My thoughts as you described the creative team: “huh. That’s a lot of British people.” Which, normally not a problem, but this is a story where having a deep understanding of the impact of televangelism and the evangelical right on U.S. politics seems like a bit of a prerequisite.
I think part of the problem with the identity crisis is that a vast majority of the writing and production team are British. From my understanding, televangelism and the 80s being the root of Christian Nationalism that we are facing today is much less of a thing in the UK than the US. Televangelism and the Prosperity Gospel has ruined a lot of people’s lives. It’s hard to have the conversations that should be in a show about Tammy Faye when you don’t have the full context of the topic. I would love to see what Sara Bareilles or country singer Kasey Musgraves or, hell, Dolly Parton with a book by someone like Matthew Lopez would have done with the subject matter. Also, bringing it to America during an election year where it very well may go bad was a questionable decision by the producers.
Honestly doesn't surprise me, Elton and the show's producers were led by their egos and opted for one of the biggest auditoriums in broadway, with a fairly unknown quantity as a show, uncomfortable or uninteresting subject matter for US audiences, they really should have gone with an out of town/off-broadway trial run to try and gauge interest rather than going for one of the most sought after theatres in the city. Yes it sold very well at the Almeida, but that was a British audience, a completely different value proposition to broadway audiences, who can be unbelievably difficult to please.
YES IVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT THIS THANK YOU FOR BEING SO SPEEDY!! Also hi I DID in fact yell “I love you Mickey Jo” at you as you were leaving the MHE stage door yesterday, I apologize for yelling, I was just trapped in the crowd and couldn’t break free to say hi, but I love your content and hope you’re enjoying your trip 🫶🫶
I didn't mind the hug because in the Tammy Faye interview the man had planned to be there in person and to protect his health opted to do the interview via a televised feed. In the interview Tammy says, and Im paraphrasing "If you were here I would give you a big hug." It would have been strange to do this scene on a stage with a television screen so I understood why they opted to use their poetic license to have the man there in person. And once he was there in person she really had to hug him to stay true to the discourse of the interview. Also it's noteworthy that the pastor was white and they cast a black man to play that character adding another layer of detachment from historical accuracy.
I've seen the interview on TH-cam, and as much as Tammy Faye's emotional response was touching to me, I think there's a world of difference between saying you would hug someone and actually hugging a gay HIV+ pastor on your popular Christian family talk show. Maybe I'm cynical or don't know enough about the history, but I can't believe something like that would fly at that time (regardless of whether or not she had the desire to).
@@ASmidgeOfPidge I get the difference, but it was still a radical position for anyone to take, especially a woman from the Christian Zionist movement. Her son Jay continues this in his ministry. Its normalized in a lot of countries where the concept of community is built into the religion, though many sects of Protestantism, most especially Christian Zionism, are considerably more concerned with the opposite. In the New Testament and the Quran it is a grave sin to keep the teachings of Jesus from anyone. Love your neighbor as yourself is actually supposed to be practiced, even by Anglos. Shocking, I know.
I can see what youre saying. For me I think it would have been cool to see the behind the scenes aspect of it because although the show made it seem like it was the pastor’s decision, it was really the show who didnt want him there in person. Tammie was the only one who fought for him but had to make due with the circumstances. Her getting emotional would further emphasize how caring she was and her saying she wished she could hug him was a subtle form of rebellion. I couldve sworn though they did an interview together like years later and she actually got to hug him? I could be wrong.
Maybe British subjects are interested in Tammy, as outsiders looking in. Here in the US, most people, who well remember the scandal, just don't feel like rehashing the matter. That's quite apart from whether or not the show is any damn good. If it's not actually good, then so much the worst.
I was actually at Tammy Faye on opening night. I wish I could say I loved it, but I agree with all the points in your review. I will say that I fell in love with Katie Brayben’s performance when she sang “Empty Hands”. That performance made me sit up and think “Oh wow.” Also loved Michael Cerveris being back on Broadway. I haven’t seen him live on stage since the original production of Titanic & had forgotten how gorgeous his voice is.
