After being away from Broadway for 10 years, Kristin Chenoweth recently returned to star in a brand new musical — her first collaboration with the legendary Stephen Schwartz since “Wicked.”
On the surface, that comeback had a lot going for it.
Chenoweth was intentional in her choice to star in Schwartz’s “The Queen of Versailles,” a story about socialite Jackie Siegel and her quest to to build the biggest home in America (an effort that was thwarted, in part, by the 2008 stock market crash).
“I love Broadway. Broadway is my favorite. I am a creature of the theater. But when you come back to Broadway after you’ve done some really cool things, you want to try to make a decision that feels like it’s saying something,” Chenoweth told The Hollywood Reporter.
As The New York Times reported, “The Queen of Versailles,” a roughly $22.5 million production, “aspired to be a cautionary tale about consumption and greed. Instead, it wound up as a cautionary tale about Broadway.”
“Versailles” — the biggest-budget production to open on Broadway this fall, per The New York Times — opened on Nov. 9.
Two weeks later, it was announced that the show would close its curtains on Jan. 4 — a likely unexpected closure since ticketing websites had performances listed through March 29, per Entertainment Weekly.
Two weeks after that, the closing date moved up to Dec. 21.
Now, after 32 preview performances and 41 regular performances, Chenoweth’s Broadway return has concluded.
Here’s what she had to say about the short-lived chapter.
What Kristin Chenoweth said about ‘The Queen of Versailles’ closing
Shortly after “The Queen of Versailles” announced its initial Jan. 4 closing date, Chenoweth had nothing but praise for the production.
“I just want to say that I’m so proud of this new art that we’ve created, and it’s getting harder and harder to do,” the Tony Award-winning star said in an Instagram video. “I think about all the shows in the past couple of seasons that have come and gone, that not everybody got to see. I just love Broadway so much, and I love audiences and a live art form.”
Reese Witherspoon commented on Chenoweth’s video and said all of the performers in the production were “stellar.”
“You all created some real MAGIC at the St James,” Witherspoon wrote. “You should feel so proud.”
Chenoweth ended her video by encouraging people to see any show on Broadway, which has struggled to bounce back after an 18-month hiatus during the pandemic. Per a New York Times article in September, 46 new musicals have opened since the pandemic, with only three being profitable.
That environment seems to have played a major role in “Queen of Versailles” taking its final bow even sooner.
“Unfortunately, the harsh economic realities of new Broadway musicals in a post-Covid landscape have caught up with us,” producers shared in a statement, per Deadline. “The industry as a whole is no longer seeing the audience behaviors we’ve relied on to shape our strategies for decades. This has led us to the painful decision to move our closing earlier.”
Although “Queen of Versailles” largely received mixed to negative reviews, it had its fans, including a critic for The New York Times and People magazine, which listed Chenoweth in its top 10 Broadway performances of 2025.
Chenoweth was emotional as she stood on stage for the final curtain call.
“I just want to thank you for choosing to come to something that’s new,” she told the audience on Dec. 21, per Broadway World. “We took a big swing and we are so proud of where we landed.
“This will be a very hard one to say goodbye to,” she continued. “But never goodbye. I always say ‘to be continued.’”
What is Kristin Chenoweth up to now?
Although her time on Broadway is over — for now — Chenoweth remains busy.
She’s part of the star-studded lineup for NBC’s New Year’s Eve special, per Broadway World.
The actor also stars in “Stumble,” an NBC sitcom/mockumentary about “the high-stakes arena of junior college cheerleading,” Variety reported.
But as she moves on, it appears “The Queen of Versailles” will stay close to Chenoweth’s heart.
On closing day, Broadway performer Drew Elhamalawy shared a tribute to the production on Instagram, calling it “the greatest joy.”
Chenoweth was quick to respond.
“One of the most beautiful memories i will ever have,” she wrote.
