For Lea Michele, the current Broadway revival of Chess — the beloved but short-lived 1988 musical by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice that’s since become a cult favorite among musical theater fans — is a full-circle, and pivotal, career moment. Chess is currently playing at the Imperial Theatre, where she made her own Broadway debut as Young Cosette in Les Misérables at age 8. It’s her first big Broadway role since her monumental performance as Fanny Brice in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl.
And as Florence — a brilliant chess strategist caught in a love triangle between tormented American and Russian champions (played by Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher, respectively) — Michele gets to shine in a role that runs the dramatic and vocal gamut, showing just how far she’s come since playing Rachel Berry on Glee. Florence is a woman who “lives internally, and occasionally she has these emotional moments where you get a glimpse into what she’s feeling,” Michele tells Billboard. One of those moments: “Nobody’s Side,” Michele’s first big solo that brings down the house each night.
For the actress, it’s a major moment to connect with audience members on an individual level — so while it’s a vocal showpiece, Michele was adamant to approach it grounded in character. “I’m not really impressed by tricks; I think there’s a fine line between showing off and truth,” she says. “What I care most about in that moment is that you hear in my voice the message I’m trying to deliver: that there’s no one you can trust except for yourself. And Florence is in it for herself, and it is a game of one.”
This spring, the Chess 2025 Broadway cast recording will be released digitally on Ghostlight Records, and today Billboard premieres the first taste of the album with single “Nobody’s Side (Chess The Musical),” which will be available on DSPs at noon ET today (March 19).
Michele spoke about the thrill of performing it, the leading Chess ladies who’ve inspired her and what it’s like to have an ABBA songwriter as a rehearsal pianist.
Lea Michele in the recording studio working on the new Chess Broadway cast recording (Photo credit: Jenny Anderson).
“Nobody’s Side” feels like an 11 o’clock number — but it actually occurs fairly early on in the show, during Act One, and is your first big solo. How do you approach it both technically and as an actor?
To have this moment so early on really helps me to sort of set the pace and the tone and the energy for my entire performance. I really enjoy getting to do it as early as I do every night. This is the most challenging vocal show I’ve done in my life — and I just played Fanny Brice so that’s saying a lot! There’s no moment to really stop and feel tired or any kind of fatigue — you just have to let go and go on this vocal extravaganza rollercoaster. And “Nobody’s Side” is like the big drop at the top of the rollercoaster ride. It’s this amazing launching pad.
There’s a visceral feeling in the theater that a large portion of the audience is anticipating this song coming and how big a deal it is. Can you feel that onstage?
I definitely see them being like, “Oh wow, we’re doing this, she’s looking at me, she’s saying these words to me,” and I see them suddenly go from watching the show to really deeply connecting and engaging with who Florence is. Getting to sing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” [in Funny Girl] was an unbelievable out-of-body experience every night but this is empowering in a different, equally wonderful way. For so many reasons — for the words, what I have to do vocally — to have that moment with the audience and lock eyes and hands metaphorically, it’s so exciting.
You had the unique experience of getting to work with three living music legends on this show: Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and Tim Rice. What was that like?
When we did our sitzprobe [the rehearsal where the cast sings with the orchestra for the first time], I got to sit by a piano with Benny and Björn playing it for me, hearing their thoughts on the parts of the show that mean so much to them. I think of them writing this music — and I get to bring it to life each night! I can’t believe I get to sing Tim Rice’s music. I think I was born to sing Tim Rice’s songs — this is the type of music I believe I was vocally born to sing. I’ve had many opportunities to collaborate with him on Florence, and as long as I’m making him proud I think I’m doing something right.
You are the latest in a line of iconic Broadway women who have played Florence. Have you heard any of their takes on this song, or their advice on the role in general?
Obviously Idina [Menzel] inspired me to do this part. I’ve been friends with Idina for many years and her version from the London concert [production] I first listened to on a very late night on a two show day of Funny Girl. And Michael Mayer [that show and Chess’ director] said, “If you resonate with this song, you’re gonna want to play this character,” and he was right. I listened to it in my kitchen in the dark at midnight and I could have said yes right then and there, and that was really thanks to Idina. She’s such an icon.
And funny enough, in rehearsal I sang “Nobody’s Side” for the first time back in September — and this isn’t a song I’d sung so many times throughout my life — and the first time I ever played it in front of our cast, I walked out of the room and I started to cry. And standing right in front of me was Judy Kuhn, who originated Florence on Broadway. I swear to God my entire body went numb, it was like I saw a ghost. I could cry thinking about it.
How different did it feel performing this in the studio for the cast recording instead of for a live theater audience?
I was certainly very concerned that with “Nobody’s Side” in particular I wouldn’t feel the same energy as I do every night — but I have to say I f–king loved it. I will cry right now – recording “Nobody’s Side” in the studio was one of the most incredible moments of my life professionally. Every night I have our incredible ensemble behind me, and I think of them like our heartbeat, our pulse, and it fuels me every night — but in the studio we were standing in a circle, and I got to see everyone, and that was just so exciting. Something just came over me in the booth and I felt the same way I do on the stage every night but maybe even more excited, locking eyes with my castmates.
I love “Nobody’s Side” more than any other song I’ve sung. When I walked offstage after Funny Girl, I was so worried I wouldn’t find a show again that I’d connect with so deeply, and I really needed a new anthem — and I heard this song and thought, “This is my new anthem.” And in the studio I was so grateful that everything aligned, and for this to now be a new generation’s recording of Chess? I was just so so happy that day. It was f–king thrilling.
Billboard premieres Lea Michele’s recording of “Nobody’s Side” here.