I saw it in London and it was a fun show but was quite taken aback to hear it was getting a Broadway transfer - nowhere near the best new musical I’d seen in recent years, that’s a huuuge step
I remember being super confused at the time that it was going straight from the Almeida to Broadway. Definitely sounds like it could have done with another UK run before they even thought about an American transfer
The whole idea of a Tammy Faye musical is a bafflement to me to begin with. Her life made for an excellent and fascinating documentary. But apart from a respectable (though by no means extraordinary) Oscar-winning performance by Jessica Chastain, the feature film adaptation didn't quite work. So I'm at a loss to explain why anyone would think it was a good idea to mount it as a musical. The whole thing seems so wrong-headed right out of the gate.
I was at opening night of Tammy Faye. Katie Brayben and Michael Cerveris are marvels. Her performance was a tour de force and gave me chills. I guess because I spent 11 years in SC when she was doing PTL and all those scary Televangelists I knew her story.
I saw this show on its first preview and like you I agree that it is very tonally confused and it should have went for the straight camp route (imagine more puppets!). I don't think it's a bad show. Folks are giving good performances esp Katie but the music is not memorable at all and the story is trying to be so many things at once. With how bad the reviews are and numbers I don't think it will be open for much longer. The second biggest mistake was putting this in the Palace. Should have went off broadway or pre-broadway to see if there would be any buzz.
@1:12 Spongebob the musical was at the Palace theater back in 2017 and that set filled the theater! The Palace is a huge theater and no idea why Tammy Faye set did not take advantage of the Palace's size. @3:30 I grew up in the 80s but never watched Tammy Faye; my parents opted to have me watch Sesame Street instead! Back then I think Tammy Faye's show was on cable TV, which was expensive. @15:40 That whole scene reminded me of Princess Diana!!! I then wondered how come I never heard of Tammy Faye doing this before since it would have been iconic but now I learn it never really happened. @26:50 I quite liked Christian Borle. I didn't know anything about Tammy Faye/Jim Bakker beforehand but Christian's portrayal of Jim Bakker seemed like there was something off or distrustful about him where later on I wasn't surprised at all by his fall.
really interested by your last point abt Christian! I always felt like he would embody the sketchiness of Jim more than in Andrew’s portrayal and was looking forward to seeing what the show would be like with that element of Jim’s character emphasised
i saw it on broadway a few weeks ago. i do wish we had seen tammy becoming a gay icon! while watching, i felt like the story of her (and jim bakker's) downfall dragged a bit. i was kind of hoping they'd get there at the end of act I/early act II. i also agree completely w the tonal dissonance you talked about - it distracted me during the show tbh. personally i think continuing the use of the framing device they half set up w the nurse could have helped w that. the nurse could ask questions (esp about the broader legacy of this moment in time) or fact-check tammy at certain points, which could make the picking-and-choosing of which televangelists are antagonistic an intentional choice re tammy being our opinionated, somewhat unreliable narrator (such as tammy being star-struck w billy graham vs. betrayed by jerry and vilified by other televangelists). another (evita inspired) option could have been running w the 'tammy and jerry meeting in that waiting room after dying' bit (or before dying? i can't remember clearly) so tammy and jerry can argue about their different perspectives on what happened. i feel like that could make the tonal dissonance an actual part of the story and tammy could still triumph by having jerry die of heart failure mid-argument (and so she could keep the line about jerry dying as he lived). also i don't think you're being pedantic about 'if you came to see me cry'. i liked the song but i kept waiting for some kind of definitive statement to end those refrains.
