You can smell Kristin Chenoweth’s dressing rooms before they come into view. It’s hours shy of opening night of her newest musical, “The Queen of Versailles,” and the hallway leading to dressing rooms 301 and 302 at the St. James Theatre is lined with countless floral arrangements, with more being delivered by the minute. The flowers sit underneath a series of prints made by the artist Pepe Munoz depicting Chenoweth’s various famous stage characters, like Glinda from “Wicked,” Sally Brown from “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and Precious McGuire from “Steel Pier” (her Broadway debut), all mixed with Jackie Siegel, her character in “The Queen of Versailles.” 

It’s a fitting scene for the Broadway legend, who returns to the stage in the new musical about Siegel, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. “The Queen of Versailles” is inspired by the 2012 documentary about Siegel, a Floridian socialite, and the making of her mega mansion, named Versailles. 

“I’m so excited,” Chenoweth says from her chair, cloaked in a pink bathrobe between applying her lashes and doing her body makeup. The dressing rooms, and everything in them, are pink, the show’s signature color.

“But more champagne pink,” Chenoweth clarifies. “Because right now I’m playing the queen of Versailles. Now we all know that I have another shade of pink that is definitely my shade,” referencing “Wicked.” “I had to.”

Chenoweth was drawn to the role for what it says about excess and “when is enough, enough.”

“I had a lady at yoga come up to me the other day and she said, ‘I want to tell you, I saw your show Saturday,’ and I learned a long time ago never to say, ‘well, what did you do think?’” Chenoweth says, “but she said ‘number one, since I’ve seen it, I can’t stop thinking about it. And number two, as I was sitting there, I thought, do I need all the stuff that I have? Do I have too much? I’m starting to think about things a little differently.’ And to me, that was just the most wonderful,” Chenoweth adds.

“The show wasn’t just about that. But for me, especially in the times that we live, we’re so divided, and I don’t care who you are, I think this show can unite because it shines a light on what we all think we want.”

For opening night, Chenoweth worked with designer Christian Cowan, who also did the show’s costumes, on a custom gown. 

“The funny story about it is I wanted to wear a pantsuit, a kickass pantsuit,” she says. “And about two weeks ago he called me and was like, ‘Yeah, no, we’re not doing that. I’ve changed my mind.’ There was a dress that went viral that we both really love, that he designed. And it’s in that vein.”

The dress featured a black corset that “rearranges some of my organs with how tight the dress is,” but it’s a fashion sacrifice she’s willing to make. “And I only have to wear it for a few minutes.”

Like any stage performer, Chenoweth has a series of superstitions ahead of an opening night. 

“I do a little bit of yoga. I pray. That’s my thing. I call my mom. She’s not here tonight, but I call her because I want to talk to her on stage,” she says. “Those are the three things.”

After the performance, the cast was heading over to The Plaza for the opening night celebration. 

“I still can’t believe that we’re having our party at the Plaza. This is some old school stuff, and it feels right,” Chenoweth says. “When I was young and made my Broadway debut, we had our opening night party at Tavern on the Green. And I thought then, ‘wow.’ And I feel like that in the same vein [tonight]. I wish I could tell the young kids in the show, the youngs I call them, that this is really special. But they’ll find out.”

Despite starring in a Broadway show, Chenoweth still plans to make time to go see the second “Wicked” movie when it hits theaters.

“I’m going to go on opening weekend. I want to see it on the big screen,” she says. “I’ve got to see the girls, I’ve got to see the new songs, which I sort of know about, but I’m really excited.”