Kristin Chenoweth musical The Queen of Versailles to end Broadway run in January
Kristin Chenoweth’s new musical The Queen of Versailles will end its Broadway engagement early in the new year, after less than two months in performance.
Producers announced that the show will play its final performance at the St James Theatre on 4 January, bringing a swift close to one of the most talked about new titles of the autumn season. The production opened officially on 9 November after beginning previews on 8 October.
The early closure adds to a growing list of new Broadway musicals that have struggled to build an audience this year, despite major stars and strong creative teams behind them.
High profile project with fast fade
Inspired by Lauren Greenfield’s 2012 documentary of the same name, The Queen of Versailles follows a wealthy Florida couple attempting to construct a 90,000 square foot palatial home in the shadow of the 2008 financial crisis.
The show was widely watched by industry insiders thanks to its headline partnership between Chenoweth and composer lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who previously collaborated on the smash hit Wicked, where Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda.
Chenoweth leads the musical as Jackie Siegel, with Oscar winner F Murray Abraham as her much older husband. The Broadway production is directed by Michael Arden, who won Tony Awards for his recent revivals of Parade and Maybe Happy Ending.
The musical first played a try out run at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre in 2024, where positive box office results helped secure a Broadway transfer for the 2025 26 season.
Mixed reviews and challenging marketplace
Critical reaction in New York has been muted. Reviews have frequently praised the cast and production values while questioning the structure and length of the nearly three hour show. Variety noted that the first act held interest, but reported that momentum slackened in the second half.
The announcement of an early closing date comes amid a broader conversation about the risks facing original or less familiar musicals on Broadway. Even with a star of Chenoweth’s stature and the name recognition of Schwartz, The Queen of Versailles has found it difficult to achieve the sustained sales needed to survive in an increasingly competitive landscape.
For Chenoweth, however, the project has represented a long awaited opportunity. Ahead of previews she described Jackie Siegel as the kind of role she had been waiting for, after years of saying that her dream part had not yet been written.
Audiences now have a limited window to see that dream realised. The Queen of Versailles continues at the St James Theatre through 4 January, after which the lights on this particular palace will go dark on Broadway.
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