The new version of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's musical "Chess" premiered in New York on Sunday night. The music of the Abbad duo Björn & Benny remains in the performance, but a new libretto has been written by Danny Strong.
And it is precisely the libretto that is criticized by the reviewers. Most believe that the production is worth seeing because of the musical numbers, but that the script is too messy.
The Wrap calls the script "confusing", The Hollywood Reporter notes that much is internal and dated and Entertainment Weekly witnesses "flawless music, a flat story and confused execution".
The lead actors, played by Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher, are praised for their strong singing performances.
"Chess" was a flop on Broadway where it first premiered in 1988, and the show was closed after just two months.
The musical began as a concept album and contains some of Björn & Benny's most famous songs, such as "One night in Bangkok", "Anthem" and "I know him so well".