They got the closing notice tonight. It will play it's last performance on December 8th, 2024. It didn't take long. Feel sorry for the front of the house staff.
adored this in London and so sad about some of the changes for broadway. particularly ‘bring me the face of tammy bakker’ & also alterations to ‘if only love’ - BANGERS. mostly feel like the script has somehow gone the wrong way and (from what i’ve heard) random details have been changed unnecessarily and more important things - eg more campness / jim&tammy’s relationship / their impact - haven’t been developed in a way i know would’ve been fully possible & just really good with how brilliantly talented james graham is. just quite sad about what it could’ve been
The tone issue (how much are we laughing at, how much are we taking seriously) was a big issue in Queen of Versailles, which I saw in Boston previews. I'll be super interested in watching that make its way to Broadway
@mockingdragon i loved queen of Versailles but there were definitely tone issues. The second act was way less fun and it got harder to like the character (despite the brillance of Kristen chenowith. ) hopefully they will figure out how to fix the show but not sure how….especially since its based on a real person with a real history
@@charliehorey9886 A real person whose family is credited as financing the show...how critical is it really allowed to be? I agree that the first act was much stronger. It needs a lot of trimming down, I think.
I loved queen of Versailles but tone was definitely a problem. The second act was a lot less fun as the character became less easy to like. Wasn’t sure what to feel at the end despite kristen being so amazing. Not sure how to fix it since its based on a real person.
I was at the same performance a couple of rows behind you but didn’t get a chance to say hi! I agree completely with your review! I went into the show completely blind, not knowing anything about Tammy Faye or Jim Bakker. I read through her Wikipedia page at intermission and came out of the show disappointed that they didn't really touch on her involvement with the queer community, her second marriage, or the fact that she lived on quite a while longer after her cancer diagnosis. It was annoying that they only showed her through her relationship with Jim. Also, the audience was definitely not enjoying it, and that always impacts the experience, in my opinion.
@@brigidcupolo-shorter5018 Well, honestly, her relationship with Jim is what defines her -- if she'd never met him, nobody would remember her today. The Christian evangelical movement is generally run by and for men, that's just the way it is.
@@chuckoneill2023I definitely get what you mean! I just meant she lived 15 years after she divorced Jim Bakker and did a lot of significant work in that period, and I wished they touched on that in the show.
What I’m really excited about this Broadway production is someone from my home state is in the ensemble of this production. I personally don’t know this person but we have some of the same social circles and I’ve seen her in a few productions here and there. Coincidentally we have the same barber which is so cool to me
Was surprised at your positive review in London but not surprised that it found no audience on Broadway. I am an older American and I really have no positive memories of the Bakers. They were insincere grifters using their notoriety to trick people into funding their lifestyle. It seems like the people creating this musical didn’t have any real understanding of how much Americans felt defrauded by the Baker circus at the time. Making a fawning musical about her seems tone deaf.
We won digital lottery for a preview performance of Tammy Faye earlier this month but decided instead to stand in line for general rush for Romeo & Juliet. That didn't pan out so we ended up getting front row general rush for The Great Gatsby instead which was a great experience even though we were a little bummed that Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada both had understudies in for that performance. Sounds like we dodged a bullet passing on this one. And Piece by Piece (the Pharrell biopic in LEGO) is great, but since I live in the area where he grew up I got a big kick out of seeing some of the local landmarks be presented in LEGO form.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. After I saw the show I told everyone that Katie Brayben was totally amazing but her performance was the only thing worth seeing it for. This was the first time I was ever disappointed in the wonderful Christian Borle who I have loved in so many previous shows. You’re right his tone is all wrong for this part. I never really bought his naivety or vulnerability. And dear Michael Cerveris, what a waste of talent. I couldn’t understand why he took such a minor role. Perhaps his role was more substantial in London but here he just came off one dimensional villain. All in all though I’m glad I got to see Katie’s phenomenal performance.
I too saw Tammy Faye last week. I LOVED the Almeida production, but the Broadway production was ovrblown and dumbed down for an American audience. Everything had to be explained e.g How Tammy met Jim, How they became a couple etc. lyric changes didn't work, it didn't need the big reveal of the main set whilst in a revival tent, Heritage USA was overblown and didn't need all the bells and whistles. That song was shorter on Broadway, yet felt so much longer.... The 16 piece orchestra didn't add anything either. But 1 thing i DID love.... the adult sized puppets at the end of 'If Only Love' !! I appreciated some of the changes in act 2 though. Christian Borle was miscast and Jerry Fulwell wasn't quite the villian he was in London. Do you prefer those other Elton scores because you know them well, and have only heard this in performance? I have bootlegged both productions and Londons version is far superior.
