Elton John’s lavishly produced musical, Tammy Faye, based on the life of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, has announced its premature closure on Broadway. This news comes just shortly after the show’s official opening night, marking a significant setback for the production.
The Broadway debut of Tammy Faye at the Palace Theatre on November 14th was met with a lukewarm reception from audiences and critics alike. In its opening week ending November 17th, the show grossed $374,371, drawing in 5,732 attendees, which only filled 63 percent of the theater’s capacity. These figures indicated early struggles to resonate with the Broadway crowd.
Ultimately, Tammy Faye will conclude its run with a final performance on December 8th. This swift closing comes after only 24 preview performances and a mere 29 regular shows, making it one of the quicker departures from the competitive Broadway landscape. Critical reviews played a significant role in the musical’s fate, with some publications delivering particularly harsh verdicts. The New York Post went as far as labeling Tammy Faye “a disaster of biblical proportions,” highlighting the intensely negative critical response that contributed to its downfall. Similarly, Variety offered a critical perspective on the show’s narrative and conclusion, suggesting that audiences might not share the presumed divine forgiveness depicted in the musical.
Elton John takes a bow at the opening night curtain call for his musical Tammy Faye on Broadway, which closed shortly after due to poor reviews.
Reportedly, the ambitious Tammy Faye musical swallowed a substantial $25 million investment. With its early closure, it is anticipated that investors will face a complete loss on their financial backing of the production. The musical boasted a high-profile creative team, featuring music composed by Elton John, lyrics penned by Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters, and the book written by James Graham, known for his play Dear England. The cast was led by Katie Brayben in the titular role of Tammy Faye, alongside Christian Borle portraying her husband Jim Bakker, and Michael Cerveris as fellow televangelist Jerry Falwell.
Prior to its Broadway transfer, Tammy Faye had a run in London from October to December 2022. Katie Brayben also starred in the London production, with Andrew Rannells as Jim Bakker and Zubin Varla as Jerry Falwell. Interestingly, 2022 also saw the release of a movie biopic about Tammy Faye Bakker, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. In a review of the film, The Independent noted Jessica Chastain’s transformation into Tammy Faye and touched upon the public perception of the televangelist in the late 1980s, highlighting her image and the controversies surrounding her and her husband, Jim Bakker. Despite the established interest in Tammy Faye’s life, as evidenced by the film and previous London stage production, the Elton John Musical adaptation failed to capture sustained audience or critical acclaim on Broadway, leading to its rapid closure.
