Tonys 2025: Kristin Chenoweth reveals advice she gave Cynthia Erivo
Kristin Chenoweth is emotional thinking about what “Wicked” has become and reveals what advice she gave Cynthia Erivo at the Tonys.
The curtain is closing early on Kristin Chenoweth’s “The Queen of Versailles.”
The Broadway show, which began running in early November at the St. James Theatre in New York City, will put on its final performance Jan. 4. The news marks a premature end for the Chenoweth-led production, which chronicles the lavish if not tragedy-defined life of Mrs. Florida winner-turned-billionaire wife Jackie Siegel.
Producers broke the news Nov. 24 that the show, part of a new class of Broadway musicals that join the block alongside fan favorites like “Wicked” and “Mamma Mia,” would be shuttering just a few days into the new year.
Based on a 2012 documentary of the same name, Broadway’s “The Queen of Versailles” features music and lyrics by industry legend Stephen Schwartz. Loosely based on the real lives of Florida real estate baron David Siegel (F. Murray Abraham) and his much-younger wife Jackie (Chenoweth), the play aims to make a commentary about the dangers of a dogged pursuit of wealth and materialism.
Despite Chenoweth’s undeniable star power, the production wasn’t able to stick the landing, receiving largely mixed reviews. While The New York Times called the show “smart and sparkling,” The Washington Post panned it as “both overdone and undercooked.”
As the industry faces strong economic headwinds, the difficulty of a new show breaking through to mass appeal may also be a factor.
Chenowith has faced a difficult press cycle in recent months following backlash over her comments mourning the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
