Broadway Access Review -
Chess

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ID: image of the Chess Playbill in front of the stage with the text "Access Review" on top

 

General Note

This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it. 

This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down. 

For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful!

I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.

Also please note that I make these while seeing a show for the first time, so I may miss some cues or be slightly off as to their placement/cue line!

Theater

(Imperial Theatre)

All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the back right mezzanine

Bathrooms:

  • divided into the binary, though there is a sign that says “Please use the restroom that best fits your gender identity and expression”

  • located above the orchestra, with the women’s on the left and the men’s on the right. The accessible restroom is on the right of the hallway where you go left to enter the theater. There are also restrooms on the orchestra level by the bar.

Other theater accessibility:

  • the entrance to the theatre is step-free, as is the orchestra. The mezzanine is up two flights of stairs and there is no elevator

  • they offer closed captioning, assistive listening, loop receivers, and audio description devices

Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.

Light/Sound/Scent

General:

  • I might recommend earplugs for this show, I had one in the entire time and could understand quite well

  • there are lights around the proscenium that sort of point at the audience, but they’re more like LED circles than lights for most of the show, as well as an LED frame on the stage that at times can be bright/high contrast. During the pre-show, the lights are red and blue and pointed at the audience. 

  • the sensory accessibility of this show is on a similar level  to that of Smash, Gypsy, and The Great Gatsby

Act I:

  • Overture - very high red/pink contrasts throughout

  • some quick color shifts on “smash that bastard” in Difficult and Dangerous Times that continue throughout the song, along with some slow down light switches 

  • quick shift on the snap after Freddie’s “to judge”

  • when Freddie appears in Merano there are a few camera flash style downlights, followed by a few more after he descends the staircase

  • ~3 sec of quick staticky flashing on the back screen when it turns on, and then the back wall is generally a bit tv static-y throughout the interview (never strobey)

  • lots of on/offs and quick switches during The Arbiter - this song is technically flashy but in a low-contrast way that never feels strobey

    • when the ladder comes out there is a quick flash into yellow and is a bit flashier for a minute or so, flashing back into the original off-white color scheme after the arbiter stands center 

    • song ends on a white flash

  • “Cue the light buzzing” slight buzzing noise and slightly flickery stage - this is then increased two subsequent times on the same line to the point of a very dim full-stage strobe. The whole thing lasts maybe ~30 sec

  • quick lights up after “tearing apart their room”

  • Nobody’s Side - when the ensemble stands up, purple proscenium lights turn to be pointed at the audience (not very strong, also stationary and lightly above audience heads) - they slowly wash over the audience in one of the later choruses 

  • quick proscenium LED on after the Anatoly screen goes up

  • Anthem - proscenium lights get a bit strongly red briefly in the middle, then full brightness with a slow wash at the end of the song

Act II:

  • slight sexual content & moment of drug use in One Night in Bangkok 

    • lots of on/offs and slow spinning textures on the floor, as well as lots of LED lights. Overall lots of motion here and high contrast things. Never straight strobe lights, but very flashy 

  • “until now” - back wall lights up really quickly with a flicker - second one after VHS is passed over

  • Pity the Child - proscenium lights turn red and point at audience around “I wouldn't call: a crazy thing to do” - also a big pulse/quick lights up at the end of the song

  • when Anatoly steps over the giant square, it lights up very bright LED green that is a high contrast and lasts for the rest of the song (also all proscenium lights pointed at the audience) - this ends after the liftoff/launch situation

Content Advisory

  • drug use

  • discussions of bipolar disorder & suicide (including ideation, but never more graphic than “I want to die”) 

  • discussions pertaining to the Cold War 

  • light sexual content