THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES To Close December 21, 2025- Page 16

[MB124]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 6:21pm

ER765 said: "This “lead with kindness” bullsh!t is so tired. Not everyone is entitled to love (or even like) everything. Especially when you’re asking $150-200 a ticket.

And if they don’t like it,it’s not necessarily a reflection of the audience. In the case of QoV, it’s a reflection of the quality of the material. It was a bad show. It got bad reviews and bad word of mouth. It’s now closed.

Period, end of story.

Maybe if Arden would’ve listened to those “dissenting” voices, he and the creativeteam could’ve salvaged the show. But by surrounding himself with yes men, he’s put himself in this position. No one’s “fault” but his and the creative teams.

(Well…and the delusional producers with money to burn.)"

And the doubling down on closing tells me he has learned nothing and will likely be in the same position / posting the same BS when TLB inevitably flops. 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 7:09pm

Any Michael Arden show that isn't built upon the backs of a marginalized community will fail. That's his whole schtick - repackaging trauma that isn't his. He's never been a good director, but he was great at picking shows that made him seem like one.

Until now, I guess. 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 7:54pm

It’s the first and only show he has created, developed and directed from the beginning.  Telling.  Cant hide behind much.  One does not direct, and especially produce as well, something they do not believe in. 

Lindsay Ferrentino also has a bunch of mess on her Instagram story and posts today.  Subtly blaming others, sexism etc for the downfall while never admitting this show was not good creatively - across the board. She defines what “ community” is and isn’t etc.  Ultimately this has nothing to do with anything other than story told poorly coupled with bad book and direction.  And a lot of the music too.  

these people just don’t get it and are trying to save their butts.  They'll eventually probably blame each other in coming weeks / years as well, via tell-all books/articles etc. 

Updated On: 12/21/25 at 07:54 PM

[corninthesky]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 9:24pm

I mean can you all take your victory lap now?

It is no secret I liked the show (and obviously am in the small, small minority on that), but do we have to keep dancing on the grave? 
 

I feel like this entire thread proves the entire point of Arden’s post (as well as others on the cast/creative team). 
 

I think most of the criticisms of the show are valid and wouldn’t challenge those at all. I just find it extremely strange that this show has brought out so many comments filled with such…hate? 
 

I’m sure I’ll hear it next (and maybe I am in the wrong here), but I just find it so odd that everyone has come after this show with a huge axe to grind. And yet the show taught us (or just me, I guess) quite the lesson about that. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 9:37pm

I honestly haven’t seen a lot of hate on here. Maybe social media has been different.

[ER765]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 9:38pm

No one’s dancing on the show’s grave. 

As long as Arden and Co are going to continue to double-down on blaming audiences for the show’s closure, then those audiences have every right to respond to their delusions. 

Having a negative response to the quality of a show is not “hate.”

Neither is responding to the entirely misjudged and misplaced blame of its failure.

Updated On: 12/21/25 at 09:38 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 9:47pm

corninthesky said: "I mean can you all take your victory lap now?

It is no secret I liked the show (and obviously am in the small, small minority on that), but do we have to keep dancing on the grave?

I feel like this entire thread proves the entire point of Arden’s post (as well as others on the cast/creative team)."

They were telling the story of a delusional woman's insistence on building a house and it didn't work and then the production echoed the story they were tryiny to tell. It's when directors and creatives keep insisting they're creating the next important Broadway piece and when it's not greeted as such they act profoundly defensive as you are also doing here. They have to justify in their minds that this wasn't a waste of time for them and doesn't reflect on their abilities. 

[abcd12]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:11pm

The reality is that until these creatives and producers take a moment for some SELF-reflection, they are going to continue to make the same mistakes and face the same problems. It’s very unfortunate. 

These people think they are Gods - and we are lowly “hateful” scapegoats for their failures. That is, until we like their shows and help make them successful. Then we are the greatest audiences in the world. 

“Delusional” doesn’t even begin to cover it. A little modesty would go a long way in this industry. 

