Kristin Chenoweth's 'Queen of Versailles' Closes: What Went Wrong With the $22.5M Broadway Gamble?

The curtains have closed unexpectedly on Kristin Chenoweth's new Broadway musical, 'The Queen of Versailles'. The highly anticipated show, staged at the St. James Theatre, ended its run on Sunday, December 21, a full two weeks earlier than its already revised closing date, stunning fans and the Broadway community.

The musical, which began previews on October 8 and officially opened on November 9, starred the Tony-winning Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham, with music from 'Wicked' composer Stephen Schwartz. Despite the star-studded lineup, the show's run was cut short after just 41 regular performances.

An Emotional Farewell

In a video posted to Instagram from the final curtain call, a tearful Chenoweth thanked the audience for their support of a new and ambitious project. "You are such a special audience because you were here on the final performance of The Queen of Versailles," she said, adding that while saying goodbye would be hard, it's never a final goodbye. "I always say, 'To be continued.'"

We took a big swing and we are so proud of where we landed — so proud.

— Kristin Chenoweth

Reviews vs. Revenue: A Confusing Contradiction

The central mystery surrounding the show's early closure is the clash between critical reception and commercial performance. The musical opened to largely negative reviews. Entertainment Weekly's review noted the show suffered from an "identity crisis... that doesn't quite seem to know what it wants to be." However, at the box office, the story was different.