The Queen of Versailles (musical)

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The Queen of Versailles
Queen of Versailles Boston Poster.png
Boston theatre windowcard
Music Stephen Schwartz
LyricsStephen Schwartz
Book Lindsey Ferrentino
Basis The Queen of Versailles
PremiereJuly 16, 2024 (2024-07-16): Emerson Colonial Theatre
Productions2024 Boston
2025 Broadway

The Queen of Versailles is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Lindsey Ferrentino. It is based on the 2012 documentary of the same name directed by Lauren Greenfield about Jackie and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, who were then building their gigantic mansion, Versailles, in central Florida. [1] The musical is also based on other incidents of the Siegel family's lives and on events that occurred after the documentary was made.

Contents

The musical premiered at Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts in July and August 2024, starring Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham. A Broadway production began in previews on October 8, 2025, and opened on November 9, 2025, at the St. James Theatre.

Synopsis

Act I

Jackie Mallery grows up middle-class in a small town, with supportive parents Debbie and John. Jackie graduates college with a computer engineering degree. She has an abusive first marriage and wins the Mrs. Florida America beauty pageant. Jackie marries the much older David Siegel, a real estate developer nicknamed "The Timeshare King", who is the founder and owner of Westgate Resorts. Ambitious, optimistic and warm but naive, Jackie, together with David, pursues a life of luxury and celebrity. They begin to build a $100 million 90,000-square-foot dream mansion in Windermere, Florida, with numerous amenities, named and modeled after the Palace of Versailles. This is juxtaposed against events in the history of the French royal court of Versailles involving Marie Antoinette in the late 18th century. The Siegels have many children, cared for by their nanny Sofia, and a staff of household employees.

Act II

The Great Recession strikes, the housing bubble bursts, and the 2008 financial crisis nearly bankrupts Jackie and David, as Westgate Resorts faces immense financial strain. Construction on Versailles House is halted, and the entire staff is let go, other than Sofia and the Siegels' longtime driver Ray. Jackie struggles to control her shopping addiction, and David focuses single-mindedly on saving his real estate empire. Jackie's relationship with her daughter Victoria evolves, and Victoria forms a bond with her cousin, Jonquil Peed (Jackie's niece), who comes to live with the Siegels. David has a strained relationship with his son Gary, who he brings into the business.

Through David's efforts, the family's fortunes eventually recover, and they avert bankruptcy. Tragedy strikes the family when Victoria, at age 18, dies of an accidental drug overdose in 2015. The mansion is finally completed, but Jackie and David feel a sense of loss and question the value of their pursuit of wealth, fame and the American Dream.

Productions

Boston (2024)

The musical premiered at Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 16, with an opening night on August 1, and ran there until August 25, 2024. [2] [3] It starred Kristin Chenoweth as Jackie Siegel and F. Murray Abraham as David A. Siegel with direction by Michael Arden and choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant. [4] In Variety , Bob Verini called the show Chenoweth's "richest opportunity to date to flex her dramatic muscles [and] the most emotionally affecting score, bar none, of [Schwartz's] long career"; he praised the musical's "sociopolitical critique", other cast members and the designers. [5] Other reviews were mostly positive, [6] but less enthusiastic was the review by Cameron Kelsall in TheaterMania. [7]

Broadway (2025)

A Broadway production began previews at the St. James Theatre on October 8, 2025, with opening night on November 9, starring the same cast as in Boston. [8] Chenoweth also is a producer. Arden again directs, with the Grands choreographing. Designers are Dane Laffrey (sets), Christian Cowan (costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Peter Hylenski (sound). [9]

Reception

Reviews of the Broadway production were mixed-to-negative; while most critics found the book unfocused and some judged the score lacking in cohesion, many praised Chenoweth and some of the songs, and some praised other cast members. [10] Vulture reviewer Sara Holdren called it "the confused, contorted product of a set of absolutely incompatible impulses", [11] and Adam Feldman of Time Out magazine felt the storyline lacked a cohesive point of view. [12] Holdren and Entertainment Weekly reviewer Dalton Ross both regarded The Queen of Versailles as having tried to accomplish too many things simultaneously, [11] [13] while Feldman and Associated Press reviewer Mark Kennedy found aspects of the production to be incomplete. [12] [14] Aramide Tinubu in Variety praised the cast performances but considered the storyline ill-suited for a Broadway production, [15] and Los Angeles Times writer Charles McNulty, while praising Chenoweth's performance, stated that the musical relied too much on her "star power" and that the book focused exclusively on Victoria and Jonquil. [16] David Finkle of the New York Stage Review gave The Queen of Versailles 2 out of 5 stars, calling the first act boring, though he did praise the casting; he also wrote that the score sometimes "resorts to the downright silly". [17]

