‘Chess,’ Theater’s Most Notorious Strange Beast, Finally Returns

Big numbers and baffling story almost spent, Chess leans into the possibility that nuclear war is extremely nigh, and the outcome of a final chess match could kill us all. There is even more personal and political plot within wailed lyrics, a surprise ending that is not only no surprise but also not the emotional wallop the show intends, and songs that make head-scratching sense. But Chess doesn’t care. It’s here to pulverize you with high-stakes passion, possible global apocalypse, and blazing over-emotion. It is, like many spectacles, good, bad, needily insistent, and unapologetically exhausting. As soon as you buy your ticket, it’s checkmate before you’ve even taken your seat.