Talk about playing the long game!
The cult musical “Chess” — which had only 68 regular performances on Broadway before closing in 1988 but spawned a hit soundtrack by two members of ABBA — is making a comeback nearly 40 years later.
The box office for a revival of the show opened Monday — and fans lined up as early as 3 a.m. outside the Imperial Theatre for tickets and a limited-edition poster signed by stars Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher.
(Only the first 50 ticket buyers scored exclusive posters, which sent the line snaking down West 45th Street before dawn.)
We hear that one superfan even slept in their car.
Said an insider: “Among the early risers [was] a group of women who had already purchased tickets online, but came back for more,” plus fans who were armed with Playbills from the original Broadway run.
Adding to the nostalgia: Michele made her Broadway debut 30 years ago in “Les Misérables” at the Imperial.
The show — with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Tony winner Tim Rice — follows a Cold War chess tournament between two grandmasters.
The soundtrack included the hit “One Night in Bangkok,” which hit No. 3 in 1985 before the show’s West End run in 1986.
The revival has a new book by celebrated screenwriter Danny Strong, whose credits include “Dope Sick,” “Empire” and “Game Change,” while Michael Mayer is directing the new production.
The Post has reported that Broadway is swarming with stars this season, including former “Glee” breakout Michele — as well as as James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris and Bobby Cannavale, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, Kristin Chenoweth and more.
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