The Queen of Versailles review: the crown slips for Broadway’s brightest star
"Even Broadway’s brightest can’t build their own Versailles," says critic Kyle Torrence
The Queen of Versailles on Broadway stars Wicked icon Kristin Chenoweth as Jackie Siegel in the St. James Theatre production, inspired by the 2012 documentary about Jackie and David Siegel.
Described as a “sociological fairy tale” on the official Queen of Versailles website, the musical sets out to critique fame, consumerism, and the superficiality of wealth, all while surrounding the Siegels’ eight children.
Opening to the public on 9 November 2025 and scheduled to continue running through 29 March 2026, here is Attitude’s honest review of Tony Award winner Michael Arden’s production.
I was fascinated by Jackie Siegel (played by Kristin Chenoweth) and her husband, David A. Siegel (F. Murray Abraham), when the original Queen of Versailles documentary aired. They defined that early-2000s era of reality TV, before “personal brands” and curated chaos, when people were unfiltered, oblivious and irresistibly watchable. Jackie, building her own Versailles in Orlando with a house full of kids, pets, and staff, became a uniquely American spectacle.
Her husband, founder of Westgate Resorts, funded the fantasy until the 2008 crash. Since then, fortunes have been lost and regained, a daughter has tragically died, David has passed away, and Versailles itself still isn’t finished.
“There isn’t a single likeable character”
Why anyone thought this should be a musical is a mystery. Why Broadway’s brightest said yes is even harder to fathom. Not since Once Upon a One More Time have I seen a show so misguided it bordered on offensive to musical theatre itself. There isn’t a single likeable character, memorable song, or reason for this to exist. The audience around me sat in stunned disbelief. How did no one, in any of the many rooms this show passed through, ever say, “Stop”?
“She [Kristin Chenoweth] abandons Jackie’s signature drawl entirely”
The musical ping-pongs between Marie Antoinette’s Versailles and the Siegels’ half-finished Orlando home. Chenoweth’s first big number, “Caviar Dreams,” attempts to earn sympathy from a modest-means-to-millionaire story that never quite lands. Her performance vacillates between country twang and operatic soprano, without clear purpose, and she abandons Jackie’s signature drawl entirely. Was this Chenoweth’s choice, or director Michael Arden’s?
“Cassondra James’s Marie Antoinette is the standout”
Cassondra James’s Marie Antoinette is the standout – commanding, funny and vocally thrilling. F. Murray Abraham, meanwhile, feels tragically miscast; how the man from Amadeus ended up sitting in his dressing room listening to a duet about a dead lizard is beyond comprehension. Nina White (Victoria) and Tatum Grace Hopkins (Jonquil) give their all, but—like Jackie’s children—they’re let down by both the material and the materialism.
“No amount of sparkle can disguise an empty core”
Christian Cowan’s costumes and Dane Laffrey’s scenic and video design are dazzling; each tableau looks ripped straight from the documentary, especially the jaw-dropping replica of the Siegel mansion. But no amount of sparkle can disguise an empty core.
In the end, The Queen of Versailles proves that even Broadway’s brightest can’t build their own Versailles… at least not one that stands.
Tickets are available now to see The Queen of Versailles on Broadway on the official Queen of Versailles website.