Elton John’s Broadway musical, based on the life of the late televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, has announced it is closing—just five days after its opening night.
Tammy Faye, which opened at NYC’s Palace Theatre on November 14, will have its final show on December 8 after 24 previews and 29 regular performances, as per Broadway World.
“Bringing Tammy’s story to Broadway has been an absolute joy. Stop by the Palace before 12/8 to see our cast shine,” the stage production wrote on Instagram.
The story about the famous televangelist failed to attract audiences in the US. In the week ending November 17, the musical made less than $400,000—it was capitalized for up to $25 million—playing to 63% capacity audiences, The Guardian reported.
Elton John’s Broadway musical, based on the life of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, will close less than a month after opening night
Image credits: Paul Zimmerman/Shutterstock/VidaPress
Tammy Faye features music composed by the British singer, lyrics by Jake Shears of The Scissor Sisters, and a book by James Graham.
The musical had its world premiere at the Almeida Theatre in London in 2022. It had a successful run in England, receiving four Olivier Awards, including Best Musical.
Katie Brayben, who stars as the charismatic televangelist, won Best Actress in a Musical, and Andrew Rannells, who played her husband Jim Bakker in the West End production, took home the award for Best Actor. (In the Broadway show, Bakker is played by Christian Borle.)
Meanwhile, Zubin Varla, who played Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell and did not appear in the Broadway production, took home Best Supporting Actor.
In New York City, the production received negative reviews, with Variety describing the musical as a “misguided West End import” that’s “as messy as Tammy’s mascara.”
In its one-star review, the New York Post called Tammy Faye “a disaster of biblical proportions.”
“Narratively the whole point of the Bakkers is largely missed. Go in cold, and you’ll leave with no idea about how famous Jim and Tammy were or why you’ve just sat through a musical about them,” the publication wrote, adding that “the religious types are ripped out of a comic strip.”
Tammy Faye was created by Elton John, Jake Shears of The Scissor Sisters, and playwright James Graham
Set in the 1970s, the musical follows Tammy and her husband as they “build a nationwide congregation that puts the fun back into faith,” according to its synopsis.
Tammy, who died of colon cancer in 2007, was the co-founder of the televangelist program The PTL Club, which stands for Praise the Lord, with her then-husband Jim Bakker.
The Minnesota-born star was known for her flamboyant looks and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, which diverged from the views of many mainstream evangelists.
Tammy and Jim’s empire fell apart when Jim was accused of rape by model-actress Jessica Hahn, who also claimed he tried to buy her silence with $279,000. The bribe money allegedly came from funds the couple’s ministry had raised from faithful donors.
In 1989, Jim was sentenced to 45 years in prison on 24 fraud and conspiracy counts (he ultimately served 5). While he was in prison, Tammy filed for divorce, writing in a letter, “For years I have been pretending that everything is all right, when in fact I hurt all the time… I cannot pretend anymore.” She then married property developer Roe Messner.
The Broadway production is set in the 1970s and follows Tammy and her husband, Jim, as they “build a nationwide congregation that puts the fun back into faith”
Speaking on Good Morning America, Elton John said he was drawn to Tammy after seeing her emotional 1985 interview with Rev. Steve Pieters, a gay Christian minister who opened up about what it was like living with HIV/AIDS.
“She won me over when she did that,” the five-time Grammy winner revealed of the moment, which took place at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
“No one else in the evangelical community was very gay-friendly at all. They, well, totally hated us. She stood out. And I loved her for that.
“I want people to walk out of the theater thinking, ‘God, she was okay… she was a wonderful woman. We might have misjudged her.”
Tammy Faye opened in London’s West End in 2022, receiving favorable reviews and winning four Olivier Awards
“I think what we do in this musical is we show the kind of private life as well,” Katie Brayben added. “And the private sides that you might not know of her and her family.”
Jake Shears said Tammy’s son got emotional watching the show and “felt like he got to see his mom one last time.”
In its one-star review, the New York Post called Tammy Faye “a disaster of biblical proportions”
Tammy Faye is one of several plays about the late televangelist. In 2021, Jessica Chastain played her in the biographical drama film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, while Andrew Garfield played Jim. The role earned Jessica an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Elton, who has composed music for Disney’s The Lion King and Billy Elliot the Musical, is set to open another musical, an adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, at London’s Dominion Theatre.
People were surprised by the difference in the public’s reaction between the United States and England
