement also cancels the planned Broadway return of Joanna JoJo Levesque, who had been scheduled to take over the role of Florence Vassy from Michele beginning June 23. With the production now set to close two days earlier, Levesque will no longer join the revival.

Directed by Michael Mayer, with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice, Chessreturned to Broadway decades after its original 1988 run. The musical centres on Cold War rivalry, political tension and personal betrayal through the world of international chess.

Although the revival generated strong interest through its high profile cast and extended run, its absence from key Tony categories appears to have contributed to a shortened life on Broadway. The June 21 closing will now mark both Michele’s final performance and the production’s final curtain.