THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES with Kristin Chenowith & F. Murray Abraham to open at St. James in November- Page 17

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 7:57am

I meant more like it’s a weird time to make a show where we are suppose to care about these Republicans hoarding all their wealth… but yeah I see your point 

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 8:02am

Thanks for that pushback and deeper analysis. I’m a huge fan of the original documentary and have been dreading just how much this show will miss the point. Your reaction gives me hope. 

Perhaps Assassins isn’t the best comp for my concerns. Is this more like Great Gatsby where they bury and/or totally miss the social criticism of the source material to make the lead more likable?

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 8:33am

I've said this elsewhere, but as someone who saw the Boston run, I really enjoyed this show, despite it being imperfect.

The final moments of Jackie standing in the completed foyer of the house, alone is impactful. It shows that the money can't buy everything, and it reminds me of the great lyric in "Thank Goodness" from Wicked: "Because getting your dreams, it's strange but it seems a little complicated. There's a kind of, sort of cost. A couple of things get lost. There are bridges you've crossed you didn't know you've crossed until you've crossed".

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 8:46am

fashionguru_23 said: "I've said this elsewhere, but as someone who saw the Boston run, I really enjoyed this show, despite it being imperfect.

The final moments of Jackie standing in the completed foyer of the house, alone is impactful. It shows that the money can't buy everything, and it reminds me of the great lyric in "Thank Goodness" from Wicked: "Because getting your dreams, it's strange but it seems a little complicated. There's a kind of, sort of cost. A couple of things get lost. There are bridges you've crossed you didn't know you've crossed until you've crossed"."


Maybe the worst lyric in Wicked lol

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 9:11am

fashionguru_23 said: "I've said this elsewhere, but as someone who saw the Boston run, I really enjoyed this show, despite it being imperfect.

The final moments of Jackie standing in the completed foyer of the house, alone is impactful. It shows that the money can't buy everything, and it reminds me of the great lyric in "Thank Goodness" from Wicked: "Because getting your dreams, it's strange but it seems a little complicated. There's a kind of, sort of cost. A couple of things get lost. There are bridges you've crossed you didn't know you've crossed until you've crossed"."

So after 3 hours of celebrating greed and excess we get a silent “maybe this wasn’t worth it?” If your take is even actually what they intend. 

[east side story]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 11:13am

TotallyEffed said: "fashionguru_23 said: "I've said this elsewhere, but as someone who saw the Boston run, I really enjoyed this show, despite it being imperfect.

The final moments of Jackie standing in the completed foyer of the house, alone is impactful. It shows that the money can't buy everything, and it reminds me of the great lyric in "Thank Goodness" from Wicked: "Because getting your dreams, it's strange but it seems a little complicated. There's a kind of, sort of cost. A couple of things get lost. There are bridges you've crossed you didn't know you've crossed until you've crossed"."


Maybe the worst lyric in Wicked lol"

AGREED. 

 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 11:26am

EmceeHammer said: "Thanks for that pushback and deeper analysis. I’m a huge fan of the original documentary and have been dreading just how much this show will miss the point. Your reaction gives me hope.

Perhaps Assassins isn’t the best comp for my concerns. Is this more like Great Gatsby where they bury and/or totally miss the social criticism of the source material to make the lead more likable?"

I haven't seen the documentary so I can't speak to that, but I definitely saw a portrait of a woman who strove for wealth to the point where she lost just about everything else substantial in her life, similar to what another poster said.  I found it fairly damning, but I think it requires some critical thinking of the audience.  I'd also push back on the person that says it celebrates greed and excess because I don't think the show does that at all.  At various points you see how Jackie's flightiness and blissful ignorance in the face of chasing that excess blinds her to larger issues at hand, which culminates in a moment of tragedy, and the way that she reacts to that moment also shows just how far off the deep end she's gone.

I don't think it was a perfect show, and the main work they'll need to do is to fine tune the tone of the show so that it comes across more clearly, though I think part of it might also be that Kristin Chenoweth is just so damn charismatic on stage that you want to like her.  But I felt that she really understood the tragedy of the character at the end of the show and was perhaps a bit ahead of Michael Arden in that aspect.

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 11:41am

chrishuyen said: "EmceeHammer said: "Thanks for that pushback and deeper analysis. I’m a huge fan of the original documentary and have been dreading just how much this show will miss the point. Your reaction gives me hope.

Perhaps Assassins isn’t the best comp for my concerns. Is this more like Great Gatsby where they bury and/or totally miss the social criticism of the source material to make the lead more likable?"

