Jackie Siegel’s life story as the Queen of Versailles premieres at the Emerson Colonial Theater.
Jackie Siegel and her dog Mochi.
Many of us first met Jackie Siegel, her husband David, their eight children and many pets in Lauren Greenfield’s 2012 award-winning documentary, The Queen of Versailles, which chronicled the construction of the family’s 90,000-square-foot home, one of the largest and most expensive in the country. Now 12 years later, the Siegels are once again fodder for entertainment with the pre-Broadway Boston premiere of a musical based on the documentary (queenofversaillesmusical.com). Over the past decade, much has changed—the Siegels lost their daughter Victoria to a drug overdose—but a lot remains the same. Their lifestyle is every bit as lavish and the house, a symbol of their fortune and also their failures, looms large waiting to be finished. “What used to be a roller rink is now a nightclub. What used to be storage for the kids is now a wine cellar. We took out the water slide. We have a full-fledged gym, spa and barber shop now. The kids aren’t babies anymore, so they’re changing the house for their needs as young adults,” says Siegel.
Speaking so matter-of-factly about something wildly out of the ordinary is part of Siegel’s charm. Despite living in another universe from most of us, she is approachable, relatable and wide-eyed, a protagonist that attracts curiosity and understanding. So it’s not surprising that acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Lindsey Ferrentino wanted to adapt Siegel’s story for the stage.
The two had a chance meeting at Coco Beach about six years ago, where Ferrentino’s parents have a house. “This cute, young, blond-haired girl came up to me and said, ‘You’re the Queen of Versailles. Would you be interested in doing a Broadway show?’ Over the years, I’ve had offers and it’s hard to know which ones were real and which were bogus,” says Siegel. Ferrentino put together a team that includes Tony-award winners Stephen Schwartz and Kristin Chenoweth. Throughout the years-long process to get the musical made, Siegel was involved in multiple meetings about the script, she approved the cast, met with Chenoweth and watched rehearsals.
This time around she isn’t scared of being thrust back into the public spotlight, in fact, she welcomes it. She’s grateful for the platform to speak about Victoria’s Voice, the foundation she formed after her daughter’s death that is dedicated to preventing addiction and saving lives.
She and David will be at the Boston premiere in July. And when the show finally heads to Broadway, Siegel hopes to throw a party in her finally finished house.
Photography by: CHRISTIAN MORALES
