Boston might be better known as a sports town, but the theater scene just scored a win. The Queen of Versailles—which reunites Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz with one of that show’s original stars, Kristin Chenoweth—had its opening night on Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, where limited tickets remain for its six-week pre-Broadway run. Based on Lauren Greenfield’s award-winning 2012 documentary, this riches-to-rags musical follows one megarich family’s attempt to build the largest house in America—just as the country hurtles toward economic crisis. Schwartz’s score and Chenoweth’s star turn add hilarity and pathos to this wild true-life saga.
The show opens with a historical vignette: France’s Louis XIV poses for a portrait and sings about how, at the ripe age of 23, he plans to build a country palace in the swamplands of Versailles. (Why? “Because I can.”) The excesses and challenges of his 18th-century endeavor are mirrored in the 2000s, but with Florida swapped in for France. The new version of the Sun King is billionaire businessman David Siegel (F. Murray Abraham), the so-called “Timeshare King,” and his queen is Jackie (Chenoweth), a computer engineer and mother of eight who won the Mrs. Florida Pageant in 1993; their would-be palace is a 90,000-square-foot, $100 million mansion modeled after the top three floors of the Paris Las Vegas hotel. A film crew is making a documentary about the construction of the house when the Great Recession of 2008 changes the Siegels’ plans.
You don’t need to have seen the film to follow the plot, but doing so will deepen your appreciation of how fully Chenoweth fills her larger-than-life character’s sparkly shoes. Her Jackie is tenacious to a fault, brilliantly oscillating between out of touch and in on the joke. She’s likable yet cringe: a symbol of unchecked capitalism but also an uncompromising mom who will do anything to secure her family’s future. And Chenoweth’s unique voice breathes Schwartz’s songs to vibrant life, especially in bops like “Caviar Dreams.”
Murray Abraham’s crotchety David is a perfect foil to Chenoweth’s perpetually positive Jackie, and his more tender moments bring texture to the role. Moody teens Victoria (Nina White) and Jonquil (Tatum Grace Hopkins)—and a beleaguered staff that includes nanny Sofia (Melody Butiu) and interior designer Sheri (Amanda Jane Cooper)—are juxtaposed well against the profligacy of this family’s life.
Earlier this week, the producers announced that The Queen of Versailles will be in residence on Broadway for the 2025-2026 season. Whether you attend the Boston run or have to wait until the Great White Way, you’ll leave with stars in your eyes, a tune in your head and caviar in your dreams.
The Queen of Versailles. Emerson Colonial Theatre. Book by Lindsey Ferrentino. Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed by Michael Arden. With Kristen Chenoweth, F. Murray Abraham, Melody Butiu, Stephen DeRosa, Greg Hildreth. Running time: 2hrs 45mins. One intermission.