I haven't seen the documentary so I can't speak to that, but I definitely saw a portrait of a woman who strove for wealth to the point where she lost just about everything else substantial in her life, similar to what another poster said. I found it fairly damning, but I think it requires some critical thinking of the audience. I'd also push back on the person that says it celebrates greed and excess because I don't think the show does that at all. At various points you see how Jackie's flightiness and blissful ignorance in the face of chasing that excess blinds her to larger issues at hand, which culminates in a moment of tragedy, and the way that she reacts to that moment also shows just how far off the deep end she's gone.

I don't think it was a perfect show, and the main work they'll need to do is to fine tune the tone of the show so that it comes across more clearly, though I think part of it might also be that Kristin Chenoweth is just so damn charismatic on stage that you want to like her. But I felt that she really understood the tragedy of the character at the end of the show and was perhaps a bit ahead of Michael Arden in that aspect."

 

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 11:45am

chrishuyen said: "EmceeHammer said: "Thanks for that pushback and deeper analysis. I’m a huge fan of the original documentary and have been dreading just how much this show will miss the point. Your reaction gives me hope.

Perhaps Assassins isn’t the best comp for my concerns. Is this more like Great Gatsby where they bury and/or totally miss the social criticism of the source material to make the lead more likable?"

I haven't seen the documentary so I can't speak to that, but I definitely saw a portrait of a woman who strove for wealth to the point where she lost just about everything else substantial in her life, similar to what another poster said. I found it fairly damning, but I think it requires some critical thinking of the audience. I'd also push back on the person that says it celebrates greed and excess because I don't think the show does that at all. At various points you see how Jackie's flightiness and blissful ignorance in the face of chasing that excess blinds her to larger issues at hand, which culminates in a moment of tragedy, and the way that she reacts to that moment also shows just how far off the deep end she's gone.

I don't think it was a perfect show, and the main work they'll need to do is to fine tune the tone of the show so that it comes across more clearly, though I think part of it might also be that Kristin Chenoweth is just so damn charismatic on stage that you want to like her. But I felt that she really understood the tragedy of the character at the end of the show and was perhaps a bit ahead of Michael Arden in that aspect."

Look at the campaign and the Caviar Dreams song they released....they are selling greed and excess from a gold digger. The real woman spends more time at Mar a Lago than Melania does. There is not a deeper story drive into remorse or contrition or god forbid having learned compassion for those less fortunate. She has always wanted to be rich and famous and now this musical is her latest attempt at fame.  Bad moment in time to be celebrating a "let them eat cake musical." 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 12:10pm

Ensemble1711444445 said: "Bad moment in time to be celebrating a "let them eat cakemusical.""

But the short-lived Gershwin brothers sequel LET EM EAT CAKE went so well in 1933!!!

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 4:06pm

Where are the discounts??? They really need to offer some to sell all those empty seats. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 6:21pm

It's obvious they don't think they need it, since the sole code is like 10% off which isn't enough. Sales have not increased at all, so whomever wants to see this, see it quickly.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 7:12pm

Ensemble1711444445 said: "
Look at the campaign and the Caviar Dreams song they released....they are selling greed and excess froma gold digger. The real woman spends more time at Mar a Lago than Melania does. There is not a deeper story drive intoremorse or contrition or god forbid having learned compassion for those less fortunate. She has always wanted to be rich and famous and now this musical is her latest attempt at fame. Bad moment in time to be celebrating a "let them eat cakemusical.""

I'm fully with chrishuyen on this, but I will also concede that the advertising campaign feels wrong for right now, especially.  But... I can't really think of the alternative.  Do a deep dive into how much her relentless goal for a shallow take on the American dream lost her (I assume people know about one key very personal loss?)  A tagline like "She thought she was living the American Dream!  How blind she was, trapped in her American nightmare."  OK, I can't write taglines, but you get my point.  Still, the way they are selling it is obviously not working...

(I also don't think it helps that the real life "Queen of Versailles" has so embraced the show, bringing her real housewives type friends to see it decked out in their cheap-finery, etc, with no sense of the fact that the musical... doesn't really celebrate her.  But I'm not sure again how they can handle that any differently if they want to do the show.  Especially considering her role as a producer--in name only, obviously like most current Broadway producers.)

 

Updated On: 10/1/25 at 07:12 PM

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 9/30/25 at 9:16pm

Maybe this is a “let them have their cake and eat it too” musical.