The 2025 Broadway Cast Recording of Chess, the cult-favorite musical set against a Cold War-era world championship match, has officially dropped on Spotify and other streaming platforms.
The show returned to Broadway in New York last fall after a 37-year absence, posting box office numbers rivaling The Lion King. Now, the revival has moved offstage as its cast album has been made widely available on streaming platforms.
That gives fans a chance to experience one of the game’s most iconic interpretations as performed by the trio that has been packing houses on Broadway: Aaron Tveit (Freddie Trumper), Nicholas Christopher (Anatoly Sergievsky), and Lea Michele (Florence Vassey).
The 33-track album features the show’s most iconic numbers, such as One Night in Bangkok, Anthem, and Pity The Child.
The cast’s connection to the 64 squares isn’t just part of the performance, it’s also personal. In interviews, the trio has spoken openly about engaging with chess beyond the stage, with Aaron Tveit in particular diving back into the game while preparing for his role as Freddie Trumper.
That came into focus during the trio’s appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers this week, where Tveit revealed he’s been actively playing online.
“Yeah, lots of Chess.com!” he said.
Lots of Chess.com!
—Aaron Tveit
Tveit talked about how he had been away from chess for years, after having been taught the game by his grandmother as a child. Preparing for Chess gave him a reason to return, and Chess.com was the perfect way to do it.
“I joined Chess.com, and I have some friends who are very, very good chess players—so they like to make fun of me and destroy me on there,” he said.
But it’s become more than just preparation, as Tveit has found chess to be the perfect antidote to endless scrolling.
“You’re in the theater for a couple of hours, you have scenes off—you do everything not to scroll on your phone. So Chess.com has kept me from scrolling on my phone.”
Chess.com has kept me from scrolling on my phone.
—Aaron Tveit, star of Broadway musical Chess
But has he improved on the platform? “Slowly, but surely,” he said. “It’s really a two steps forward, two steps back process.”
Meyers couldn’t resist a final jab: “I feel like very few people who want to improve at chess do the musical.”
What’s your favorite hit from Chess?