THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES Reviews- Page 7

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 4:10pm

The show improved quite a bit from the first preview to when I went again last night, though mostly in the sense that it was more tightly run and some of the more jaw-droppingly heinous elements surrounding the aftermath of her daughter’s death were removed.

I think we can be clear that, try as they do/did, the show is not the next great Stephen Schwartz entry into the musical theatre canon. It’s like when Kander, LMM, and Susan Stroman put on New York, New York, and sanitized it so much from the source material that it was like meandering in midtown traffic for 3 hours.

That F. Murray Abraham two-step western number is still elder abuse to me, but I gotta admire his ability to show up eight times a week to perform in a musical at age 86 (even if he isn’t written to be much as a character, so much as a foil for Chenoweth)

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 4:18pm

Bump

[HaveAGoodShow]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 7:25pm

"Also the only cautionary tale directed (and collaborated with writer) seemed to be at the end with the destruction of the versailles set"

I left at intermission, so now I’m intrigued by the comment above. Does the set really get destroyed at the end -- and if so, is it a big technical showstopper? I’m genuinely curious.

Updated On: 11/14/25 at 07:25 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 8:35pm

Perhaps you should have stayed then? 

[HaveAGoodShow]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 9:02pm

Did my simple question truly call for that kind of reply? Jeez.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 9:08pm

It was in good fun, I just found it kinda funny if you were so curious about something you wouldn't have stuck around. But, I get it, I unfortunately saw the whole show :)

Updated On: 11/14/25 at 09:08 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 3:02am

CoffeeBreak said: "

This article is even more damning with Arden's connection with writer collaborating from the beginning. He's as much to blame as her. This should have been WAY better. New musicals, from the beginning,donot appearhis skill... Overspending,sets, excess & surplus without return seems to be.

Arden likely knows he is responsible, and will probablywrite a memoirto makingreasons why'it wasn't me" to deflect,if this article is any indication."

It's interesting that there's been a lot of gossip from people that lets Arden off the hook--saying he only did this because he wanted to work on an original musical with Schwartz and Chenoweth and implying that he joined the project late when, as you say, he was there from the beginning, before either of them (and it's not like this has been a secret--there was a theatre podcast a few weeks back on Variety where he and Schwartz and Chenoweth explained exactly this.)

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 03:02 AM

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 8:54am

No more revivals this season. Please! Give us something new. 

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "$5 on Bat Boy taking the St James this spring"

 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 9:43am

 

“Versailles is a punishing look at how capitalism rigs the system to benefit the wealthy and not the poor, despite what lawmakers today might say.”

“What I hope to do as a theater maker is to give people a really unforgettable, exciting time while they're in the space. Then, and more importantly is the moment they walk out of the theater, I've sort of given them a mental STD... It is very easy for theater goers and theater producers, I think to say, "OK, we want to make something simple. We want people to leave saying, I feel happy, Oh, I feel sad. I feel like I laughed a lot." But I think you know what we strived for with this particular piece, and what I'm proud of is that it is, it's all of those things.”

“Has Jackie Siegel been involved with the show at all?No, not really. She kind of had to approve the basic plot points of the shows. But the nuance, texture, and tone of the show is completely all the writers.”

“Definitely come to that conclusion on your own. Most people aren’t just one thing, and I think there are many wonderful things about Jackie, and there are many things I highly and severely disagree with. To kind of like in an unbiased way show both sides of that coin, I think, is my responsibility.”

Somehow this article gave me less clarity on “what we strived for with this particular piece”. I don’t believe anyone involved has a clear view of what the actual output is…and I think I’m good on hearing from Arden for a while. 

I was initially turned off by the “mental STD” comment just for the poor choice of words, but sadly he’s kind of right. We’ve all been given this inconvenience of a musical no one wanted or asked for, and now each of us have to go and get a prescription to flush it out of our systems. If only they handed out Musical Doxy with your Playbill so we could have avoided this mess altogether. 

[quizqueen101]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:07pm

My god, Kristin Chenoweth is absolutely amazing in this.  I found this to be a highly enjoyable and dare I say wonderful musical.  I was thrilled watching her, it must be like what watching Ethel Merman in Gypsy was like. What a treat that she’s on broadway.  This is the greatest thing Greg Nobile has ever done, and they must forge ahead to get the show to June so Kristin can win her second Tony and the show can be nominated for lots and lots.  It’s a MUST SEE

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 01:07 PM

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:09pm

quizqueen101 said: "My god, Kristin Chenoweth is absolutely amazing in this. I found this to be a highly enjoyable and rare I say wonderful musical. I was thrilled watching her, it must be like what watching Ethel Merman in Gypsy was like. What a treat that she’s on broadway. This is the greatest thing Greg Nobile has ever done, and they must forge ahead to get the show to June so Kristin can win her second Tony and the show can be nominated for lots and lots. It’s a MUST SEE"

...said no one, ever. 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:13pm

quizqueen101 said: "My god, Kristin Chenoweth is absolutely amazing in this. I found this to be a highly enjoyable and rare I say wonderful musical. I was thrilled watching her, it must be like what watching Ethel Merman in Gypsy was like. What a treat that she’s on broadway. This is the greatest thing Greg Nobile has ever done, and they must forge ahead to get the show to June so Kristin can win her second Tony and the show can be nominated for lots and lots. It’s a MUST SEE"

I'm sure since you joined this board TODAY - and you are a shill connected to the show.

[quizqueen101]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:14pm

Have you even seen it??  People are loving Versailles, the Tony voter I watched it with also loved it.  The New York Times gave it a critics pick.  This board is simply out of step with the broader community on this

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:17pm

We did see it.  In Boston and in here in NYC.

This board is not out of step with a general audience.  The mentions in the bathrooms, tepid audience applause, the ease of purchase to any date for this show at a lower price.  The recent puff pieces for director attempting to skirt obvious blame.  It's all there.

The critics pick was one outlier of a slew of negative reviews.  

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 01:17 PM

[quizqueen101]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:26pm

Did u see an early preview?  I saw it for the first time just this week at its most polished stage, and it’s fantastic.  It’s a performance of Gypsy proportions.  Her desire for fame and fortune in Caviar Dreams is her Some People. A quintessential Stephen Schwartz song, the master of the I want song.  Her house filled with animals and people is like have an egg roll.  Her persistence to get the house built even after her daughter has died, gets a gasp like Gypsy “my daughter can do it!”or “i can make you now!”  Her digging in at the end of Act one by refusing to throw in the towel when the money dries up in “this is not how my movie ends” is her everything’s coming up roses.  A truly GREAT comedic and dramatic performance, Kristin Chenoweth in top form is GLORIOUS, and if she doesn’t win the Tony, it will be as big of a snub as Merman and McDonald 

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 01:26 PM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:31pm

We saw the second to last preview.   And she won't win the Tony.  But go for the hard sell.

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 01:31 PM

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:32pm

this is embarrassing. 

quizqueen101 said: "Have you even seen it?? People are loving Versailles, the Tony voter I watched it with also loved it. The New York Times gave it a critics pick. This board is simply out of step with the broader community on this"

 

[quizqueen101]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:34pm

Embarrassing?? Has it ever occurred to you that people have different opinions than you or your little circle of people?

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:56pm

yes. but the ones that just signed up today to rave about a failing show are suspect and hence embarrassing.

quizqueen101 said: "Embarrassing?? Has it ever occurred to you that people have different opinions than you or yourlittle circle of people?"

 

[quizqueen101]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 1:59pm

You don’t even have a name.  You’re a nobody on this board.  “You’ve got to get a look”

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 2:04pm

ah. there it is. this yet another burner account so you can promote for your boss? maybe stop name checking them. 

quizqueen101 said: "You don’t even have a name. You’re a nobody on this board. “You’ve got to get a look”"

 

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 02:04 PM

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 2:39pm

quizqueen101 said: "Embarrassing?? Has it ever occurred to you that people have different opinions than you or yourlittle circle of people?"

Same could be said of you. Let’s not pretend that this show is winning much of anything, not awards nor word of mouth. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 2:43pm

quizqueen101 said: "You don’t even have a name. You’re a nobody on this board. “You’ve got to get a look”"

You can loan them one of yours, BroadwayFlash. 

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 12:12am

Is this on tkts?

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/16/25 at 12:39am

since previews.