‘It’s getting harder and harder’

It’s almost time for curtains for Kristin Chenoweth‘s new Broadway musical, The Queen of Versailles.

On Monday, it was announced that her new show — which opened just three weeks ago — will close on Jan. 4, and she shared a heartfelt video on Wednesday reacting to the abrupt ending.

“I know some of you may have heard that the Queen of Versailles on Broadway is closing,” Chenoweth said in an Instagram video filmed in her dressing room during an intermission of her show. “I just want to say that I’m so proud of this new art that we’ve created, and it’s getting harder and harder to do.”

The Tony winner went on to point out how difficult it has been the past few years for Broadway shows.

“I think about all the shows in the past couple of seasons that have come and gone, that not everybody got to see,” she said. “I just love Broadway so much, and I love audiences and a live art form.”

Chenoweth then thanked anyone who has seen Queen of Versailles at the St. James Theatre so far, and invited everyone to purchase tickets to see the show before it closes on Jan. 4.

“We’d love to see you here,” she added, before encouraging people to go and see any show on Broadway right now to support the arts. “Because Broadway is the best. You have a live performance art form, and there’s nothing better than to look out and share an experience with an audience.”

Watch her video below:

The Queen of Versailles is based on Lauren Greenfield’s 2012 documentary of the same name about billionaires Jackie and David Siegel trying to build a mansion in Florida inspired by the Palace of Versailles amid the 2008 financial crisis, which negatively impacted their assets and lifestyle.

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Chenoweth stars in the musical with F. Murray Abraham, with music and lyrics by Oscar-winner Stephen Schwartz (featuring the first time Chenoweth and Schwartz worked together on Broadway since the original run of Wicked). The book comes from Lindsey Ferrentino, and it is directed by Tony-winner Michael Arden.

The musical opened Nov. 9 to negative reviews, with Entertainment Weekly‘s Dalton Ross writing in a review that “the songs are just one of many problems plaguing an identity crisis of a show that doesn’t quite seem to know what it wants to be.” The show has grossed over $6 million so far after costing an estimated $22.5 million to launch, and was expected to run for much longer since ticketing websites had performances listed through March 29.

Chenoweth’s video was cut short when a voice on the loudspeaker announced a five-minute warning to take her place for the top of Act 2 — because the show must go on, even with the end looming.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly