Podcast Summary: "The Queen of Versailles starring Kristin Chenoweth (St. James Theatre, Broadway) - ★★ REVIEW"
Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic)
Episode Date: November 29, 2025
Overview
In this episode, theatre critic Mickey Jo delivers a thorough and candid review of "The Queen of Versailles," the new Broadway musical starring Kristin Chenoweth and featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The show, adapted from the celebrated documentary about Jackie Siegel and her famously lavish lifestyle, is dissected in terms of performances, book, score, direction, social context, and overall impact. Mickey Jo does not hold back in his critique, questioning both the intentions and the execution of this high-profile, but ultimately unsuccessful, production.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Context: Hype, Controversy, and Early Closure
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[01:22] The musical generated early curiosity and skepticism, with Mickey Jo recounting:
“Is it as bad as we've heard? And my reply to all of them was the same. I regret to inform you it's actually worse.”
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The show announced an early closure before Mickey Jo could even publish his review, prompting industry debate about celebrating flop closures in a harsh economic climate.
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Mickey Jo expresses sympathy for all involved but insists honest criticism is necessary, regardless of a show’s impending closure:
"[03:08] ...the human cost of the whole thing is no justification for bad art. Otherwise, this is all going to happen all over again."
2. The Kristin Chenoweth Factor & Star Vehicles
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[05:55] The musical is unambiguously a “star vehicle” built around Chenoweth—producer and performer—much like past Broadway attempts to showcase her (and, by comparison, Idina Menzel).
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Mickey Jo questions whether Chenoweth is doing her best work:
“I, perhaps controversially do not think that Kristin Chenoweth is giving a stellar performance in this show. I think she's giving a lot of a performance because that's what it's been built to be.” [07:46]
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The structure and moments are engineered to deliver what Chenoweth’s fans expect—belting, high notes, comedic naïveté, and ultimately, an “awakening” moment.
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Parallels are drawn to Idina Menzel’s recent "Redwood," and a recurring lament about Broadway adapting star personas at the expense of character or nuance:
“She doesn't disappear into a character. She is unmistakably throughout this Kristin Chenoweth doing what audiences want her to do on stage...” [08:46]
3. What Is "The Queen of Versailles"?
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[12:22] Explanation for the uninitiated:
- Based on the 2012 documentary, the musical tells the story of Jackie Siegel, who rose from a working-class background to become an over-the-top trophy wife of billionaire David Siegel, fixated on building America’s largest home—a replica of Versailles in Florida.
- The story is punctuated by the 2008 financial crash, the halt of construction, and Jackie’s fascination with fame and reality TV.
- Real-life Jackie Siegel is actively engaged with the production, and her political associations ("celebrates how great maga, politics and Trump are") loom tediously over the narrative.
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The show employs flashback sequences, including surreal encounters with 18th-century French aristocracy, to little effect:
“There is one little moment that cuts through when they are being led to the guillotine...and they sing something about how the working class in the US right now...will never instigate a revolution in the same way that the French did...because they have been, via this false idea of democracy, conned into believing that they all have the capacity to become millionaires and billionaires. And so they will support those who do. Which did hit me just a little bit. Certainly more so than anything else that the show had to say. I just felt it was sort of misplaced in this particular story.” [15:40]
4. The Central Problem: Reluctance to Take a Stand
- [16:32] The show attempts to be apolitical, strenuously avoiding moral judgement about Jackie Siegel or the surrounding excess:
“...this musical...seems to strive to a deliberately apolitical choice when it comes to how her story is going to be told.”
- The result is a muddled tone—audiences could interpret Jackie’s journey either as a cautionary tale or a celebration of resilience and wealth.
- Mickey Jo’s frustration is clear:
“It's impossible to determine whether or not this show is actually trying to tell you a cautionary tale or trying to depict her positively.” [18:36] “I do wish that the show would figure out how to at least pick up a knife. That makes it sound like I wanted someone to be stabbed. And that's not what I'm suggesting...I'm just frustrated about this show because I think there is an interesting enough story to be told here." [19:25]
5. Score, Book, and Direction
Music by Stephen Schwartz & Book by Lindsey Ferrentino
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[22:28] The highly-anticipated collaboration between Chenoweth and Schwartz falls short.
- Mickey Jo is particularly harsh about the songs:
“The Queen of Versailles is, to my mind, the worst work of Stephen Schwartz's career that I've heard.” [24:55]
- Songs lack character and memorable melody; only a handful (like “Pretty Wins”) linger at all, though more for volume than substance.
