THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES To Close December 21, 2025- Page 19

[shomeika]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 7:57pm

ACL2006 said: "this has to be one of the biggest flops of this decade [so far]:

1. Tammy Faye -24 previews, 29 regular performances
2. KPOP - 44previews, 17regular performances
3. Diana -25 previews, 34regular performances
4. Flying Over Sunset -36previews, 35regular performances
5. Swept Away -20 previews, 48regular performances
6. Lempicka -27 previews, 41regular performances
7. Bad Cinderella -33previews, 45regular performances
8. Queen of Versailles - 32 previews, 49 regular performances
9. How to Dance in Ohio -27 previews, 72regular performances
10. Dead Outlaw - 14previews, 73regular performances
11. Real Women Have Curves -31previews, 73regular performances
12. Smash -32 previews, 83regular performances
13. Harmony -28 previews, 96 regular performances

"

Redwood? 

[shomeika]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 8:00pm

goldenboy said: "It's a musical that just didn't work. Stop beating up our wonderful creatives."

The wonderful creatives failed miserably with QOV.  Not beating anyone up, just speaking the obvious truth.  This show was a horrible mess, and the subject matter was extremely tone deaf. The  "wonderful creatives" failed miserably by not listening to any feedback from the out of town tryout-- 

Updated On: 12/24/25 at 08:00 PM

[MB124]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 8:58pm

shomeika said: "ACL2006 said: "this has to be one of the biggest flops of this decade [so far]:

1. Tammy Faye -24 previews, 29 regular performances
2. KPOP - 44previews, 17regular performances
3. Diana -25 previews, 34regular performances
4. Flying Over Sunset -36previews, 35regular performances
5. Swept Away -20 previews, 48regular performances
6. Lempicka -27 previews, 41regular performances
7. Bad Cinderella -33previews, 45regular performances
8. Queen of Versailles - 32 previews, 49 regular performances
9. How to Dance in Ohio -27 previews, 72regular performances
10. Dead Outlaw - 14previews, 73regular performances
11. Real Women Have Curves -31previews, 73regular performances
12. Smash -32 previews, 83regular performances
13. Harmony -28 previews, 96 regular performances

"

Redwood?"

They said they are only counting shows that didn’t reach 100 regular performances. Redwood had 110 regular performances. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 9:15pm

It's been interesting to note now often Redwood is cited as context. Yet other than the obvious connection to Chenoweth, its a show with almost zero parallels to Queen. In content, style, and comparatively modest presentation, not similar at all. It offered a relatable tale of a grieving woman's journey to self-forgiveness if not closure. We can mock its wide-eyed belief in Thoreau's Walden for spiritual and corporeal reinvention, its New Age twee-ness (naming of a tree as a character). But the show invited us in, and in its earnest endorsement of transcendence, moved many. I saw a Wednesday matinee with a house full of sniffles at the end.

And one random annotation if we're highlighting post-Wicked trajectories: Menzel came back to limited acclaim (and a Tony nomination) in If/Then, which ran a year, and even toured. A Best Musical nomination, no less, which some forget. No, not a hit. Not beloved (full disclosure: I liked the score a lot). But certainly respectable. My subjective take: If/Then feels like Company next to Queen.

Updated On: 12/24/25 at 09:15 PM

[MB124]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 9:31pm

If/Then was not nominated for Best Musical. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 11:13pm

Soaring29 said: " him being assassinated was a terrible moment."

Only if you're a MAGA asshole.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 12/25/25 at 1:24am

No, I hate MAGA. Violence is never the solution. Period. Yes, he was a terrible person and I'm not in mourning for him but it doesn't justify him being killed.

Updated On: 12/25/25 at 01:24 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/25/25 at 9:03am

kdogg36 said: "Soaring29 said: "him being assassinated was a terrible moment."

Only if you're a MAGA asshole."

Congrats. You've played right into their playbook, making us the intolerant and violent left. Charlie was a creep. He was a terrible person. He did not deserve to be murdered in cold blood like that in front of people, including his wife and child. If we cannot say that about people we dislike then we have lost our humanity, too

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/25/25 at 11:10am

iluvtheatertrash said: "Congrats. You've played right into their playbook, making us the intolerant and violent left. Charlie was a creep. He was a terrible person. He did not deserve to be murdered in cold blood like that in front of people, including his wife and child. If we cannot say that about people we dislike then we have lost our humanity, too"

Then color me a proud non-human. I am very glad he got what he deserved. Every Trumper deserves the same treatment.

