Judy Kuhn

We saw an ad for "Chess", the musical. Yes, you read that right. A musical about chess. With songs by ABBA. It's not even new, it's a revival! (ABBA should have been our hint.)

Apparently, the musical centers around Russian and American grandmasters who fight over the woman they both love... on the chess board and in the bedroom. It's a metaphor for the Cold War! (So what does the woman represent? Nuclear weapons?)

The ad showed Lea Michelle in a starring role, and, as it turns out, a Jewish woman is often cast. A previous revival starred Idina Menzel. When "Chess" first came to New York, back in 1988 (when the Cold War was still a thing), the role went to Judy Kuhn.

Kuhn is a long-time stage actress with many credits, but you might know her voice even if you don't frequent the theater. She lent her vocals to Disney's "Pocahontas", and note that we emphasize "vocals" here. Kuhn only did the singing; the rest of the role was voiced by a Native American actress. (Wait? Isn't Mel Gibson in that? We probably should stop reminiscing about "Pocahontas".)

So, yes, all the joyous excitement and sexy intrigue of chess, back on Broadway! What will they think of next, dominoes?