Broadway's original Glinda the Good is about to don a very different crown. Kristin Chenoweth will return to The Great White Way for the first time in a decade, starring in an original musical titled The Queen of Versailles. Previews begin at the St. James Theatre this October for the show, which is loosely based on the real-life story of the Siegel family, who built the largest private home in America in Orlando, Florida.
Written by Lindsey Ferrentino and directed by Michael Arden, Kristin is also teaming back up with Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, who she jokes "had been threatening to write me a show for 22 years." Still, the Tony Award winner wants audiences to know, "It is not Wicked. It's very different. The score is very different. It's a very different kind of subject matter."
Good Housekeeping spoke to Kristin ahead of the 2025 Tony Awards about the inspiration behind The Queen of Versailles, the challenges of bringing an original show to Broadway and whether audiences can expect another cameo from her and Idina Menzel in the upcoming movie musical sequel, Wicked: For Good.
"I think our cameos are done, and I think it's nice because they paid homage to us. We got to do it, and now it's their turn," Kristin says of stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. "I do know one secret that I can't tell, but I'm really excited to hear those girls sing 'For Good.' I'm probably going to weep. They're so in love with each other, and yet they're each their own person, very much like Idina and I were. And it's just nice to see. I'm really proud of them."
When it comes to this season's crop of Broadway shows, she admits she's "behind," but notes that there are "so many good ones" running. "I support them all. There's always something to love about Broadway, always. Will it be my favorite thing in the world? Maybe not. But there's room for a lot of different kinds of pieces. And so I was really glad to see our Broadway so packed," she says.
As for some of her favorites, and what's next on her list? "I loved Smash. I laughed my butt off. I helped develop Death Becomes Her — I was maybe going to do that show and made a different decision — but I loved Death Becomes Her, and I was really proud of the girls [Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard.] I have not seen Dead Outlaw yet; I really want to go see that. I've got to see BOOP!"
Idina, who famously originated the role of Elphaba alongside Kristin's Galinda, starred in the musical Redwood from February to May of this year. "Here's what I want to say, and this is really an important thing for me to say because it's what I believe. I love the revivals. Nicole [Scherzinger] is otherworldly in Sunset Boulevard. But as far as Redwood goes, and Smash, BOOP!, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, all these new shows — it is so hard to put on a new show. And as I told Idina, it's so brave of us to take something that is our baby and take a swing at it. And she took a big old swing and as far as I'm concerned, a big old home run. It was a beautiful performance. When I saw it, I was so moved, and I feel like it did not get its due," Kristin emphasizes.
"I just have to applaud all the new pieces. It's so hard. I'm facing it myself. I've been working on The Queen of Versailles for several years. It is my baby," she continues. A few months out from beginning rehearsals on the Broadway stage, even the veteran performer experiences nerves. "I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't nervous. You work on something for so long and now I need the baby to be born. Good, bad or ugly."
Kristin also gushed about her other baby, her rescue pup Thunder. The proud dog mom is partnering with dog food brand Nom Nom on their new campaign. Starring as "The Enrichment Witch" in a series of short videos, she chose to team up with Nom Nom for a simple reason. "When I saw Thunder eating this food, her whole demeanor was like, 'Oh my gosh this is the best food ever,'" Kristin tells us. "Which then leads into a great walk, which leads into a great playtime and treat time and cuddle time. It's a domino effect."
The cockapoo mix also loves walks and chasing squirrels in the park, but she apparently does not love Kristin's newest co-star. "I am working with a dog in Queen of Versailles named Muumi. Muumi is a white Pomeranian, and Thunder and Muumi are not friends. Thunder is very jealous. And she's got to work through that, so wish me luck," Kristin laughs.
Dog mom, Glinda, Queen of Versailles...with such an extensive resume, are there any dream roles left on Kristin's Broadway bucket list? "Down the pike, there are roles that I would love to do," she shares. "I certainly love Mame. I'm Auntie Mame in a lot of ways to a lot of kids, to my students and cousins. I also have a really close relationship with my nephew, so that nephew/aunt relationship is close to my heart. And I haven't gotten to see Audra [McDonald] in Gypsy, but that's one role that I would love to play one day. Of course, Hello, Dolly! is another one," she adds.
"I also think, is there another part being written right now that I don't know about?"
Thank goodness!
Jamie (she/her) is the news and SEO editor at Good Housekeeping. She oversees GH's digital news strategy, assigning and editing celebrity and entertainment news content. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she was the digital editor at Woman's Day. She has over 7 years of professional experience writing and editing lifestyle content for the Rachael Ray Show, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Insider, Elite Daily and more. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and lives in Brooklyn with her cats Lumos, Linus and Milo.
