The Queen of Versailles ★★★

It’s no fun watching a star vehicle skid and sputter, especially when that star is Kristin Chenoweth, the beloved musical-theatre icon now making a much-anticipated return to Broadway in The Queen of Versailles after a decade away. Alas, despite the leading lady giving it her considerable all and the production bursting with top-tier talent on and off its gilded stage, this misguided show simply cannot stand, not when its foundation is so faulty.

The insurmountable problem is the source material itself. The musical is based primarily on a riveting documentary of the same name by Lauren Greenfield that made a splash at Sundance in 2012 and then received the kind of national distribution documentaries rarely do. The can’t-look-away film follows couple Jackie and David Siegel as they build a private residence in Florida that will emulate the famed palace built by Louis XIV. They once admired it on a trip to France and thought, “Why not build one for ourselves?”

Though the Siegels pose that question rhetorically and without a soupçon of irony or doubt, anyone who’s studied even a modicum of world history could answer that query with a few solid reasons why not, starting with the French Revolution. But the Siegels aren’t ones for introspection; to them, Descartes are the things you wheel around at French grocery stores when stocking up on wine, cheese, and other essentials.

All’s well and dandy until David, the founder of Westgate Resorts, a timeshare company, gets walloped by the 2008 financial crisis, whereupon not only must construction on the mansion stop, but most of the Siegels’ household staff has to be laid off, and Jackie is told to curb her shopping habits. It’s a reverse take on the American Dream, but instead of riches-to-rags, we see riches-to-handbags; the endlessly optimistic Jackie can’t or won’t stop spending.

Despite the ceaseless conspicuous consumption, the film works because Jackie is so likable and unexpectedly relatable, especially since she was not to the manor born. Though she’s a former beauty queen (that’s how she, as Mrs. Florida 1993, met David), she was raised in a working-class home in Binghamton, New York, and earned a degree in computer engineering technology and worked at IBM before deciding life in a cubicle was not for her and chucked the job to pursue modeling in Manhattan. Moreover, she has a deep love for animals (and harbors plenty of them) and fully embraces motherhood and their eight children. Also notably, the affection and care she has for her husband is unquestionable no matter the 30-year gap between them; their shared love for each other and their family is genuinely sweet to witness.

Overall, the documentary is effective because it captures the vertiginous swings of capitalism and ends with its issues unresolved, which they were: Versailles is left incomplete and dark, an empty home that symbolizes the excessive speculation by homeowners and financial institutions.

Unfortunately, the elements that make a documentary fascinating don’t necessarily translate to the stage. A splashy new Broadway musical has to make its audience care about its protagonists or at least be sufficiently interested in them and the obstacles in the way of them getting what they want. This is where the production struggles most.

The Queen of Versailles has the deep misfortune of opening at a time when billionaires are running amok while SNAP benefits have been temporarily cut by the White House; millions of Americans are literally on a “hunger cliff” at the moment. But even if the national situation didn’t feel so dire, this show would struggle to establish narrative footing satisfying to audiences, primarily because all its protagonist Jackie really wants is to finish Versailles.

Narratively, that’s not enough. Not even close. Especially right now.

Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) and Lindsey Ferrentino (book), the talented creators of this show, know this, and as the show rolls into the second act (and beyond the scope of the documentary), the increasingly desperate reach for deeper meaning becomes more and more apparent. A sorrowful storyline about Victoria (Nina White), the Siegels’ oldest daughter, gets shoehorned in, but it feels false; Jackie sings about needing to change, then doesn’t. Thus, when things carry on as usual and the quest for the completion of Versailles continues, you can sense the audience deflate. It’s dispiriting.

Other needed elements that made the film work are missing from this stage take, only some of which are understandable. All the animals that add fun chaos to the Siegel household have been reduced to one adorable Pomeranian, Midas (Adam, gorgeous), and one dead lizard that gets a funeral song (‘Pavane for a Dead Lizard‘) that is one of the show’s best. The large brood of Siegel children has been reduced to two teenagers, and though no one in this modern era is necessarily begging for another round of the Von Trapp singers, it might have been great fun to have the whole family gaggle onstage; only including two feels odd.

And then there’s the unfortunate miscasting of F. Murray Abraham as the underwritten David Siegel. Abraham’s a formidable actor, but even the best aren’t suitable for all roles. (Imagine Carol Channing as King Lear.) Abraham’s impressive résumé isn’t overflowing with musical theatre credits, and one can’t help but wonder if the lack of chemistry between Abraham and Chenoweth is largely due to the disparity in their singing abilities. The vocal imbalance is palpable, and as a result, the winning warmth the couple displays in the film is absent on stage. Just like in life, a little love goes a long way in musicals, and here it’s missing where it’s most needed.

Even houses with huge structural problems have beautiful elements worth admiring, and The Queen of Versailles is no exception. Michael Arden is the best director working in musical theater today, having won two of the last three Tonys (for Parade and Maybe Happy Ending) for his exceptional ability to make challenging material accessible and exciting. Though he may not have been able to salvage this show’s narrative problems, all the show’s other elements still shine. Designers Christian Cowan (costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting), Peter Hylenski (sound), and especially Dane Laffrey (scenic and video) are working at the top of their already expert-level games, and the music, under the supervision of conductor Mary-Mitchell Campbell, sounds wonderful.

And the score is good. Really good. Even if there’s a dearth of immediate earworms, Schwartz, the composer of Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, and the underappreciated Rags (if you don’t know it, find it), is, after all these years, still writing wonderful songs. Librettist Ferrentino, the wonderful writer whose plays include the terrific Ugly Lies the Bone and the moving Amy and the Orphans, also shines at moments. The scenes with the courts of Louis XIV (Pablo David Laucerica, funny) and Marie Antoinette (Cassondra James, utterly beguiling) zip, making one wonder what might have been possible if the musical had embraced a less literal interpretation of the film and had wandered further down the halls of the original Versailles.

Finally, let us address Her Royal Highness. From the start of her career, Chenoweth has dazzled with a magical stardust that has often enabled her to shine brighter than the shows she’s been featured in, including Steel Pier, Epic Proportions, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, the last of which gave her an ideal role that helped earn her not only a Tony Award but also vaulted her into stardom. Then came Wicked, followed by television, film, and some fun Broadway musical revivals. The Queen of Versailles is the first opportunity for theatergoers to witness Chenoweth lead a brand-new show in 22 years, and to do so is to see a true star give her everything. She gives an incredible, indelible performance, reason enough to recommend the production. For though this palace may be a bit too hollow, its reigning queen still commands the throne.