The Queen of Versailles

Starring: Kristin Chenoweth, F. Murray Abraham, Melody Butiu, Stephen DeRosa, Greg Hildreth, Tatum Grace Hopkins, Isabel Keating, Nina White
Directed by: Michael Arden
Music & Lyrics by: Stephen Schwartz
Genre: Musical, Comedy, Drama
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Based on the true story of Jackie (Kristin Chenoweth) and David Siegel (F. Murray Abraham), who are building an enormous palace in Florida, but see their life upturned after the 2008 financial crisis halts their plans.

Review:

Tim: I got to see the pre-Broadway debut of The Queen of Versailles. It opened at Emerson Colonial Theater in Boston, MA in 2024, previous to its eventual opening in New York. I enjoyed the production and it was fun seeing the cast delivering these larger-than-life performances. It was a nice reminder for me of the power of theatrical productions.

After seeing the musical, I suspect it'll have a successful Broadway run. The production values are extensive and extremely well done- the opulence of the Florida "Palace of Versailles" is well represented on stage. The various sets are detailed and beautiful and it absolutely helps set the stage for this uniquely American musical. I've seen numerous productions where they took a more minimalist approach to the set design- that was absolutely not the case here, in keeping with the story.

The story is definitely an intriguing one. I'd never seen the documentary upon which this play was adapted, so the true story of Jackie and David Siegel was all new to me. This family is filled with big personalities (none bigger than Jackie) and watching these characters as the play progresses really shows you who they are at heart. This story is told beautifully and as it progresses, it becomes more and more of a story of American excess, how the never-ending pursuit of "more" eventually leads to heartache and devastation. This feels uniquely American in many ways and the worst of our country is captured for posterity in this musical.

The biggest reason I was interested in seeing this is because of the cast. I have to admit, though, I'm not a Kristin Chenoweth fan. I just don't get her. I don't get her voice, her mannerisms. The fact that she's a somewhat famous actress stuns me. However, she's obviously well-known in the theater world and I wanted to see her live. I admit, Chenoweth is perfect for this role. Jackie isn't the most likeable character- she's a bit of a nutbag, a woman whose past haunts her, a woman who makes increasingly odd choices as the play progresses that you scratch your head about. She was perfectly cast. I admit, her comedic timing is impeccable and she utters most of the funniest lines of the play. She's on stage for the vast majority of the production- it's definitely her show. I admit, she has talent. Even though this production didn't increase her likeability in my eyes, I admit she was the absolute perfect actress for this role.

I also loved getting to see the great F. Murray Abraham live on stage. How cool is that? Abraham is a great actor and he was fun to watch here. As much as this is Chenoweth's show, Murray is really in a supporting role. I expected him to have a bigger, more prominent role. He pops in here and there throughout the production and has a few nice moments, but he's clearly in a supporting role, purposely narrowed and focused. He acts well in the play, but it's not really about him. Nina White was solid as their daughter Jackie. I was very impressed with Tatum Grace Hopkins. From the second she shows up on screen, her performance had an undeniable energy to it. She's very early career, but from this performance, I believe she has the talent to make a name for herself. Her role is small and supporting, but she shines whenever she's on the stage. I left the production feeling very impressed with her. I'll have to keep an eye on what she does with her career from here. Melody Butui gives a nice supporting performance, too. The cast as a whole all work well.

Quick side note here- this is the first theatrical production I've reviewed on The Movie Files. I've considered it for a long time. I haven't seen many plays, but I've seen enough and seen enough incredible talent that it feels appropriate to add them to the mix. I'm certainly not well-versed in the world of theater, but I can learn.

The Queen of Versailles is definitely an interesting, engaging, humorous production. The costumes are excellent, the set design is fantastic. The musical numbers are solid, the performances of the cast are impressive. It's definitely not just a throwaway comedy. It's character-driven and I loved the cautionary tale about the quest for more. Excess rarely leads to good things and I loved that this production tackled those themes with alacrity. I might watch the documentary after this- Jackie Siegel seems like a problematic, misguided human being. Seeing her depicted as such on stage here is something I won't soon forget.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Production, We Recommend:
The Queen of Versailles (documentary), Lucky Guy