THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES with Kristin Chenowith & F. Murray Abraham to open at St. James in November- Page 3

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 5:46pm

Kristin has never been a huge box office draw in her own right. The success of WICKED was sui generis; none of her subsequent Broadway appearances have been as lucrative or long-lasting. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 6:12pm

KrupYou said: "early sales are shockinglyweak. i thought kristin had a bigger fan base"


There’s barely any buzz. Feels like Redwood all over again but hopefully this show is better than that one at least.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 6:39pm

AC126748 said: "Kristin has never been a huge box office draw in her own right. The success of WICKED was sui generis; none of her subsequent Broadway appearances have been as lucrative or long-lasting."

She has only been in 3 shows since WICKED: two limited run Roundabout productions, and one commercial production which recouped (Promises Promises, in which she had a bigger costar).

This will be a massive test of drawing power and I have a hard time seeing it succeed unless major work has been done since the out of town.

On paper, it has a better director and composer than Redwood. Let’s see if they can put in the work. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 6:50pm

Sales are indeed very low and I’d also imagine some of those greyed-out seats are producer holds.

I looked at the show branding and I wonder if it’s a bit alienating. Rich woman in her mansion doesn’t exactly scream “Here’s something interesting to learn about and someone you want to know”. Kinda like that tv show about the pageant kids and their parents - you’ll only watch it if there’s nothing else on. 

Plus the title almost gives Lysistrata Jones a run for its money. 

Evita may get the St James yet. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 6:52pm

I just hope they’ve used this time to do significant work on the show. Without that, word of mouth will be poison for it.

[binau]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 6:55pm

There will be something bitter sweet if Idina Menzel in Redwood and Kristin Chenoweth in The Queen of Versailles tag team on the podium for biggest flops of their respective seasons. 

I don't like the idea that two of the biggest Broadway stars of my youth are losing relevance. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 7:19pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I just hope they’ve used this time to do significant work on the show. Without that, word of mouth will be poison for it."

The question is how much rework do you have to do to make the character likable.  The only reason the audience didn’t hate her was because she was played by KC.  

[dan94]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 7:23pm

binau said: "There will be something bitter sweet if Idina Menzel in Redwood and Kristin Chenoweth in The Queen of Versailles tag team on the podium for biggest flops of their respective seasons."

Tamela Faye would very much like a word re: last season

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 7:32pm

Jarethan said: "Jordan Catalano said: "I just hope they’ve used this time to do significant work on the show. Without that, word of mouth will be poison for it."

The question is how much rework do you have to do to make the character likable. The only reason the audience didn’t hate her was because she was played by KC. "

And that’s the major flaw of the show. A musical about a completely unlikable woman where the plot is “will this billionaire finish building her mansion?” I just want to know if they have found a way to make it about more than that, but I highly doubt they can. 

[bruceway]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 10:36pm

binau said: "There will be something bitter sweet if Idina Menzel in Redwood and Kristin Chenoweth in The Queen of Versailles tag team on the podium for biggest flops oftheir respective seasons.

I don't like the idea that two of the biggest Broadway stars of my youth are losing relevance."

Even if Queen somehow outflops Tammy Faye, I wouldn't say either one is losing relevance. The productions deserve the whole blame there. They might both be getting older but that happens to every Broadway actor.

 

[Crusty Bagel]

Posted: 8/6/25 at 7:07am

Kristin chose Versailles over Death becomes her

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/6/25 at 11:47am

I mean, it doesn't start for two more months but no one is talking about it and I've seen no advertising for it at all. Tickets are expensive, people don't buy much in advance anymore, and there's been no discounts that I've seen. They better get it together quickly before people realize how bad of a show this was/is?

[Crusty Bagel]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 5:29am

Why would they even choose to go into the st James?  It’s so big, they’ve already closed the balcony, Greg nobile needs to abandon doing musicals completely, he doesn’t know what he’s doing 

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 6:49am

I predict this is going to close pretty soon after it opens. I’d say a closing notice posted on Jan 6!

[THDavis]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 8:17am

I’ve only seen the first episode of the original TV show, but I believe I’ve seen Jackie and her husband on a few episodes of Below Deck and recall them making comments about COVID hoaxes and praising DJT. Let alone her husband’s tone deaf “I wonder what the poor people are doing today” comment while people in Florida can’t afford homeowners insurance and are fleeing the state’s support of free-flying swastikas outside of Disney World by MAGA supporters.   

Unless I’m completely mistaking my episodes, I can’t say it gave me much interest in seeing a musical about ultra wealthy people building a replica of a French palace in the Florida swamps. 

[DaveyG]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 9:14am

I greatly admire the creative team for this show but I agree that the Siegels are vile and I don't really want to see a musical about them. 

[inception]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 9:55am

Do you refuse to see Othello because Iago is a bad guy?  I haven't watched anything about the Siegels, I'm seeing this strictly for Chenoweth.   Maybe it would have been better to wait until they were both dead & then they could make her a full blown Iago.  But would Chenoweth want to do that?  Could she?  Doesn't feel like it would be in her wheelhouse.  Time will tell how this goes.

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 9:59am

The tickets are WAY too expensive and the producers are holding all the aisle seats and a lot of the best seats (which is a thing they do and I hate it....Chess is doing the same thing). That's why I haven't purchased a ticket. 

Updated On: 8/7/25 at 09:59 AM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 10:12am

I'm just waiting for a cast album, assuming this show records one. Stephen hasn't written much for the theatre since WICKED first opened.

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 10:48am

Someone posits that she ends up spending her golden years shuffling around her mansion alone. She actually sounds like the kind of woman who will probably end up with a 20 year old bf on her arm based on the things being said about her on the thread here, and the way the world is turning nowadays. And this I say knowing zero about her. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 12:04pm

inception said: "Do you refuse to see Othello because Iago is a bad guy? I haven't watched anything about the Siegels, I'm seeing this strictly forChenoweth. Maybe it would have been better to wait until they were both dead & then they could make her a full blown Iago. But would Chenoweth want to do that? Could she? Doesn't feel like it would be in her wheelhouse. Time will tell how this goes."

Of course, this is a musical comedy, not a dramatic tragedy.  Also, based on what I saw, this ain’t in any danger of being compared to Shakespeare.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 12:33pm

I hope they give everyone a dead lizard at the first preview. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 12:49pm

Anastasia_Beaverhausen said: "the producers are holding all the aisle seats and a lot of the best seats (which is a thing they do and I hate it....Chess is doing the same thing)"

Important for the show to have a bunch of really good House Seats available in case they are still raising money in previews and need to get potential investors in.

Plus seats for creative team, press, etc.

Some of those seats will likely become available -- and at a lower price -- as you get closer to the date of preference.

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 1:05pm

I get that, but the same seats are unavailable for every on-sale performance...even after it opens. So to me, it looks like they are greedy producers trying to get us to buy the crap seats that are there. 

Updated On: 8/7/25 at 01:05 PM

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/7/25 at 1:18pm

Anastasia_Beaverhausen said: "I get that, but the same seats are unavailable for every on-sale performance...even after it opens. So to me, it looks like they are greedy producers trying to get us to buy thecrap seats that are there."

I tend to agree with this. In theory, the “worse” but “cheaper” seats will sell earlier, and then closer to performance time buyers will be left with either “suddenly-available” premium or side/rear balcony/mezzanine.

This strategy may not work with this show, however.