Entertainment
New Broadway musical based on larger-than-life story of Upstate NY native
A story of Upstate New York small town dreams to billionairess reality is the center of a new musical headed to Broadway.
“The Queen of Versailles,” a new musical by Stephen Schwartz and Lindsay Ferrentino will get its pre-Broadway run in Boston this summer.
The musical centers around the larger-than-life story of Upstate NY native, Jackie Siegel and her husband David, “The Timeshare King,” who is 30 years her senior.
According to WNBF News Radio, Jackie was born in Binghamton in 1966, raised in Endwell, and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. In 1993, she won the Mrs. Florida America Pageant and she now owns the contest and serves as its director.
The Siegels pursued their dream of building the largest private home in America, inspired by the opulence of the Palace of Versailles. They, along with their eight children, lived a lavish lifestyle in Orlando, Florida.
Then the Great Recession of 2008 hit and their large income took a huge nosedive, putting their “American dream” at risk.
The musical also takes inspiration from the 2012 documentary “The Queen of Versailles,” which followed along with the family as they built their $100 million house. There is also a television reality series named “Queen of Versailles Reigns Again” which continues the story of the Siegel family and their house. It streams on HBO Max.
Jackie will be played by Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, while Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham will portray David. Southern Tier residents will recognize places from the song “Caviar Dreams,” from the musical. It debuts this summer at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre from July 16-August 18.