Queen of Versailles review

 Let them eat cake! No, seriously….let them eat cake, if only it were available to buy with an EBT card.


I don’t usually get political in my reviews, or at all, but in analyzing this musical and the drama surrounding it, how could I not? When news broke that the original Broadway Glinda and acclaimed soprano Kristin Chenoweth was reuniting with composer Steven Schwartz and partnering with director Michael Arden on a new original musical, I thought they had a mega hit on their hands, or at least something decent, given Arden’s recent track record.


Then, news broke that the musical was actually an adaptation of the controversial documentary “The Queen of Versailles.” This is the story of the CEO of a timeshare company, his trophy wife, their desire to build the biggest home in America modeled after the Palace of Versailles, and their fall from grace during the stock market crash, which caused their financial status to fall from billionaires to millionaires. In a time where many are struggling to afford rent or groceries, it felt tasteless, tacky, and destined to flop. Nonetheless, I was excited at the prospect of seeing Kristin Chenoweth sing her face off, so I begrudgingly got a ticket. If anything, it would be fun to turn my exhausted brain off and watch a flop.


Bad reviews started pouring in immediately following its out-of-town tryout in Boston, and from the sound of things, they didn’t fix any of the existing issues before transferring to New York. So imagine the collective confusion when the show became a NYT Critic’s Pick.


This musical is in the wrong place at the worst time, but I honestly don’t think there will ever be a right time for a musical about a manipulative husband and his Trump-loving billionaire wife who get bailed out by the government because of her status. And not only that…it’s BAD….really….really…bad!


As bad as this musical was, the drama surrounding it was entertaining to watch, almost more than the show itself, especially when Chenoweth came out as a Charlie Kirk apologist, which didn’t help its already struggling ticket sales.


Chenoweth’s costumes in this show are gorgeous, I will give it that. I have not seen so much pink and glitter on stage since The Jellicle Ball. There were also period-style costumes that made my jaw drop. I will be very surprised if the show does not snag a Tony nom, or even a win for costume design.


Sadly, my praise for the show ends there.


The show is struggling to find its musical identity. Many shows have a specific musical style: contemporary, classic show tunes, jazzy, pop rock, operatic. Instead of picking one, this show  plays with several. I could only name one song that I genuinely enjoyed. Furthermore, the score doesn’t play to Chenoweth’s strengths as a singer. When you get a ticket to see her, you’re expecting crazy high notes. Chenowith has one song where she hits a high G, which got a roar of applause, but that was the only moment that made me perk up. There was not a true showstopper in this production. Other bad shows, like Redwood or The Last Five Years, have had one or two songs that get a “wow” out of me, but unfortunately, there were none to be found here.  

 

The book is thin and boring compared to the documentary, which had managed to entertain pre-teen Emily. There were scenes in there that felt like time filler rather than being used to advance the story or character development.


Kristen Chenowith tries so hard to make this show work, but her portrayal of the social-climbing ass kisser Jackie Siegel is so horribly unlikeable and unrelatable. I had no sympathy for her because she used every sad moment, even her daughter’s suicide, as a way to make more money, please rich people, or manipulate others. It honestly disgusted me, which was disappointing because Chenowith has a high ceiling as an actress. Her other work is often fun and plays to her strengths, like Glinda, and her roles on Glee and Bojack Horseman. Although Chenowith makes this show, it seems like the show leans on her star power perhaps a little too much. 


F. Murray Abraham, who I knew from his role on White Lotus, plays David Siegel, Jackie’s second husband and the owner of Westgate Resorts, the biggest timeshare company in the world. In the documentary, he is charismatic, charming, and pompous, but also passionate and driven. In the musical, Abraham isn’t given many opportunities to let his charm shine and instead plays David as more angry and cold. We don’t see as much of him as I'd desired. My hope was that Abraham would play David similar to his character on White Lotus, since they’re so similar. Still, it was thrilling to see such an acclaimed stage and screen actor just a few feet away from me. If only it’d been in a better role.


I very seldom don’t like shows, sadly, this is maybe the one show I actually, passionately hated. Overall, this was a massive disappointment. I do hope Chenowith comes back to Broadway in a role more suited to her strengths. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just In Time Review

  Just In Time was unquestionably my most anticipated show of 2025. When I say I went all out for this show, I'm not kidding. I bought a 50s era period dress, fully accessorized, got hair and makeup done. The whole nine yards. Similar to the August Wilson Theatre, albeit not to the same extreme, the Circle In The Square has been transformed into a Copacabana style nightclub. In its new guise, the theatre features two stages on each side, which the actors weave between around a set of cabaret tables.  Going in, I knew little to nothing about Bobby Darin. I knew what Jonathan Groff had revealed about Bobby's life in interviews, and who doesn't know the song Beyond The Sea?  Given that jukebox musicals are past their peak in popularity, and a lot of young people (who are a large portion of Jonathan Groff’s fans) don't know who Bobby Darin is, I was expecting this to bomb simply because of genre fatigue. Imagine my surprise when the initial reviews on my Facebook group and ...
Read more

Sunset BLVD Review

Going in, I was not at all familiar with either the 1950 movie or the 1993 original musical, but I knew who Nichole Scherzinger was, and I was familiar with the song “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” I was also familiar with director Jamie Lloyd’s polemic reputation for his minimalistic style and heavy use of video cameras and screens. However, this show was a critical darling in London, where it won every Oliver Award it was nominated for, so I was very excited when the transfer to Broadway was announced. Sunset Boulevard tells the story of a silent film star named Norma Desmond, who is well past her glory days but still yearns for fame. She crosses paths with a young and handsome struggling screenwriter named Joe, who she falls for while also using him to make her grand return to the big screen as she descends deeper into insanity.  When I went, sadly, Tom Francis, who plays Joe and won the Oliver Award in London, was out due to a vocal chord injury. I have since had the opportunity...
Read more

Thank You Just In Time

  On July 12th I took my seat at a cabaret table in the front row of Broadway’s Circle In The Square, unaware of the magical moment that was about to take place during the evening performance of Just in Time, my favorite show currently on Broadway. I’d dressed the part of an attendee at a classy 1950s Coppacabbana style supperclub, and even got my hair and makeup done. For those unfamiliar with the show, Just in Time tells the story of Bobby Darin, a singer from the 1950’s and 60’s. Bobby Darin was known for his primal passion for performing and connecting with his audiences. There are stories of how Darin would go into the aisles and hug audience members, dance with them, kiss a pretty girl on the cheek or hand, serenade couples, etc. It’s been said that Darin knew how to make someone feel like the only person in a room, and you left a Darin show feeling like he was your friend Jonathan Groff, one of Broadway’s most extraordinary talents (and my longtime crush), plays Darin with a...
Read more