Kristin Chenoweth debuted “Caviar Dreams” with Stephen Schwartz at NJPJAC on March 9, 2024! The Queen of Versailles begins performances at the Emerson Colonial Theatre this summer on July 16. Get tickets: : www.emersoncol...
Just saw it a couple nights ago and it was spectacular! Kristin is as perfect as ever and the whole rest of the cast was superb! Fabulous cast. Stephen's music is wonderful and Lindsey's book is a beautiful one. I wish I could've stuck around and seen it a second night.
Posting this as a comment because I keep seeing people say that Jackie is a “self-centered narcissist who doesn’t deserve a song like this”. You must not know the real Siegel family. They are some of the greatest philanthropists in central Florida and have dedicated their lives to the betterment of our community. I would go as far as to say that the Siegels personally have probably saved thousands of people through sponsoring drug treatment centers and overdoses awareness programs. These are people who will take the shirt off their back to give it to someone in need. I have never seen the documentary, but I’m horrified to hear that it painted her in such a shallow and unflattering light. She really is a pillar of the Orlando community and I hope the real Jackie shines through in the musical. I trust Schwartz to do this more than almost anyone else.
I thinq I can predict (already) where this whole project goes wrong :: To musicalize the QOV successfully (the subject-matter, and the woman at the center of it), I feel one must make a choice to , Either : (1) Lean HEAVILY into CAMP - (FULL-ON. Drag costumes - bad taste. Sour jokes-- IRONY), OR : (2) Get Real. Be Honest about Jackie S. ((But I don’t think this version makes her the sympathetic Hero… )) And it seems Mr. Schwartz means to paint her as such. To Have Jackie UN-IRONICALLY sing this ~Menken-Inspired~~ Disney-Want-Song about “champagne-caviar-dreams…” -- It feels so -- vacuous, so Shallow. Because it is. Jackie is vacuous, shallow; She’s not a Disney-hero. ((She’s not even a LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS hero)), and to try’N make her one feels DISINGENUOUS at best. Those Menken-protagonists all share ONE trait, (ALWAYS) : They are innocents - their motives are naive. If they ‘want something more ‘- they must overcome their (singular) Flaw to get it - learn something in service of a GREATER good- if they do something morally-bad, it’s for a PURE-goal , it’s a fluke. Their innocence may be corrupted by antagonistic forces, but their goals are not vapid and narcissistic. These characters are SEEPING with empathy. I’m Not sure how anyone sees *jackie siegel* of “QUEEN OF VERSAILLES” and finds an empathetic protagonist.
Maybe she's an antihero. The woman comes from a poor family and worked as an engineer before marrying Siegel. And her worst sin is wanting to build a huge house.
@@NairAthul Well the wealth she was using to build a huge house was tricked out of people who had wishes of a better life (just like Jackie sings about in this song). Her sin is the quintessentially American one of I will take yours so I can get mine and I certainly expect the show to address that hypocrisy
I saw the show last night….the genius of it is that it is both sympathetic and critical at once. It manages to be both hilariously funny at times and also being incredibly sad and real
I saw it a few days ago as well and yea it definitely doesn’t paint her as a hero at the end you see how some of the choices she made broke down multiple relationships. But it was campy as h and it was an amazing balance of everything. It was really long thou, I hope they cut some things for time.
You must not know the Siegel family. They are some of the greatest philanthropists in central Florida and have dedicated their lives to the betterment of our community. I would go as far as to say that the Siegels personally have probably saved thousands of people through sponsoring drug treatment centers and overdoses awareness programs. These are people who will take the shirt off their back to give it to someone in need. I have never seen the documentary, but I’m horrified to hear that it painted her in such a shallow and unflattering light. She really is a pillar of the Orlando community and I hope the real Jackie shines through in the musical.
Oh, Ms. Chenoweth - you are a good singer - please do not scream/belt the last note! You didn't quite make it, and to me it doesn't sound good. Please don't risk ruining your voice. This isn't "Defying Gravity" or -- maybe it is? Why are musicals so filled with screeching now? Ugh. Hopefully the rest of the score isn't like this.
Sorry, but Wicked, it ain't. Risky choice of source material about an unsympathetic and narcissistic woman. Will the daughter's death from a drug overdose factor into the storyline?