Kristin Chenoweth‘s ‘The Queen of Versailles’ to Close on Broadway after Less Than Two Months
NEW YORK – Kristinโฃ Chenoweth’s new Broadway musical, “The Queen of Versailles,” will conclude โฃits โrun at theโ St. James Theater on January 4, less than twoโ weeks after its official opening on November 9. The swift closure โunderscores the challenges facing newโค musicals on Broadway, as productions struggleโค to resonate with audiences โand maintain financial viability.
Based โขon Lauren Greenfield’s 2012 documentary, “The Queen of Versailles” followsโค a โFlorida โขcouple’s attempt to build a massive โขestate โคduring the 2008 โeconomic crisis.Despite a high-profile cast including โChenoweth and F. โMurray Abraham, andโข a reunion with composer Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked”), the show received mixed to negative reviews and failed to โขattract a enduring audience. The โproduction initially premieredโ at the Emerson Colonialโค Theatre in โBoston in 2024 before transferring to Broadway.
The musical, directed by Tony Award โขwinner michael Arden, marked a long-awaited role for Chenoweth, who โฃpreviously stated,โ “For years, people โhave asked me, ‘What’s your dream role?’โฆAndโข I’ve always responded, ‘It hasn’t โคbeen written yet.’ โคWell, it has now.”โฃ However,Variety’s โฃreview noted the nearly three-hour performance “began to drag” in the second act.
The closing of “The queen โขof Versailles”โฃ continues a recent trend of new Broadway musicalsโฃ facing premature ends, highlighting the competitive landscape and financial risks inherent in the industry.