THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES with Kristin Chenowith & F. Murray Abraham to open at St. James in November- Page 16

[kdogg36]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:11pm

Is anyone ever going to tell me whether Chenoweth made a habit of generally acknowledging significant deaths on her social media? Because, even if I accept the unlikely proposition that she hadn't heard about Hortman's assassination, you sure as hell aren't going to convince me that Kirk's death is the first murder she ever heard about. 

The point is, if she went out of her way to acknowledge his death in a way that she hadn't usually done before, that would be very telling about where her priorities lie.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:12pm

...

[violetsandroses]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:14pm

This show would be a hard sell even if she didn't make the comments. It's about a trump loving billionare who wants to be seen as inspiring. Kristin is also IRL friends with Jackie. It's already messy without the comments from social media. 

[KFC1991]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:16pm

kdogg36 said: "Is anyone ever going to tell me whether Chenoweth made a habit of generally acknowledging significant deaths on her social media? Because, even if I accept the unlikely proposition that she hadn't heard about Hortman's assassination, you sure as hell aren't going to convince me that Kirk's death is the first murder she ever heard about.

The point is, if she went out of her way to acknowledge his death in a way that she hadn't usually done before, that would be very telling about where her priorities lie."

No one cares to convince you because convincing you doesn't matter either way. You don't like her, cool. 

[The Bandstand]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:18pm

Greg nobile posted a pic of Jackie in front of the marquee. Honestly, the show seems to be doing decent at the box office for the next two months.  And people hardly buy in advance anymore. Im sure they are going to get the good word of mouth and good reviews based on how well received her performance was in Boston.  They will have a large media campaign once they begin performances. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:31pm

The Bandstand said: "Greg nobile posted a pic of Jackie in front of the marquee. Honestly, the show seems to be doing decent at the box office for the next two months. And people hardly buy in advance anymore. Im sure they are going to get the good word of mouth and good reviews based on how well received her performance was in Boston. They will have a large media campaign once they

 

Updated On: 9/24/25 at 09:31 PM

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:53pm

The Bandstand said: "Greg nobile posted a pic of Jackie in front of the marquee. Honestly, the show seems to be doing decent at the box office for the next two months. And people hardly buy in advance anymore. Im sure they are going to get the good word of mouth and good reviews based on how well received her performance was in Boston. They will have a large media campaign once they begin performances."
 

Updated On: 10/7/25 at 09:53 PM

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 10:12pm

The Bandstand said: "Honestly, I didn’t even know about Hortmanuntil the killing of Kirk. I think it’s false equivalency to compare the two since one got so much more media attention thanthe other, sadly."

OT: It’s a shame and telling that Hortman didn’t get the same attention. The President was callous about her death. Flags were not at half mast. My local (Republican) Congressman immediately launched into falsehoods and derision about her assassination. 
 
I knew Hortman. She lived about two hours north. We were involved in a lot of the same causes. I mourned her death and railed against the political violence that killed her without much national support. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t keep score of who publicly acknowledged her and who didn’t. I don’t care about performative grief. But I can also now see the false equivalency and hypocrisy of the people that are claiming some sort of moral high ground or exception about the death of another.

Updated On: 9/23/25 at 10:12 PM

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 10:19pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Eva Peron was arguably a scummy person, and arguably irrelevant in 1978. Quality can transcend everything!

Imelda Marcos is definitely a scummy person and arguably irrelevant, and yet a quality musical about her flopped on Broadway.

Timing can also transcend everything.

 

[Ensemble1726583963]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 10:56pm

kdogg36 said: "PaigeTurner2 said: "I think the main reason that people are reacting more to Charlie Kirk's death than Melissa Hortman's, even if you disagree with his politics, is the manner in which he was killed."

I imagine you can only mean that Kirk's killing was captured on film. Hortman's death was in no conceivable way less violent, and her murderer also killed her husband and pet."

I literally said in my post that "I'm sure Hortman's [death] was equally violent". I wasn't trying to take away from her death or the horribleness of it all. I was just commenting that I think people are very unused to seeing the reality of gun violence and so are reacting more viscerally to his death than they otherwise might.

 

Updated On: 9/23/25 at 10:56 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 11:32pm

gibsons2 said: "pagereynolds said: "gibsons2 said: "jlindsey865 said: "This was going to bomb with or without Chenoweth’s ignorant Kirk remarks."

Absolutely. Incredible that people haven't learned after Tammy fiasco. Stop making musicals about scummy people, dead or alive."

What a strange comment. Tammy Faye was a well known advocate for people with AIDS. Like, she had a lot of faults but she wasn't scummy."

Debatable. Both of her husbands were convcitedoffraud. Would be silly to think she hasn't fully participated in those schemes."

I'm glad at least one other person gets this. The way a campy personality makes a lot of people forget/ignore behavior suprises me. I mean, does anyone really believe she had NO idea what Jim Bakker was doing, or how they managed to raise all that money for an amusement part and a lavish personal lifestyle? I mean, come on. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 9/24/25 at 12:11am

KFC1991 said: "No one cares to convince you because convincing you doesn't matter either way. You don't like her, cool."