Updated On: 12/21/25 at 10:11 PM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:12pm

Exactly.  There is no "grave dancing", "hate" etc.  TheaterFan4 put itv very well.  And NO, this thread absolutely does not prove anything Mr. Arden says in his post.  His post is incorrect. 

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:20pm

did you work on the show?

corninthesky said: "I mean can you all take your victory lap now?

It is no secret I liked the show (and obviously am in the small, small minority on that), but do we have to keep dancing on the grave?


I feel like this entire thread proves the entire point of Arden’s post (as well as others on the cast/creative team).


I think most of the criticisms of the show are valid and wouldn’t challenge those at all. I just find it extremely strange that this show has brought out so many comments filled with such…hate?


I’m sure I’ll hear it next (and maybe I am in the wrong here), but I just find it so odd that everyone has come after this show with a huge axe to grind. And yet the show taught us (or just me, I guess) quite the lesson about that."

 

[binau]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:40pm

Of course it’s super cringe when artists try to blame anyone except themselves for their own failures, but I do think it’s a bit revisionist for people to suddenly claim Michael Arden is a bad director. Between once on this island, parade, maybe happy ending etc. lightning doesn’t strike 3 times. Everyone has their failures and not all directors can produce new work but that doesn’t make them bad. 

Also, no way did QoV get hatred it was just met with poor word of mouth. Billy Porter in cabaret was a much better example of ‘hatred’ in my opinion. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:55pm

binau said: "Of course it’s super cringe when artists try to blame anyone except themselves for their own failures, but I do think it’s a bit revisionist for people to suddenly claim Michael Arden is a bad director. Between once on this island, parade, maybe happy ending etc. lightning doesn’t strike 3 times. Everyone has their failures and not all directors can produce new work but that doesn’t make them bad.

Also, no way did QoV get hatred it was just met with poor word of mouth. Billy Porter in cabaret was a much better example of ‘hatred’ in my opinion."

All three of those productions had all of their ground work done for them before he even became involved. 

Merrily didn't get countless revisions over 40 years because the audience was wrong, the material had to be improved and was. SH*T, they ripped that show apart while it was in previews making significant changes. It would have died and stayed in 1981 if those creatives took the stances of recent modern flops where they all seem completely devoid of the ability of performing introspection on where they went wrong with it.

QoV existed mostly as a completed show from its first public performance despite bad reviews and reception for both productions. So... they only have themselves to blame. 

Updated On: 12/21/25 at 10:55 PM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:59pm

It stuck twice in the Best Director category.  Island and Parade were well respected and loved musicals that had not been seen by NYC theater audiences in 25+ years.  Audiences were waiting to applaud.  

Maybe Happy Ending was developed for many many years by other people then the super expensive production happened with financially elevated production on the backs of others.

This is their first solely new show directed and produced from idea with writers.    It is interesting... 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 10:59pm

I feel like this is an interesting discussion of what a director is responsible for and how much input they have in shaping  a show. I think this is also like Sher. Maybe he’s not great with new material that he needs to shape.

[pmensky]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 11:32pm

corninthesky said: "I mean can you all take your victory lap now?

It is no secret I liked the show (and obviously am in the small, small minority on that), but do we have to keep dancing on the grave?


I feel like this entire thread proves the entire point of Arden’s post (as well as others on the cast/creative team).


I think most of the criticisms of the show are valid and wouldn’t challenge those at all. I just find it extremely strange that this show has brought out so many comments filled with such…hate?


I’m sure I’ll hear it next (and maybe I am in the wrong here), but I just find it so odd that everyone has come after this show with a huge axe to grind. And yet the show taught us (or just me, I guess) quite the lesson about that."

No one is taking a “victory lap.” There was no coordinated campaign, no grave‑dancing, no conspiracy of haters. The show closed because audiences didn’t come, critics didn’t respond, and the production never found its footing. That’s not malice, that’s the reality of Broadway.

What is happening here is a rewrite of events to avoid acknowledging that the show simply didn’t work. Calling people “hateful” for discussing a widely panned production is just a way to shift blame onto the audience instead of the material, the execution, or the choices that surrounded it.

