THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES Previews- Page 4

[btwn 7th and 8th]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:09am

I saw tonight’s first preview and am excited to share my first review/post on this Board after many years of reading.

To start – I was surprised to see the Queen herself, Jackie Siegel, having a mini photo shoot in front of the ATG branded “priority entrance” to the luxurious St. James side entrance. (You can’t make it up.) Her and her friends were also in the front mezz, which provides a great view of this fittingly oversized, almost problematically so, production.

The score is the strongest element of the evening and single handedly positively skews my opinion of the musical. The music is great, although I never felt there was a true showstopping moment. The solos dedicated to Kristin and Nina White are fantastic; however, I felt the finale the fell completely flat, which is also how I felt about the book and performances. I feel like the actors and creative team must feel constrained by the Queen’s involvement, or almost participation, in this production.

It seemed like there was no true point of view, and by the end of the second act, I truly didn’t know how to feel about any of what I was watching. The last twenty minutes zip by in a flash and you really don’t see any change in any of the characters. They’re just … so one note throughout the entire evening. I was somewhat invested, but I was ready for things to wrap up once I realized there was no true commentary to be made. They’re not afraid to poke fun at Jackie and those around her, but they’re afraid to involve them in any true discussion or depiction of these recent, true events. There is undoubtedly more drama to incorporate into the musical, especially between the Queen and her daughter. The way the plot was handled and somewhat glazed over truly took me out of the piece, especially the last twenty minutes. I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to feel bad and relate to Jackie, or be disgusted and completely turned off by her. Maybe the team can't tell as well. 

The set is huge and I do think it’s utilized well. It seemed more involved in the second act, and someone commented it reminded them of the original Sweeney Todd, which I think is very kind. The lackluster reveal of the final product of the house also felt completely flat for me and I’m sure this can be improved upon. I appreciated how it felt emptier than ever by the end. There is live video incorporated throughout most of the first act which works well. The lighting was fine, as were the costumes. Kristin looks fantastic, even if her first dress seemed to be a work in progress!

The performances are fine across the board, but they are certainly held back by the book. Everyone sounded fantastic, especially Kristin and Nina White, but their characters are so one note throughout the evening, I feel anyone could slip into these roles and do just fine.

The St. James looked lovely, and I had a smooth entrance and path to my seat. Michael Arden gave a brief speech around 7:41 and intermission came in around 9:01. Intermission was long, certainly over 30 minutes, and the show was over by 10:42. 

I’m not quite sure what to make of this one. My thoughts land somewhere between mixed to positive, and although it’s only the first preview, I’m not sure there is much that can be done to improve what’s onstage. Now that I've written this I'm thinking they're actually mixed to negative. Perhaps I’ll revisit and see Sherrie, but let’s see.

Updated On: 10/9/25 at 12:09 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:10am

I don’t remember having this negative of a reaction to the show a year ago when I saw it in Boston. But tonight was…not good. I think a book could be written about all the problems with the show and why it doesn’t work, especially in 2025. In the one year since this premiered, the entire discussion about billionaires in our country has really changed. So a show now about essentially how great it is to be a billionaire even if it’s peppered with “ Billionaires – we’re just like you!”, is so unbelievably tone deaf in America today. And my problems with the lead character before I’ve only now been amplified by that. 

After the show, the real Jackie was outside, passing out small orders of McDonald’s french fries to people, and I think that that kind of just summed up the entire thing. A billionaire passing out something tiny to the masses, to make people like them.

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:13am

quizking101 said: "I’ll post more in depth when I have my brain organized and I’m not driving, but this was an absolute gold-plated turd surrounded by diamond encrusted flies."

Dang, they put diamonds above the stage?

Oh wait...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:16am

I miss SUNSET already. 

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:27am

Re; the set reveal:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

For me this didn't work [and fell flat for the audience during a moment you can otherwise tell is supposed to draw a massive applause] because of the transitionary scene preceding it. We got a book scene during the French Revolution with a bunch of poverty-striken people lining up, who are pushed down an assembly line from stage right to left towards the sounds of a guillotine. Gunshots are fired and people are screaming. It is the height of the Marie Antoinette moments we are getting throughout the show. The king is in the balcony applauding and eating popcorn. It is SO wildly gruesome and raw and was the most explicit message the show was getting at and I was captivated.

... aaaaand within the blink of an eye, we hit a blackout - it cuts back to present-day and the apron wall arises revealing the "completed" mansion. It is stunning and yet the applause was so scattered and pitiful. I wanted to let this grandiose set wash over me and feel "wow'd" but the entire scene preceding it existed solely to show us everything wrong with it.

I wish the last scene with Jackie and her family leaving her in the house alone has as much bite as that final Antoinette scene did. She looks into a camera, realizes she might be lonely, and goes "Us billionaires are just like you." There is SO much more room for depth here! Give us more!

