Bryce Pinkham On Comedy, Danny Strong's new book, and the Thrill of Reinventing Chess

The Imperial Theatre has seen its share of electrifying nights, but few experiences hit quite like the new revival of Chess now taking over its stage. After one performance, I told actor Bryce Pinkham that I have never been high, but walking out of the Imperial felt strangely close. The score, the comedy, and that Cold War intensity all blended into something unexpectedly euphoric.

Pinkham did not miss the metaphor. He joked, this is not an advertisement for drugs, then admitted that there is no better feeling than an audience that goes wild for the music and the jokes. That thrill, he says, is its own kind of high.

Beyond the rush of performing, Pinkham is relishing the chance to help shape Danny Strong’s newly reworked book for Chess. The collaboration, he says, has been one of the most meaningful partnerships of his career. Strong gave him real agency inside the rehearsal room to invent and gave permission to bring his own comedic instincts to the table.

According to Pinkham, that level of trust requires courage on a writer’s part. Strong would write jokes that landed exactly where Pinkham felt something was missing. Pinkham would ad lib a line that felt right in the moment. Soon the two artists were working in sync.

The result is a Cold War musical that is as sharply political as ever, yet unexpectedly funny. In this revival, the humor is not decorative. It balances the tension, reveals character, and gives Chess a fresh tonal identity while honoring its iconic score.

For mor einformation on Chess visit ChessBroadway.com