Stephen has been teasing me and saying he wants to write me an original musical for years!
Every time he said, I promise Im gonna do it before I die!
Id just go, Yeah, yeah,sure, buddy.
Photo: Drew Elhamalawy
(That process is still ongoing.)
Do I think shes ever gonna finish the house?
No, I dont think she will…but she just might!
Chenoweth during the curtain call onThe Queen of Versailles’s opening night
Chenoweths Jackie may be silly and self-absorbed, but shes never a caricature.
Vogue: Take me back to when Stephen first approached you about this project.
Were you already familiar with the documentary?
Chenoweth in rehearsals forThe Queen of Versailles
Ilovedthe documentary, but I wasnt sure it would work as a musical.
I showed up to that rehearsal and almost immediately started to fall in love with Jackie.
It was really Elphaba, Fiyero, and Madame Morribles show until it organically became Glindas as well.
The real Jackie Siegel with Chenoweth on opening night in Boston
I decided at that moment that I was doing this piece.
I turned down two other big Broadway shows because I think this show has something to say.
What about the show and the character of Jackie clicked for you?
Photo: Drew Elhamalawy
The social tone of the piece really interested me.
I used to be very judgmental about thatveryjudgmental.
And then I got to know Jackie.
Siegel and Chenoweth backstage at Chenoweth’s concert in Naples, Florida
The real Jackie Siegel with Chenoweth on opening night in Boston
Do you consider Jackie something of an antihero?
I had not met her for the first couple of workshops that we did.
I needed the audience to be able to laugh with her and enjoy being around this over-the-top personality.
Chenoweth behind the scenes ofThe Queen of Versailles
Were you nervous about how she might react to seeing the show?
Im not gonna lie, I was very trepidatious.
But Im telling your story, and some people are gonna be judgmental.
Im glad she took what I said to heart and was able to enjoy the show.
Did you get to visit Versailles?
I was doing a show with the Orlando Symphony, and Jackie took her jet to come see me.
She came dressed in her crown and sash to the concert!
She was like, I want you to have the best experience!
Theres a lot about Jackie that I understand and relate to.
To me, the audience is another character in the play.
I need to hear what they think, what they respond to, what moves them.
We learned a lot of that really quickly, which is why these out-of-town tryouts are so important.
Were basically getting paid to rehearse.
No big surgeries, but just a few more snips for Broadway.
Just some scenes that were really funny but didnt move the story along.
There was a bit where Jackie goes to the Hertz rental agency and says, So whos my driver?
Some jokes got cut, some songs got trimmed, and some set changes got shorter.
We really just tightened up the show with little trims that start to add up after a while.
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We have to talk about Christian Cowans designs.
I lost track of how many costume changes you had after a dozen or so.
I have something like 18 costume changes, if you’re able to believe it.
The outfits arent exactly like what Jackie wore, but itsourversion of Jackie that hes really tapped into.
And its in there.
Whats been the most challenging part of playing Jackie, compared to your prior stage work?
He has me singing legit soprano and high Cs all over the place!
Is there a particular pinch-me moment that you look forward to every night?
Thats like asking who my favorite child is.
But as an actress, the whole piece to me is those last 10 minutes that I have onstage.
Its such a gift to have at this point in my career.
What makes you excited about sharing this show with audiences when it comes to Broadway next year?
What do you hope they take away from it?
The piece really starts out as one thingyou think youre just gonna get this fluffy pink dessert.
But I really think you end up getting the meat, the appetizer, and the carb.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
