Theater Review: 'Queen of Versailles' Scores in Spectacular Fashion

A house is not a home is the cautionary take-away from "The Queen of Versailles," the spectacular musical that's a work-in-progress in its pre-Broadway run at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre. But what a house! Modeled after the Palace of Versailles, it is the dream home of time-share mogul David Siegel and his extravagant wife Jackie – the musical's titular character – that's been under construction for some 20 years or so in Orlando, Florida. The story of the Siegels and their dream home became the subject of a fascinating 2012 documentary, "The Queen of Versailles," from director Lauren Greenfield, which becomes something of the show's frame. Throughout the first act Jackie (an incredible Kristin Chenoweth) is seen speaking to a camera whose image is seen on a giant television that is wheeled about the stage amidst the scaffolding. She attempts to portray her indulgent lifestyle with a beguiling sweetness that distracts from the chaos around her (just as the real Jackie did in the film). But eventually that chaos catches up to her.

That happens when David's financial empire collapses in the 2008 stock market crash, forcing him to sell the jewel of his empire, a Las Vegas timeshare high rise, and put their incomplete Versailles home on the market. This is covered in Greenfield's film, but Lindsey Ferrentino's smart libretto tells Jackie's story both before she marries David and after, when the film becomes the surprise hit of the Sundance Film Festival and Jackie becomes a media star. The Siegels signed off on the musical, but it is hard to imagine they are going to be fond of their stage portrayals that make David careless in his business practices and callous to his family, and Jackie a narcissistic media hound, equally oblivious to the emotional damage her need for attention and wealth has wrought. In the end, she's like a Norma Desmond figure, deluded and alone with only dream figures of 17th century French royalty as her company.

Those dream figures appear at the show's onset as Louis XIV (with Marie Antoinette in a clever, if anachronistic pairing) tells the court that he plans on building a magnificent palace, despite its cost bankrupting his nation. The reason, he sings, is because he can. Cut to three centuries later as the Siegels echo those words as to why they are building their Versailles in the time-tripping opening number "Because We Can." Throughout the show these royal figures interject the action with commentary to further accent the parallels between profligate spending across centuries and the reaction to it, largely for ironic effect. But towards the end the device is used to make a serious commentary on such fiscal abuse. That comes in a scene in which peasants rise up against the French royals, hinting at the Revolution to come. The scene also suggests that such an uprising is unlikely in America because the Siegel's lifestyle is the fulfillment of the American Dream. They are, as they sing, American Royalty. While the point is telling, this bit of commentary doesn't quite feel organic to the show's flow quite yet, coming after a sequence in which the Siegels deal with a personal tragedy; but this issue with tone will likely be smooth out, as well as its longish running time. Otherwise, there's only the high praise for the creative forces involve, who include Stephen Schwartz (score), Michael Arden (direction), as well as a matchless design team: Dane Laffrey (scenic and visual design), Christian Cowan (costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Peter Hylenski (sound design).

One reason why the show has such buzz is that this is Schwartz first Broadway score since "Wicked", and he delivers a healthy dose of pastiche with traditional theater songs that are fresh throughout. There is always an ease to Schwartz's music and his lyrics match the musical's various moods, snarky in the first half, more emotionally telling in the second with songs seamlessly integrated into Ferrentino's libretto. If "Caviar Dreams," Jackie's ode to a life of luxury, is already the show's breakout title, it is likely due to the YouTube video released months ago of Chenoweth singing it a concert event with Schwartz on piano; but "Pretty Wins," sung by Jackie's struggling teenage daughter Victoria, and the plaintiff quartet "Little Houses" are equally worth notice. And he fashions some show-stopping turns for Chenoweth, including two blazing expressions of Jackie's optimistic spirit, "This is Not the Way," which ends the first act with her determination to save Versailles; and "This Time Next Year," her bittersweet attempt to show the world that she and the palace she has built have been worth the effort. It is in these final moments that Chenoweth shows a vulnerability that has been largely absent, and it makes for an electrifying conclusion, most notably for the show's final image that shows Jackie a victim of her own dreams.

At first, the musical, impressively staged by Arden, moves at a dizzying clip as Jackie moves from her hard-scrabble life in upstate New York to seeking the good life in New York City, where she marries a banker and ends up pregnant somewhere near the Florida Everglades. Quickly determined to get out, she wins the Mrs. Florida contest in a clever send-up of beauty pageants; but after being brutally abused by her husband, she escapes with her first-born, Victoria, to a studio apartment in Miami. There she meets Siegel, who seduces her with the sweet ballad "Trust Me," before they marry and honeymoon in France where a visit to Versailles leads to the plan to build their own version of the palace. As in the film, Jackie is an outrageous contradiction whose warmth and humility is mitigated by her voracious consumption. One number features her buying sprees, which includes a 17th century painting on which she places her own face and some giant-sized Fabergé eggs. It's not surprising that the more sympathetic characters become Victoria (Nina White), her cousin Jonquil (Tatum Grace Hopkins), and, notably, Sofia, (Melody Butiu), the Filipino nanny who cares for the Siegel's children.

Chenoweth embodies Jackie with boundless energy and determination. She's Rose (from "Gypsy"), but with a three-dozen Birkin bags. And, like Rose, becomes less sympathetic as the musical goes on. Chenoweth never attempts to sweeten Jackie, especially when her 15-minutes of fame consume her. Running up and down the scaffolding, sometimes in heels, she's a wonder to watch in a dizzying array of Cowan's outré costumes; and sings with her winning belt. Schwartz even allows her to display her coloratura skills with a clever duet with Marie Antoinette in the dream sequence that opens the second act. Even at this stage in the show's development, she gives a richly layered performance. As David, F. Murray Abraham is clearly enjoying himself, though he becomes less important as the story goes along. Instead, it is White's Victoria who becomes crucial in the show's emotional thrust thanks to her touching portrayal. There is also lovely work from Hopkins as Jonquil, and Butiu, whose simple humanity as the family's nanny offers a bracing contrast to the Jackie's narcissism.

Arden not only keeps the many moving parts in place, but also imbues the story with a Brechtian dimension. There's an emotional detachment throughout that underscores Ferrentino's commentary on the uber-rich, and on Jackie herself, who is far more harshly drawn than the real-life figure in the film and subsequent reality show. The subtext to Greenfield's film was critical of the Siegels; Ferrentino brings that forward in ways that bring added depth to a big musical that is still finding its way. (Word is that many cuts have been made since it started previews and at three hours, it needs trimming.) But even at this point "The Queen of Versailles" makes for a smashing entertainment, in part because of Chenoweth's unsinkable Jackie Siegel.

"The Queen of Versailles" runs through August 25 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Bolyston Street, Boston, MA. For more information, follow this link.