As a commenter above said, the show is far from afraid to "poke fun" at Jackie or everything wrong with materialism and the billionaire class, but that is the bare minimum for this to be a poignant tale. Poking fun has never been the ultimate force that can lift people like Sofia from poverty, or help close the inequality wealth gap in America. It is still a very entertaining show with lots to love, but the ethos did not feel fully realized.

Updated On: 10/9/25 at 12:27 AM

[matty159]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:44am

More tomorrow, but that was PAINFUL.  Major missed opportunity not giving Sofia a solo number.  Also, were people paid for rapturous reception?  Everyone around me was nonplussed.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:46am

Damn. I was going to avoid this for multiple reasons, but it sounds like the kind of trainwreck one has to be able to claim they actually saw years later. May have to try to get the cheapest ticket possible to put the least amount of money in their pockets...

[PIZZAGIRL2]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 12:52am

i was there, it was horrible, really horrible
i left after act 1
i ran out 
the woman sitting next to me crunched on a bucket of popcorn (that smelled) and clapped and 'wooped' when they show a quick video clip from fox news
the set was depressing, very
kristin is excited to show off her body, who cares?
it was boring, i prayed for act 1 to end
i am very embarrassed for f murray abraham, his costume looked like pajamas he woke up in
the housekeeper/nanny was in jeans, faded boring jeans
the supporting narrators are not funny, you can tell they are supposed to be, they are not
in general, the audience was staring in sorta bored shock, i am serious
they clapped when someone hit a high note or a prolonged note, in american idol style
i left my poster, i never want to remember this night
it will close like tami faye, in 5 minutes
why did Kristen decide to commit career suicide? i will wonder this forever
please don't see this
do anything else
 

[pmensky]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 1:03am

Well, now we know what happens when a poet who writes haikus takes ayahuasca.

[PIZZAGIRL2]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 1:09am

if ayahuasca would help me forget this
i'm in

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 5:25am

People will give a standing ovation to a fart these days! 

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 5:42am

You mean those QoV themed grocery bags out on the hamptons and fire island aren't bringing in new audience members? Who would've thought! (I literally can't think of a worse way to market a show and a bigger waste of time)

 

Not surprised another Seaview musical is dying a slow death... much like Lempicka...

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 7:42am

PIZZAGIRL2 said: "i was there, it was horrible, really horrible
i left after act 1
i ran out
the woman sitting next to me crunched on a bucket of popcorn (that smelled) and clapped and 'wooped' when they show a quick video clip from fox news
the set was depressing, very
kristin is excited to show off her body, who cares?
it was boring, i prayed for act 1 to end
i am very embarrassed for f murray abraham, his costume looked like pajamas he woke up in
the housekeeper/nanny was in jeans, faded boring jeans
the supporting narrators are not funny, you can tell they are supposed to be, they are not
in general, the audience was staring in sorta bored shock, i am serious
they clapped when someone hit a high note or a prolonged note, in american idol style
i left my poster, i never want to remember this night
it will close like tami faye, in 5 minutes
why did Kristen decide to commit career suicide? i will wonder this forever
please don't see this
do anything else
"

You’ve peaked my interest!!!! Now I want to go just so I can say, I was there, I saw it, it was atrocious! I wonder if it will get a poster at Joe Allen’s? 

[east side story]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 7:52am

I knew this would be the thread of the autumn season.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 8:05am

Jordan Catalano said: "
After the show, the real Jackie was outside, passing out small orders of McDonald’sfrench fries to people, and I think that that kind of just summed up the entire thing. A billionaire passing out something tiny to the masses, to make people like them."

 

“Let them eat fries!”

Really baffled by them putting Siegel front and center like this. She’s not famous, she’s not inspirational, the source material isn’t flattering to her. If this was a condition for moving forward with the project, it was a deal with the devil. 

 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 8:09am

rosscoe(au) said: "People will give a standing ovation to a fart these days!"

I reserve my standing ovations for the bespoke flatulence of Jackson Lamb.   IFYKYK

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 8:19am

Chenoweth redeeming herself by handing out McDonald’s fries at the stage door. God bless America:

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 8:21am

Oh God, Cheno did that too? They were already cold when we got them right when the show ended, I can’t imagine how cold they were by the time Cheno came out the stage door lol

[binau]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 8:29am

Is this edging towards so bad it’s good camp that will be the butt if every joke and attract a cult following? Or is it just boring and will fade away? 

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 8:38am

Oh no- so by the sounds of these comments am i correct to assume it won’t make it to an end of January run? I had actually been curious to see it 

[Mitch101]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 9:22am

Last night, I was reminded of the stories people tell who saw the original Merrily We Roll Along. At the first preview, the energy was through the roof. The overture started and the audience went wild. But then scene, by scene, by scene...the walk outs started. Make no mistake, this is not musically on the level of Merrily, but Schwartz is aiming much higher than Wicked. He desperately wants to be taken seriously here, but every time you think its going to soar, it just veers off and dies. The evening is painful.

It will be interesting to see how Arden survives this and how it informs his reputation moving forward, especially with the massive Lost Boys on the horizon. Right now, he is the golden child. But Versailles is going to tarnish his shine. 

