Kristin Chenoweth stars in Broadway’s ‘The Queen of Versailles’ as opening night draws lofty ambition and pointed scrutiny

10 November 2025

Kristin Chenoweth in 'The Queen of Versailles' on Broadway. Julieta Cervantes

When Kristin Chenoweth stepped onto the stage of the St. James Theatre in New York on November 9 for the opening of The Queen of Versailles, the buzz was about more than just another musical debut. Adapted from Lauren Greenfield’s 2012 documentary about socialite Jackie Siegel and her ambitious attempt to build the largest private home in America, the production promised glamour, satire and a deep dive into the contradictions of extravagant wealth. According to a review published on November 10 by People magazine, Chenoweth shifts from her signature comic effervescence to something more grounded and emotionally layered. Her performance as Jackie is described as “restrained” yet “surprisingly vivid,” marking a departure into territory both familiar and vastly different.

The narrative of the show follows Jackie Siegel’s journey from rags to riches and back again as the 2008 financial crisis derails her mega-mansion project in Florida. On stage she is matched with Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham as her husband David, together navigating spectacle, ruin and ambition. The inclusion of Stephen Schwartz’s original score his first pairing with Chenoweth since their success in Wicked adds to the production’s high-stakes nature.

Opening night arrived amid a cultural moment: audiences and critics alike were asking what it means to portray extreme wealth and excess when many Americans are feeling financial pressure, inflation and uncertainty. The People review noted this tension, asking aloud whether the show is meant to celebrate Jackie’s luxury or interrogate it and whether audiences will laugh with her or at her.

Chenoweth herself described her motivation as rooted in challenge. Having long sought a role that stretched her range, she embraced Jackie’s complicated persona a woman driven, witty, glamorous and flawed. The musical’s direction by Michael Arden leans into spectacle but also into emotional depth, steering clear of mere caricature. Production notes indicate the team made creative changes, adding new numbers, altering narrative beats and building a visual spectacle grounded in raw humanity.

For Broadway veteran Chenoweth, this is a milestone. As the review points out, she dials back the broad humor characteristic of prior roles and finds nuance in Jackie’s resolve and vulnerability. With a three-octave range still intact, she delivers number after number with polished control and emotional weight. The juxtaposition of her performance with set pieces depicting a billion-dollar mansion in crisis and a social-media-era thirst for fame is part of the show’s layered appeal.

Critically, the timing of the show’s launch amplifies its resonance. With the longest U.S. federal government shutdown in history still hanging over the national mood and many Americans asking hard questions about inequality, the story of a couple chasing the ultimate trophy home feels both invoked and ironic. Chenoweth acknowledged as much in interview extracts, saying that the material “feels timely, whether people know that or not.”

Audience reaction has been strong, with ticket sales healthy and opening-night chatter pointing to both spectacle and substance. While some critics flagged uneven pacing and cultural dissonance between fun musical numbers and serious themes, many agreed that Chenoweth’s turn anchors the production. One noted: “When the glitter fades, you’re left with her voice, her presence, and the question of what happens next.”

Beyond Broadway the show may also ripple into broader culture. The original documentary inspired a reality-tv series and generated memes about excess, architecture and the American dream. This stage adaptation, by re-entering the frame during a period of cultural recalibration around wealth, celebrity and the spectacle of consumption, may engage with a new audience and may provoke deeper reflection.

In practical terms the production is ambitious: massive sets, a cast of dozens, live orchestra, and a design team that replicates the aesthetic of Versailles in Florida. But economically it is also a bet. For producers the show rides on star power (Chenoweth), built-in name recognition (The Queen of Versailles), and a broader commercial appetite for high-concept musicals with pop-culture resonance. If successful, it may set a template for other documentaries-turned-stage sensations.

For fans of Chenoweth or musical-theatre enthusiasts in general, the show offers both a familiar voice and a new direction. For cultural observers it serves as a mirror: we are invited not just to watch a woman chase a fantasy home but to consider the cost of chasing images, of buying aspiration, of measuring success in gold-plated square footage. And for Broadway itself, it seeks to meld spectacle and commentary in an era where theatre must compete not only with streaming but with cultural questioning of the luxury economy.

In sum, Kristin Chenoweth’s performance in The Queen of Versailles is more than a theatre event it is a cultural marker. It is a statement about how we tell stories of excess in 2025, how performance can change identity and how Broadway continues to adapt to the moment. The curtain has just risen what happens after is very much for the audience to decide.