| Tammy Faye | |
|---|---|
 Original London production poster | |
| Music | Elton John |
| Lyrics | Jake Shears |
| Book | James Graham |
| Basis | The life of Tammy Faye Messner |
| Premiere | 13 October 2022: Almeida Theatre, London |
| Productions | 2022 London 2024 Broadway |
Tammy Faye is a biographic stage musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Jake Shears and a book by James Graham, based on the life of Tammy Faye Messner. [1]
Tammy Faye had its world premiere production at the Almeida Theatre in London, previewing from October 13 2022 (with an official press night on October 26) running until December 2. The production was due to close on December 3, however due to illness in the cast the final performances were cancelled. [2] The production was directed by the Almeida's artistic director Rupert Goold with choreography by Lynne Page, design by Bunny Christie, costume design by Katrina Lindsay and lighting design by Neil Austin and produced by Joseph Smith
The cast included Katie Brayben as Tammy Faye Bakker and Andrew Rannells as Jim Bakker. [3]
In November 2023, it was announced that the show would transfer to Broadway during the 2024–25 season. [4] On the red carpet at the 2024 Tony Awards, Andrew Rannells revealed that he would no longer be going to Broadway with the show, due to failed contract negotiations. [5] On June 26 , it was announced Christian Borle would be taking over the role of Jim Bakker. [6] One month later, Michael Cerveris joined the cast as Jerry Falwell. [7]
The show began previews on 19 October 2024, with an opening night on 14 November at the newly renovated Palace Theatre. [8] Katie Brayben reprised her role. [9] On November 19, it was announced that the show would close on December 8, after receiving negative reviews and poor ticket sales, losing $25 million throughout its run. [10] [11] The show played 24 preview performances and 29 regular performances. [10] [12]
| Character | London | Broadway |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2024 | |
| Tammy Faye Messner | Katie Brayben | |
| Jim Bakker | Andrew Rannells | Christian Borle |
| Jerry Falwell | Zubin Varla | Michael Cerveris |
| Oral Roberts / Reggie / Steve Pieters / Charles Shepherd | Ashley Campbell | Charl Brown |
| Billy Graham / Larry Flint / Pontius Pilate / Judge | Peter Caulfield | Mark Evans |
| Paul Crouch / Ally the Alligator / Colonel Sanders | Richard Dempsey | Nick Bailey |
| Ted Turner / Pat Robertson / The Pope | Nicholas Rowe | Andy Taylor |
| Jimmy Swaggart / Archbishop of Canterbury / Ronald Reagan | Steve John Shepherd | Ian Lassiter |
| Jan Crouch / Susie Moppet / Lori Beth | Amy Booth-Steel | Allison Guinn |
| John Fletcher | Martin Sarreal | Raymond J. Lee |
| Nurse / Receptionist / Announcer / Jessica Hahn | Gemma Sutton | Alana Pollard |
|
|
The Almeida Theatre production received positive reviews from audiences and critics including four star reviews from The Guardian , [13] Time Out , [14] The Independent , [15] Financial Times , [16] WhatsOnStage , [17] and The Sunday Times . [18]
In its review of the Broadway production, The New York Times called the show "disjointed, strangely bland." [19] Variety's Frank Rizzo said the Broadway production lacked "any sense of confidence, consistency or purpose. It’s as messy as Tammy’s mascara." [20]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Evening Standard Awards | Best Musical | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Laurence Olivier Awards [21] [22] | Best New Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Katie Brayben | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Andrew Rannells | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Zubin Varla | Won | ||
Tamara Faye Messner was an American evangelist. She co-founded the televangelist program The PTL Club with her husband Jim Bakker in 1974. They had hosted their own puppet-show series for local programming in the early 1960s; Messner also had a career as a recording artist. In 1978, she and Bakker built Heritage USA, a Christian theme park.
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and in 2011 for her performance as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, a role which she reprised in 2021 for a production in London and for which she received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her other Broadway credits include Grease, Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, Violet, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Once Upon a Mattress. On television, Foster played the lead role in the short-lived ABC Family comedy-drama Bunheads from 2012 to 2013. From 2015 to 2021, she starred in the TV Land comedy-drama Younger.
The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West End theatres.
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Christian Dominique Borle is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!. Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway, earning Tony nominations for the latter two. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos, which also earned him a Tony nomination. His first leading role on Broadway was Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He would later also star as Bert in Mary Poppins and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also portrayed Orin Scrivello in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. Borle starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash and Vox in the adult animated black comedy musical series Hazbin Hotel.
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