The real culprit is the inept libretto. As others have stated, the whole thing feels like a collection of stock characters that never reveal more than what we see. So, we end up getting ahead of the story and not really caring much what happens.

I was at the first preview of Titanic. It ran almost 4 hours- lots of material they ended up cutting, long pauses for technical glitches. I thought it was glorious (so use that to put my feedback into context). It was a triumph, in my opinion. Last night will go down in history as one of the most disappointing nights of my life. They will never be able to salvage this during previews. You know how I know...? I saw this in Boston, too, and they did not do the work they needed to do to bring it to Broadway.

Oh, it's not so bad its good. Don't fool yourself. There are a lot of great people contributing pieces of what make them great artists. But the overall effect is a failure. It's Kristin's "Redwood."

[rachelfran]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 10:59am

I was in a lottery ticket in the mezz left and the place was packed and buzzy.  I was surprised at how young the crowd was.. the girl to my left was a teen and was overjoyed by everything she saw on stage.  I gave her my poster and she asked me 3x 'are you sure?'. To my left was a couple who seemed to be there for KC and was disappointed overall but, I think, giving it a chance to improve. It seemed they didn't expect it to be great but were still surprised to see that it wasn't.  

The 15 min intermission was 40 min which we were warned might happen... so that's how long it ran and it didn't start on time either. I think we got out at about 10:50pm.

Personally, I wanted to see more of the original Versailles inhabitants.  That seemed like more fun & campy with better songs, humor, costumes and voices.  There was humor -- especially in the beginning where I found myself laughing a lot. I did not find the songs particularly good or catchy and can't remember a single one the following morning.

I knew nothing of the story ahead of time... after, I'm disgusted that Jackie was there and posing before the show and looking like a beauty queen.  I hate that she was in the front of the mezzanine and talking through the show -- I mean -- WTF.  I'd be so pissed if I was behind her.  Clearly this person hasn't evolved in anyway. Shocking especially with the family development reveal.  Seeing Fox News in the middle of a Broadway musical is not something I wanted to see either.

I'm not as insightful or well spoken on these things so I'll leave it there... I'm not sorry I went and am curious to see if they make any serious changes.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 11:09am

Are there any interesting technical moments? What was the big hold between acts? 

I'd be so curious to hear the creatives perspective on why they wanted to tell this story.

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 11:13am

I’ve been riding high on the CATS news all morning and so I haven’t wanted to bring myself down by talking about this.

The Good:

- Melody Butiu and Nina White are the emotional core of this show. Both of them (and David Aaron Damane) are the only characters in this show that are giving honest and relatable performances and they were the only characters I was rooting for as they Siegel’s dizzying spin into greater levels of hubris continued throughout the night. 

- The set. They certainly made use of the space that they had and it shows, especially for a very opulent reveal at the end. I could see this getting into the set design category at the Tonys.

The Mid:

- Kristin Chenoweth. She’s not giving the star performance that everyone is anticipating. She does her damndest but she almost seemed reserved and didn’t pull out as many stops to really deliver. 

The Bad:

- The Book. There is nothing redeemable about these people and, in an era of economic austerity and inflation, whatever sympathy I would have for this rags to riches to rags to riches woman is virtually zero. It also cannot settle on a single tone, device, or theme to focus on. It was the dramaturgical equivalent of Billy Porter’s Emcee - sure, let’s try all of it! who gives a flying fajita! The French chorus was used indiscriminately and in no way served the story other than for minimal context and bloat. The rest of the time, it shifted between documentary, Real Housewives episode, and Lifetime movie. At the end, this felt like a very long Jenna Maroney 30 Rock sketch, which was the consensus of those I talked to at intermission.

- The Score. Sorry Stephen, but this isn’t gonna get you the Tony. So much filler and bloat, yet only the overuse of the phrase “champagne wishes and caviar dreams” remains in in my memory. Style points for using “vaginal rejuvenation” in a rhyme though.

- The Criminal Waste of Talent. F. Murray Abraham being forced to do a country western number about being the Timeshare King was borderline elder abuse. Reducing Stephen DeRosa and Isabel Keating to minor players as Jackie’s parents and barely using them. Not giving Melody Butiu a song?! Greg Hildreth being a cardboard plot device. I guess they all gotta get a check but good lord.

In summary, this isn’t even a so bad-it’s good show. It’s a slog that’s as messy, incomplete, and crumbling as the namesake palace. 

Also, last night was the first time they ran the show completely without stopping

Updated On: 10/9/25 at 11:13 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/9/25 at 11:16am

I will say though that, for a first preview, they were basically throwing freebies at us to the point that I basically made back my rush ticket price. I ended up with an extra poster, a few specially designed stage door sharpies, MANY orders of McDonalds fries, and enough Diet Coke to last me through the end times.

I also met the actual Jackie Siegel, who definitely reminds me of (and with apologies to) Jennifer Coolidge. 

Updated On: 10/9/25 at 11:16 AM