You're very wrong about that. I have loved her in the past, and I would like to keep loving her. I've repeatedly expressed hope that someone could supply evidence that would negate my assumption that she went out of her way to acknowledge Kirk's death.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 9/24/25 at 6:45am

“Went out of her way to acknowledge his death”

Can we be real? She commented on an Instagram post. Something that can be done both from your toilet seat and the train platform. You guys are acting like she took a full page out in the Times memorializing him and his ideals. 

This whole thing is being blown out of proportion with these misdirected reactions. This is not the nail in the coffin for QOV, the show itself is doing that job just fine.

Chenoweth can be a nightmare (personal experiences) and she has consistently aligned herself with ‘both sides of the aisle’. This choice to comment or even support should not be surprising to anyone. She was raised Southern Baptist and performs with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I suggest everyone level their expectations, listen when people tell you who they are, and let fools put their foot in their mouth and make an ass of themselves, who cares. Focus on the real enemies at play and quit falling for these dumb distractions.

[BJR]

Posted: 9/24/25 at 10:32am

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "“Focus on the real enemies at play and quit falling for these dumb distractions."

This, y'all.

Punishing her or the show is certainly easier than holding space for your feelings and fear around the cruelty happening throughout our country, easier than organizing and building a political resistance. But if the show fails, it doesn't move any needle. It was a dumb thing to do, but they are far bigger fish to fry.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/24/25 at 11:28am

To those harping on the "proportions" to which this has been blown: damage control in public relations is an art and a science. If handled efficiently, it's like putting out a kitchen fire. Two days later, you smell some burnt food but you cook something new.

Ms. Chenoweth has had a publicist for decades. She and her team know well the shelf life of such controversy, how silence breeds a "proportions" increase, not reduction, and inevitable consumer consequences. It isn't a question of a theater board chatter; it's the buzz around any project, particularly in a high profile launch or amendment of creatives (see Maybe Happy Ending). We can debate whether the remark earned the buzz, but it happened. Had the PR team issued an amplification in 24 hours, Chenoweth moving beyond her single talking point rebuttal (LGBTQ ally + Christian = KC) it could've been history.  Scolding those debating whether consequences are deserved is part of what we do here. But this star has created a problem that only she can solve. 

Updated On: 9/24/25 at 11:28 AM

[60'splayoff]

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

I've only had my eye on first preview tickets so I can't comment on other dates... but they just opened the balcony, however only F-H.

I wonder if that mansion is giving them sight line nightmares. They're clearly holding the same side Orch seats that they did for Sunset- just curious if that will be for rush/lotto or they'll eventually sell them.

[The Bandstand]

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

Why would they open up the back balcony seats but not the front balcony seats?  It’s the opposite for the Saturday October 11 performance 

[60'splayoff]

Posted: 9/25/25 at 10:53am

I saw that... and then the entire balcony is unavailable again starting on Tue until Sat, 10/18. Very strange.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 9/29/25 at 6:58pm

Chenoweth has a new gig lined up. She'll be free for it soon enough.

Kristin Chenoweth Stars In Church Choir Comedy In Works At NBC From Alissa Neubauer, Kapital & 3 Arts

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/29/25 at 7:02pm

She is already recuring on Stumble, so I don't know how this is going to work with her schedule. But, if it means Sherie gets more performances? Hell yes.

[violetsandroses]

Posted: 9/29/25 at 8:24pm

This is like.....not the announcement you'd want to make after the recent mess but here we are. I wish the show luck because they'll need it. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/29/25 at 9:04pm

It’s an odd show given the source material. They aren’t good people doing good things…

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 9/29/25 at 9:07pm

RippedMan said: "It’s an odd show given the source material. They aren’t good people doing good things…"

Wait until you hear about Sweeney Todd or Assassins.

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 9/29/25 at 9:46pm

pagereynolds said: "RippedMan said: "It’s an odd show given the source material. They aren’t good people doing good things…"

Wait until you hear about Sweeney Todd or Assassins."

If this show had the tone of Sweeney Todd or Assassins, it wouldn’t be in (as much) trouble.

Now imagine an Assassins where “Everybody has the right to their dreams” is presented as an unironic self-affirmation, but yassified. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 12:13am

EmceeHammer said: "If this show had the tone of Sweeney Todd or Assassins, it wouldn’t be in (as much) trouble.

Now imagine an Assassins where “Everybody has the right to their dreams” is presented as an unironic self-affirmation, but yassified."

It's funny you say that because as one of the few defenders of the Boston production, I think it's painted with a bit of the same brush as Assassins, though in no way was it as masterful.  But both are about chasing one's own definition of the American dream, and while Assassins demonstrates the characters that do that at the cost of societal order, Versailles shows the personal cost, even when Jackie doesn't realize it.  I thought it was really fascinating to see how her obsession with her "American dream" came at the cost of the other things she would've valued and prioritized before, and I found that the show ultimately painted her as an ironic tragic figure, one who was too blinded by her ambition to realize just how tragic her life had become.