- Attempts at country twang do not square with the show's Florida setting.
- Mickey Jo is particularly harsh about the songs:
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Notable Review of Book/Scenes:
- The scenes/structure are criticized as “pedestrian”—flashbacks are handled obviously, leaving no room for deeper parallel or innovation.
- Emotional beats, especially relating to Jackie’s difficult backstory or the arc of her daughter Victoria, are dropped or under-explored.
- The show “spends the entire duration telling us stuff, but not really showing us and not digging into those feelings either.” [31:20]
Direction by Michael Arden
- Despite Arden’s impressive Broadway track record, his touch is absent here:
“...what he did here does feel a lot like what I describe as directing traffic rather than really honing a show and turning it into a diamond.” [22:56]
- The impression is that Arden's directorial strengths were stifled or ignored.
6. Standout Performances & Characters
- Besides Chenoweth, Nina White as Victoria (Jackie’s daughter) receives praise for her emotional delivery in “Pretty Wins”, even if the song content is lacking.
- Supporting characters (e.g., Jonquil, played by Tatum Grace Hopkins) illustrate some domestic/family dynamics, but their arcs are often left underdeveloped.
7. Visuals, Sets, and Costumes
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[35:00] Production values are — with one notable exception — universally praised:
- “...there is a slickness in the direction and what [Michael Arden] is able to achieve on this legitimately extraordinary set...it is vast and gorgeous.”
- Scenic design by Dane Laffrey, costumes by Christian Cowan stand out, as does the use of live video, screens, and a multi-tiered set to suggest Versailles’s scale.
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The visual effect is so sumptuous that Mickey Jo admits “if you couldn't hear any of it, if you were to just look at the thing, then you might be able to enjoy it.”
8. Summative Thoughts and Final Takeaways
- The show's greatest sin is its lack of conviction or insight about its subject—a by-product, perhaps, of trying to keep everyone (especially political/demographic divides) "on side.”
- Mickey Jo's recommendation:
“If you have the choice to see literally anything else on or off Broadway, go see that instead.” [41:37]
- He expresses doubt about the show's legacy, predicting a swift fading into Broadway obscurity and cautioning that even the "star performance" can’t redeem weak material.
Notable Quotes
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On the Critical Mission:
“It is important to honestly and accurately appraise the quality of theatre, and the human cost of the whole thing is no justification for bad art.” [03:08] -
On Kristin Chenoweth’s Performance:
“She is unmistakably throughout this Kristin Chenoweth doing what audiences want her to do on stage.” [08:46] -
On the Book and Themes:
“It's impossible to determine whether or not this show is actually trying to tell you a cautionary tale or trying to depict her positively. And it feels like Chenoweth...is trying to bring real humanity and honesty to this character...but the material has this reluctance to really kind of criticize Jackie in the way that we might expect it to.” [18:36] -
On Stephen Schwartz’s Score:
“The Queen of Versailles is, to my mind, the worst work of Stephen Schwartz’s career that I’ve heard.” [24:55] -
On the Show’s Purpose:
“I can't tell you who this is meant to be for other than Jackie Siegel herself.” [43:07] -
On the Visuals:
“There is a certain amount of style and flourish to the visual presentation of the entire thing...you might be able to enjoy it.” [36:45]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:22 — Initial impressions/Chenoweth’s performance, show’s context and closure
- 05:55 — The "star vehicle" phenomenon for Broadway divas
- 12:22 — Explanation of the plot and main characters (Jackie Siegel/Versailles)
- 16:32 — Central flaw: refusal to critique or own a perspective
- 22:28 — Score and book review (Schwartz/Ferrentino); Arden’s direction
- 24:55 — "Worst work" critique of the Schwartz score
- 35:00 — Praise for set, costumes, and visual design
- 41:37 — Final judgement and recommendation
Conclusion
Mickey Jo’s review is an unapologetic dissection of a star-driven, visually opulent production that tries so hard not to offend, it ultimately fails to say anything meaningful at all. While Chenoweth gives audiences what they expect vocally and in persona, the material, music, and construction leave little substance and even less emotional truth. The one highlight—spectacular sets and costumes—cannot compensate for the lack of conviction or clarity.
Final Take: “If you have the choice to see literally anything else on or off Broadway, go see that instead.” [41:37]