'Chess' Stars Spill: TikTok Trends, Parenting & Stage Secrets

The cast of Broadway's "Chess" revival has found an unlikely marketing strategy: engaging with viral social media trends. Actors Aaron Tveit, Nicholas Christopher, and Lea Michele admit they never anticipated participating in TikTok challenges but now enjoy sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of their camaraderie. These lighthearted moments contrast with the intense drama onstage.

"Chess" itself is a musical set during the Cold War, centering on a romance between a Soviet grandmaster, his American rival, and a woman caught between them. Featuring a score by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, the show, an infamous 1988 flop, has become a modern box-office success.

The principal actors, all parents, also discussed the challenges of balancing their demanding careers with family life. With a combined total of five children under five, they rely on each other for support, finding solace in shared experiences and a strong sense of community within the production.

They also touched upon the vocal demands of the show, with Michele describing the difficulty of switching between powerful belting and lyrical soprano passages. Tveit humorously recounted a near-miss during a daring stage stunt involving being lifted into a pair of pants, a moment that consistently elicits audience gasps.