It’s only November, and Broadway has posted its first closing notice.
“Tammy Faye,” the new $25 million Elton John musical about Tammy Faye Bakker, will close on December 8, at which point it will have had 24 previews and 29 regular performances. The show received unfavorable reviews and had poor ticket sales.
Together with her husband Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye was a popular television evangelist who starred on the program The PTL Club reaching millions of viewers in the ‘70s and 80’s. They were so popular that they were able to establish Heritage USA, a Christian retreat and theme park. This was a time of the electric church and several pastors began to televise service. Many of the televangelists were jealous of the Bakker’s success and sought to bring them down..
Tammy Faye was supportive of the gay and LGBT community, and Elton John helped to bring her story to Broadway as a musical. The show boasts several experienced creatives such Katie Brayben as Tammy Faye Messner Christian Borle as her husband Jim Bakker and Michael Cerveris as the Reverend Jerry Falwell.
One of the problems with this show is that, although Tammy Faye is the conscience of the show, she is still a bit of a cartoon. While most of the religious male leaders are philanderers and cheats, she maintains her attitude about religion and says that love is the answer to everything. She is creative but excluded because she’s a woman.
None of the characters except for Tammy Faye is likable, and the evangelical leaders are particularly distasteful and several of the scenes spoof the church. The musical mocks the theme park and in one silly moment, a Roman official chases after a flabby Jesus with a ribbon “whip.”
We care about her but it’s not enough to save the show, despite the impressive talents of Brayben and the others.So why is this show closing? Unlike “The Book of Mormon,” another show about religion, the characters aren’t endearing and lovable. The ending isn’t sweet and most of the principals are self-serving.
I’m always saddened when shows close early because talented people have worked really hard. “Tammy Faye” is the first but won’t be the last this season.