It’s good to see her back on Broadway! Musical theater’s reigning diva, Kristin Chenoweth, is starring in The Queen of Versailles at the St. James Theatre, taking command of the stage passed on from Nicole Scherzinger’s Tony Award–winning portrayal of Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. The new Stephen Schwartz musical is based on a documentary about the fallout of the 2008 housing crisis for Orlando, Florida, billionaires Jackie and David Seigal as they built a 90,000-square-foot estate.
Way before making wickedly thrilling grand entrances in a bubble, Chenoweth was complaining about her grades in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Here’s a look back at this queen’s 10 roles on Broadway.
1997: Steel Pier, Richard Rodgers Theatre
From Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to Broadway: Kristin Chenoweth was a standout in her Broadway debut as Precious McGuire in Steel Pier, a short-lived Kander and Ebb musical that ran for about two months. “When she sang the song ‘Two Little Words’ wearing William Ivey Long’s amazing cellophane dress [a fad in the 1930s], the audience knew they were looking at a star,” the musical’s choreographer, Susan Stroman, said of the rising ingénue. Big names were attached to the show, including director Scott Ellis and recognizable Broadway mainstays Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba. In the chorus? You’d be surprised to see Casey Nicholaw, JoAnn M. Hunter, and Andy Blankenbuehler. All three went on to be award-winning, sought-after Broadway choreographers and directors.
1999: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Ambassador Theatre
It’s one of the top Tony Award moments in history. Kristin Chenoweth performs her showstopping solo “My New Philosophy,” runs offstage, and quickly changes out of her costume and wig to accept the award for best featured actress in a musical. An out-of-breath Chenoweth quips, “I’ve never changed my clothes so fast in my life.” Chenoweth starred as cutie Sally Brown in the Charles Schulz comic strip turned musical penned by Andrew Lippa that became her breakout role. Like Steel Pier, the show didn’t last more than a few months.
1999: Epic Proportions, Helen Hayes Theatre
From comic to comedy, Chenoweth continued the year on Broadway alongside Alan Tudyk in the play Epic Proportions, about two guys who go to the Arizona desert to be in a biblical movie. It’s one of the shows that many longtime fans might have forgotten about since it ran for 93 performances. Ben Brantley wrote in his New York Times review, “… smiling as though her life depended upon it, is Kristin Chenoweth, the undersize actress with the outsize presence … imprisoned in a relentlessly unfunny cartoon, and all the charm and luminosity in the world aren’t going to raise the dampening clouds that hang over her.”
2003: Wicked, Gershwin Theatre
Wicked sealed Chenoweth’s success as a leading lady on Broadway, starring as Glinda opposite Idina Menzel as Elphaba. It showed off her impressive high notes while continuing to build on the comedic chops audiences saw in Charlie Brown, with songs like “Popular.” Her portrayal earned her a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a musical. “When Glinda’s singing that, I just imagine her in her room growing up. She probably loved ballet. She was a girlie-girl. So I went with the idea that she probably practiced and she wasn’t any good,” she told Vulture in 2023 about the now-viral and trending Stephen Schwartz song.
2006: The Apple Tree, Studio 54
Following triumphant success in Wicked was Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of The Apple Tree, a series of three musical acts with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. In the three years that passed, Chenoweth had carved a name for herself on TV, with shows such as The West Wing, and in movies, including Bewitched. “I really love being on Broadway. It’s my home. It’s where I feel most comfortable,” she told Rosie O’Donnell in a 2006 interview.
Chenoweth co-led The Apple Tree as Eve and other roles alongside her former fiancé Marc Kudisch and Brian D’Arcy James. In the New York Times review, Chenoweth was described as one who “consistently turns canapé-scale jokes and songs into banquets.”
2010: Promises, Promises, Broadway Theatre
Following a slew of projects in Hollywood, including ABC’s Pushing Daisies and April Rhodes on Glee, Chenoweth said a little prayer and teamed up with Sean Hayes to star as Fran Kubelik in a revival of Promises, Promises.
The musical is based on the 1960 film The Apartment. It featured a book by Neil Simon with music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David. As Chenoweth worked on the complexity of the songs, Bacharach advised her to not work so hard, according to a recent interview. When Andy Cohen asked on Watch What Happens Live who her favorite artist to work with has been, Chenoweth mentioned Hayes. “I certainly did have a blast working with Sean Hayes doing Promises, Promises.”
2015: On the Twentieth Century, American Airlines Theatre (renamed the Todd Haimes Theatre)
Another five years went by, and this time Chenoweth came back to Broadway in a revival of On the Twentieth Century opposite Peter Gallagher. Chenoweth said in an interview with Broadway World that she knew how hard the part of Lily Garland/ Mildred Plotka was for a long time. She had gotten close to the songwriting team Betty Comden and Adolph Green over the years, who eventually told her that she needed to do the role. Director Scott Ellis asked Chenoweth to do a reading of the show ahead of Broadway, and Chenoweth said she didn’t want to let it go.
The show earned a New York Times Critics Pick. “These fine performers have been largely confined to television screens in recent years. And they grab the chance to chew (and devour) some real live scenery — and in Ms. Chenoweth’s case, hit pretty much every note on the scale, musical and otherwise,” Brantley wrote in his review of the Comden and Green musical.
2015: My Love Letter to Broadway, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Chenoweth commanded the stage solo with her own musical revue featuring iconic Great American songbook show tunes and celebrity duets for 12 performances only. No two shows were alike, with all-star guests such as Renée Fleming, her Annie costar Alan Cumming, Sierra Boggess, and Kelli O’Hara. Choirs from the NYC area were also invited to perform.
Her longtime collaborator Richard Jay-Alexander was the show’s director, with musical direction by Mary Mitchell Campbell.
2019: Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls, Nederlander Theatre
Following the success of a solo show, Chenoweth returned for a second stint. This time, her musical revue showcase was created to promote her sixth solo album (a tribute to the women who inspired her), which featured guest tracks with Ariana Grande and Dolly Parton. The concert was booked for eight performances only, with dazzling costumes by Christian Siriano. Once again, surprise guests joined her on stage, including Katie Rose Clark, Laura Benanti, Jessica Vosk, Shoshana Bean, and composer Stephen Schwartz.
2025: The Queen of Versailles, St. James Theatre
The St. James Theatre will soon rejoicify Chenoweth back to Broadway after a five year break. Her latest musical, The Queen of Versailles is an original production based on true-life events that was turned into a documentary. Chenoweth plays Jackie Siegel, a mother of eight children and wife of the wealthy David Siegal, who was nicknamed “The Timeshare King.” The story hones in on building the largest private home in America — a $100 million mega mansion in Orlando, Florida, inspired by the Palace of Versailles. But then, things take a dark turn as the Great Recession of 2008 arrives and their dreams, lavish lifestyle and money begin to disappear. The Queen of Versailles officially opened on November 9. Be sure to grab your tickets now to see Kristin Chenoweth in her latest iconic role on Broadway.