And let’s not pretend the controversy around Chenoweth didn’t factor into the public’s reaction. When a performer publicly aligns themselves with someone whose rhetoric is widely seen as harmful, it affects how people engage with the work. That’s not “an axe to grind,” that’s cause and effect.

Criticism isn’t cruelty. Disagreement isn’t hate. And pointing out why a show failed isn’t “proving someone’s point”, it’s participating in the same conversation that happens every time a production struggles.

What is strange is accusing the entire board of bad faith simply because people didn’t share your enthusiasm. That’s not a lesson from the show; that’s just an attempt to cast yourself as the wronged party instead of engaging with the very normal, very predictable response to a production that didn’t land.

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 11:44pm

abcd12 said: "I also just saw a video of Kristin taking her curtain call and it doesn’t look like she’s using the stairs? When did that change?"

Her use of the stairs was greatly reduced after her knee and neck injuries earlier this month that took her out for a few shows (and gave Sherie some extras). Her use of high heeled footwear was also greatly reduced to either Ugg slippers (in the beginning), athletic sneakers, or stylish character shoes/kitten heels.

The combined issue of her neck injury with her Ménière’s disease that can cause vertigo is also dangerous god forbid she lost her balance and ended up going a$$ over tea kettle 

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 11:55pm

binau said: "Of course it’s super cringe when artists try to blame anyone except themselves for their own failures, but I do think it’s a bit revisionist for people to suddenly claim Michael Arden is a bad director. Between once on this island, parade, maybe happy ending etc. lightning doesn’t strike 3 times. Everyone has their failures and not all directors can produce new work but that doesn’t make them bad.

Also, no way did QoV get hatred it was just met with poor word of mouth. Billy Porter in cabaret was a much better example of ‘hatred’ in my opinion."

Exactly. It’s almost as if people forget that some of the biggest names in theatre history have some legendary flops under their belt (Harold Prince in most of the 1980s is a good example). Sometimes you just can’t sculpt a vase out of pile of horse crap; doesn’t mean you have no talent in sculpting.

The Billy Porter situation is a tricky one. It started off as negative word of mouth (deservedly; it was a painful performance), but Billy is never not one to back down from a pissing contest and so he and his collection of auntie wigs did the talk show circuit and proceeded to elaborate on and defend his interpretation of the role, which was woefully out of place in a production that already had a set concept. Granted, Frecknall allowed it in the West End and had to have doubled down to agree to letting him do Broadway. 

Billy is very outspoken and people tend to not respond well to him because he often seems like he would rather get in an argument he can try to win as opposed to having a meaningful dialogue, and so that arrogance tends to be what people respond to. We are aware that his long career has been more miss than hit, but he tends to strike as having a bit of a long unhealed emotional issue from many years of being overlooked by the industry.

[binau]

Posted: 12/21/25 at 11:58pm

RippedMan said: "I feel like this is an interesting discussion of what a director is responsible for and how much input they have in shapinga show. I think this is also like Sher. Maybe he’s not great with new material that he needs to shape."

Exactly. Which are different skills. Has Jamie Lloyd shaped new musical work? I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean he is a bad director. 

Hal Prince, James Lapine and Michael Grief shape new work. It’s partly why I consider them among the greatest. 

But some Directors can seem to mainly stage existing work and shape excellent performances. Maybe not as impressive but extremely valuable and important too. 

It may be too soon to write Arden off for new work after one show but how can anyone deny he doesn’t know how to stage existing work and turn out great performances? It’s hard enough for people to do that. 

[UWS10023]

Posted: 12/22/25 at 4:14am

I went to the closing performance because I was just too curious. I basically felt it jumped the shark about a third of the way through when it started focusing on the daughter and the cousin. I basically thought most of their scenes could have been cut. And the actress who played the daughter was not very good. Their trajectories could have been summed up without much scene work. I felt like there might have been a shorter off Broadway musical in their somewhere making fun of excess and vanity. Putting all the scene work downstage with the construction behind looked very cluttered and the actors moved like chess pieces. And it made the staging look amateurish. Kristin was bogged down a little by the whole thing but she sang well and Murray was good.
But by the by…..the real Queen of Versailles was there letting everyone take pictures of her in the lobby after the show! Who knew!