Updated On: 12/25/25 at 11:10 AM

[Auggie27]

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

If/Then was nominated for Best Score and Best Actress. (Mea culpa) It ran for 430 performances, March 2014 - March 2015, the star remaining with the show and then touring for part of the national, Jackie Burns, her standby, remaining. Though it did not recoup, it was not a mostly successful return to B'way for Menzel after Wicked. And of course, Frozen. Which is my bigger point. Arguably, Queen falls more into the If/Then category than Redwood in terms of assisting an original book musical from the ground up, post-Wicked. 

We all fairly recently learned that Chenoweth turned down Death Becomes Her, which might've been a commercial mistake if not - according to the star - an artistic one. She found the material too similar to her earlier roles. I certainly respect Chenoweth for aiming for a character outside her wheelhouse (though was Jackie? As played? An open question for another time.) 

What's next for her, beyond concerts? She's been exceedingly well used in sitcom, traditional and cable. My guess is, B'way won't be attempted for a while. Yet who knows? If she asked me, I'd say, "get back on stage in NYC sooner rather than later, remain a Broadway star independent of this show."  The voice sounds a rich as ever. She lives in NYC. Says she's a stage creature.  Hell, do an Encores!  A lot of folks will be rooting for her to get back on the horse. 

[Soaring29]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 12:23am

She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time. 

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 7:39am

Soaring29 said: "She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time."

Not for QOV, she isn’t!! 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 12:12pm

Soaring29 said: "She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time."

Why is she insanely overdue for a second Tony?  For her good performance in The Apple Tree (you had to have seen Barbars Harris to know just how 'just okay' KC was), for her lackluster performance in Promises! Promises!, for her very wrong performance in QOV, in which she tried to make you like JS by playing her as Kristen Chenoweth, for her terrific Glinda (in which she probably placed 4th in the Tony contest), or her very fine performance in On the Twentieth Century. 

There may be something else there that I am not recalling, but she has not been prolific on Broadway, and has had IMO as many misses as successes.  To me, that does not translate into insanely overdue.

I actually really like KC and have seen her several times in concert, although I could do without all the 'I am Christian' chatter.  I just get tired of the hyperbole, and that declaration is a little hyperbolic to me.

Bottom line: QOV sucked, she was not good in it, she will move on, although I doubt that we will see her on Broadway for a long time to come.

[JMH27]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 12:12pm

Auggie27 said: "If/Then was nominated for Best Score and Best Actress. (Mea culpa)It ran for 430 performances, March 2014 - March 2015, the star remaining with the show and then touring for part of the national, Jackie Burns, her standby, remaining. Though it did not recoup, it was not a mostly successful return to B'way for Menzel after Wicked. And of course, Frozen. Which is mybigger point. Arguably,Queen falls more into the If/Then category than Redwood in terms of assisting an original book musical from the ground up,post-Wicked.

We all fairly recently learned that Chenoweth turned down Death Becomes Her,which might've been a commercial mistake if not - according to the star - an artistic one. She found the material too similar to her earlier roles. I certainly respect Chenoweth for aiming for a character outside her wheelhouse (though was Jackie? As played? An open question for another time.)

What's next for her, beyond concerts? She's been exceedingly well used in sitcom, traditional and cable. My guess is, B'way won't be attempted for a while. Yet who knows? If she asked me, I'd say, "get back on stage in NYC sooner rather than later, remaina Broadway star independent of this show." The voice sounds a rich as ever. She lives in NYC. Says she's a stage creature. Hell, do an Encores! A lot of folks will be rooting for her to get back on the horse."

She’s currently recurring on the NBC sitcom Stumble. She’s also working on a pilot for NBC in which she’d be the main character.

I also hope she comes back to Broadway soon. Encores is a great suggestion. I’ve also thought it would be interesting to see her in a straight play. A little bit of me has also thought it would be cool if she reprised her role from the screen on the upcoming stage production of Schmigadoon. 

