NEED TO KNOW
The Queen of Versailles will end its run at the St. James Theatre on January 4, 2026, after less than three months
Kristin Chenoweth leads the musical alongside F. Murray Abraham, with direction by Tony winner Michael Arden and music by Stephen Schwartz
The musical explores Jackie and David Siegel’s $100 million home in Florida, and the highs and lows of the American Dream
Kristin Chenoweth’s current reign on Broadway is ending earlier than expected.
The Tony Award winner’s current project, The Queen of Versailles, will play its final performance at the St. James Theatre in New York City on Jan. 4, 2026, concluding its Broadway run less than three months after performances began.
Producers announced the news on Monday, Nov. 24. The show — which will have played 65 regular performances and 32 preview performances at the time of closing — opened to tepid reviews on Nov. 9, though has been bringing in over $1 million in grosses in the past two weeks, according to figures provided by the Broadway League. That’s up considerably since previews kicked off on Oct. 8.
Still, a lack of advance sales is likely to blame to Versailles’ early demise. The business of Broadway has become particularly difficult in recent years, making it harder for new musicals to succeed even with star-power like Chenoweth attached.
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Julieta Cervantes
Kristin Chenoweth in ‘The Queen of Versailles’ on Broadway
The Queen of Versailles features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippen, Godspell) and a book by Lindsey Ferrentino. Direction comes from Michael Arden, the two-time Tony-winning visionary behind Maybe Happy Ending and Parade.
An adaptation of Lauren Greenfield’s 2012 film of the same name, the musical tells the larger-than-life story of Florida socialite Jackie Siegel and her unfinished $100 million quest to build the biggest private home in the United States (a 90,000-square-foot mega-mansion in the middle of Orlando modeled after the French palace of the same name).
Coincidentally, Jackie’s dream — like, now, the Broadway show — was thwarted by financial problems; specifically, the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. All these years later, Jackie still hasn’t spent a single night in the property.
Julieta Cervantes
Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham in ‘The Queen of Versailles’ on Broadway
Joining Chenoweth on stage is Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham as her husband, the late timeshare guru David Seigel (who died in April 2025 at the age of 89).
The cast also features Melody Butiu (as Sofia), Stephen DeRosa (as John), Greg Hildreth (as Gary), Tatum Grace Hopkins (as Jonquil), Isabel Keating (as Debbie) and Nina White (as Victoria, Jackie’s daughter who died of an accidental drug overdose in June 2015 at the age of 18). Broadway favorite Sherie Rene Scott serves as standby for Chenoweth.
Surringing them is a large ensemble company including Yeman Brown, David Aron Damane, Drew Elhamalawy, Christopher Gurr, KJ Hippensteel, Cassondra James, Andrew Kober, Jesse Kovarsky, Pablo David Laucerica, Travis Murad Leland, Ryah Nixon, Shea Renne, Michael McCorry Rose, Grace Slear, Anne Fraser Thomas and Jake Bentley Young.
All are in top form — especially Chenoweth, who is delivering one of her boldest, most surprising performances ever.
As Jackie, the Emmy winner, 57, steps away from the broad, wink-to-the-audience comedy she’s often known for and instead embraces a quieter, more lived-in approach. Chenoweth dives into the humanity behind the caricature, capturing the contradictions that made Jackie a pop-culture sensation — her relentless drive, her humor and her stubborn belief in a fantasy even as the walls around her crumble.
She also sounds incredible doing it, too. Chenoweth’s voice is in peak form, effortlessly swooning, soaring, and yes, belting her way through Schwartz’s original score in their first collaboration since Wicked.
It’s a thrill to witness, and a performances audiences only have a few more weeks to catch.
Tickets to The Queen of Versailles are now on sale.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