The New York Times critic Laura Collins-Hughes (who had seen the Boston production) [18] praised Chenoweth's and White's performances, and she also said that Act II, particularly the events around Victoria's death, had been improved since the Boston tryout. [19] Chris Jones of the New York Daily News similarly liked Chenoweth's "singular combo of raw determination and ... beguilingly empathetic commitment to veracity". [20] Other positive reviews came from the Chicago Tribune , whose reviewer praised Chenoweth's performance and described The Queen of Versailles as a "huge, morally complicated show", [21] and Bob Venini's 4-of-5-starred review in the New York Stage Review, which stated that "Kristin Chenoweth rules in the role of a lifetime as a true believer in the American Dream. ... Schwartz’s score [is] perhaps the most heartfelt, varied and robust of his career". [22] Several reviewers also noted similarities to the ongoing second U.S. presidency of Donald Trump. [16] [14]

Characters and original cast

CharacterBoston and Broadway
2024 and 2025
Jackie Siegel Kristin Chenoweth
David A. Siegel F. Murray Abraham
Sofia FloresMelody Butiu
John Mallery Stephen DeRosa
Gary SiegelGreg Hildreth
Jonquil PeedTatum Grace Hopkins
Debbie Mallery Isabel Keating
Victoria SiegelNina White
Louis XIV Pablo David Laucerica
Marie Antoinette Cassondra James

Musical numbers

Act One

Act Two

Source [24]

References

  1. ↑ Putnam, Leah (February 24, 2023). "Kristin Chenoweth and Stephen Schwartz to Reunite on Queen of Versailles Musical". Playbill. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Cortez, Benjamin. "Kristin Chenoweth Shines in Pre-Broadway Premiere of The Queen of Versailles at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre", Hoodline, July 16, 2024
  3. ↑ Evans, Greg. "The Queen of Versailles, Starring Kristin Chenoweth & F. Murray Abraham, Sets Broadway Bow", Deadline, July 29, 2024
  4. ↑ King, Darryn (May 13, 2024). "The Queen of Versailles, Starring Kristin Chenoweth, Extends World Premiere and Completes Casting". Broadway.com. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ Verini, Bob. "The Queen of Versailles Review: Kristin Chenoweth Shines in a Lavish New Musical with a Social Satire Bite", Variety, August 2, 2024
  6. ↑ Wright, Joshua. "Review Roundup: Kristin Chenoweth Led The Queen of Versailles", BroadwayWorld.com, August 2, 2024
  7. ↑ Kelsall, Cameron. "Review: Kristin Chenoweth-Led The Queen of Versailles Has Curb Appeal but Not Much Else", TheaterMania, August 2, 2024
  8. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan. "The Queen of Versailles Opens on Broadway November 9", Playbill.com, November 9, 2025
  9. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan. "The Queen of Versailles Begins on Broadway October 8", Playbill, October 8, 2025
  10. ↑ Tran, Diep and Logan Culwell-Block. "Read the Reviews for The Queen of Versailles on Broadway", Playbill, November 9, 2025
  11. 1 2 Holdren, Sara (November 10, 2025). "Gilt or Guilt? The Queen of Versailles Can't Decide". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Feldman, Adam (November 9, 2025). "Broadway review: Kristin Chenoweth in The Queen of Versailles". Time Out New York. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  13. ↑ Ross, Dalton (November 9, 2025). "'The Queen of Versailles' review: A Broadway musical as empty as the mansion it portrays". EW.com. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  14. 1 2 Kennedy, Mark (November 10, 2025). "Theater Review: 'The Queen of Versailles' with Kristin Chenoweth gets lost in a Hall of Mirrors". AP News. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  15. ↑ Tinubu, Aramide (2025-11-10). "The Queen of Versailles Broadway Review: Kristin Chenoweth's Electric Performance Can't Save This Overly Ambitious Slog". Variety. Archived from the original on 2025-11-11. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  16. 1 2 McNulty, Charles (November 10, 2025). "Review: Kristin Chenoweth goes all out to rescue 'The Queen of Versailles' from Broadway foreclosure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  17. ↑ Finkle, David (2025-11-10). "The Queen of Versailles: Kristin Chenoweth Vehicle Breaks Down". New York Stage Review. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  18. ↑ Collins-Hughes, Laura. "Two New Musicals Poke at the Seamy Underbelly of the American Dream", The New York Times, August 3, 2024
  19. ↑ Collins-Hughes, Laura (November 10, 2025). "In The Queen of Versailles, Kristin Chenoweth Can't Get Enough". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  20. ↑ Jones, Chris (November 10, 2025). "Broadway Review: Kristin Chenoweth reigns supreme in Queen of Versailles". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  21. ↑ Jones, Chris (November 11, 2025). "Queen of Versailles stars a very human Kristin Chenoweth". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  22. ↑ Verini, Bob (November 10, 2025). "The Queen of Versailles: Chenoweth is Crowned As Broadway Royalty". New York Stage Review. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  23. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan. "Here's When You Can See Sherie Rene Scott Go on in Broadway's The Queen of Versailles, Playbill, September 3, 2025
  24. ↑ "The Queen of Versailles (Broadway, St. James Theatre, 2025)". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
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