[Observation]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 1:13pm

I know it'll never happen, but a Kristin & Idina replacement in "Death Becomes Her" would be an event.

I wonder if either of them would ever want to originate a role on Broadway anymore. It seems like so much work, and the last couple of ventures for both have seemed very unfruitful for either of them. If I were fortunate enough to be in their position, I'd lean into being the event casting for a replacement in a hit show on Broadway for an extended period of time, but not have the entire production on my shoulders. It seems like so much pressure, and while I'm not the biggest fan of either of them (mad respect for them, they just don't resonate with me like they do others) I certainly hope they still make frequent stops on the Great White Way. 

[Olivia11]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 1:54pm

 

Updated On: 12/26/25 at 01:54 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 2:32pm

Observation said: "I know it'll never happen, but a Kristin & Idina replacement in "Death Becomes Her" would be an event.

Kristin has stated many times before that she passed up DBH for this. I agree, I can’t imagine either she or the production would find terms they could agree on, especially since she passed in the first place.

Meanwhile, getting Sherie Rene Scott up there in either role - take my money

[Kad]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 2:48pm

Chenoweth left DBH extremely early in its development, before the writing team was even attached. Whatever state the show was in then, it was likely not at all recognizable as the show it is now. And, frankly, Chenoweth isn’t right for it. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 4:17pm

Kristin also has a significant history of injuries on stage. The amount of physicality required for DBH is like a huge no-no for her.

[itsahopi]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 5:21pm

Kad said: "Chenoweth left DBH extremely early in its development, before thewriting team was even attached. Whatever state the show was in then, it was likely not at all recognizable as the show it is now. And, frankly, Chenoweth isn’t right for it."

If I recall, the very first industry reading included KC, back when Alex Newell was Viola. Before Nicole. I believe she got sick and Julia Mattison played Madeline. KC was def involved with the writing team.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 5:36pm

Soaring29 said: "She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time."
 

She is not insanely overdue for any awards regarding this show in any capacity. 

Bottom line: QOV sucked, she was not good in it, she will move on, although I doubt that we will see her on Broadway for a long time to come.

Correct. It's completely exhausting to be on Broadway at any age, but the older you get the harder it gets to be able to perform that much. I don't think we will see her on Broadway for a very long time since this one was such a disaster. Same goes for Idina, since she never replaces anyone.

Updated On: 12/26/25 at 05:36 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 6:10pm

Soaring29 said: "She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time."

My hot take is she should’ve won in 2015 for On the Twentieth Century. Then, we wouldn’t have gotten this Queen of Versailles mess.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 12/26/25 at 10:01pm

Sutton Ross said: "Soaring29 said: "She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time."


She is not insanely overdue for any awards regarding this show in any capacity.

Bottom line: QOV sucked, she was not good in it, she will move on, although I doubt that we will see her on Broadway for a long time to come.

Correct. It's completely exhausting to be on Broadway at any age, but the older you get the harder it gets to be able to perform that much. I don't think we will see her on Broadway for a very long time since this one was such a disaster. Same goes for Idina, since she never replaces anyone."

 

Did I say she was worthy of an award for this? No, I didn’t see the show and have only listened to some of the music that is available now. But she absolutely deserves a second Tony due to how strong her work has been since 1999. 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/27/25 at 12:19pm

Soaring29 said: "Sutton Ross said: "Soaring29 said: "She's insanely overdue for a second Tony win and absolutely is one of the greatest talents of all time.

Did I say she was worthy of an award for this? No, I didn’t see the show and have only listened to some of the music that is available now. But she absolutely deserves a second Tony due to how strong her work has been since 1999.

Other than possibly On The 20th Century, there is absolutely nothing in her portfolio which suggests that she is woefully -- or whatever word you used - overdue for a Tony.  She is not.  The fact that you are obsessed with her does not make her woefully overdue.  Her Broadway credits are absolutely a mixed bag.

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/27/25 at 2:06pm

 But she absolutely deserves a second Tony due to how strong her work has been since 1999.

There are thousands of performers with many, many years of strong, excellent work. You could say the same thing about any of them.