I would rather see Donald Trump the Musical. Tammy Faye scandal is so long ago, why would anyone born recently have any knowledge about her? I just turn 60. She was on my rear view mirror when I heard about her.
I saw the show in previews just a few days before the Broadway opening. I grew up in the 80’s and was well aware of Tammy Faye. I thought the show had a lot of heart and was campy fun…but I knew halfway through Act 1 that this probably won’t live long on Broadway. The party of 3 sitting next to me left at intermission. I was impressed with the entire cast but felt the book was weak and was disappointed that it focuses solely on the PTL television show and didn’t shine light on Tammy Faye’s life post scandal. I was really surprised to see so many empty seats in a Broadway theatre on a Friday night! However, the Palace is huge and I also fear that Tammy Faye’s celebrity doesn’t resonate with today’s theatre-going audience.
Saw this at the Almeida and absolutely loved it. Katie Brayben was legendary. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts as toying with seeing on Broadway too…or perhaps not?
I’m sooo curious why it seems like so many of your feelings around the Almeida production have changed since you saw it. I watched your review recently after seeing Tammy Faye in Broadway, and I was surprised that you gave it 4 stars. But from your description of the show it felt like not much had changed on its way to Broadway. So how does a 4 star review turn into a 2 star review?
Andrew, Zubin and the excised material made a big difference, as did the venue BUT I'm not sure I ever should have given the London run 4*, it probably ought to have been a 3*
As someone alive in the US in the eighties, the idea of seeing any kind of work of entertainment about these figures is anathema. Even if he's a villain--I do not want to see Jerry Falwell. I would rather not think about that man ever again.
Saw the first night of Previews--where the performance was actually stopped for technical adjustments and things in general were obviously still in the process of being worked out, so my review has a caveat. Tons of energy in the audience before the curtain rose, though by intermission there was a distinct pall over the entire house. Was clear this either needed a LOT of work or was just hit & miss dud. I felt it was maybe too ambitious, too wide-ranging in trying to provide the whole history of televangelism, the poisonous Reagan/Falwell alliance and AIDS epidemic, so that what got lost was a focus on Tammy herself. Also the score, while clearly in an Elton John idiom didn't seem to land. Numbers that were good enough as they were happening left no resonance. Not enough hooks? Too many of those sing-at-the-utter-top-of-your-range belts? I don't know. The voices were up the task, but still there was a certain failure to generate real thrills. Lots of on-and-off action too, entrances & exits coming right, left, and straight down the center aisle--a busy-ness that distorted any sense of a through-line of the plot and underscored the sense of having a lot of ground to cover--so exposition trumped drama. I'll just say the crowd leaving the theatre was in a WHOLE different state than we were going in. Even if I'm always keen to see Christian Borle on stage, this i not a show I'd recommend.
This was in my “maybe” pile for last week, so glad I took the advice of so many others and didn’t see it. Had it not been for Oh Mary, I’d have loved everything I went to see!
sad to hear this has gone in the wrong direction! I enjoyed it in London but was definitely disappointed to hear Andrew Rannells was not returning. Interesting to hear your thoughts on Christian, he is such a different choice that it was a very shocking replacement to me (as a huge Falsettos revival fan I’m hoping it doesn’t mean there’s bad blood between them haha)
Definitely no bad blood! Christian said a couple of days ago how much he still loves Andrew and was very happily saying how much he loved working with him!
@@ellarossiter2473 firstly- they’re professionals not high schoolers. This thing (actors initially intending to be a part of the show but then not due to contract issues) actually happens all the time in the industry but it was publicised because the TF marketing team made SEVERAL blunders- the ‘controversy’ itself is to the blame of no one but the marketing team. Also why would someone follow the account of a musical they’re not a part of? Andrew has also made posts reminiscing about working with Christian in falsettos since then and has shown to be highly supportive of the production even now. There’s no ‘beef’ or ‘drama’ these are two adults who work in a very fast moving and SMALL industry plz don’t spread rumours which are blatantly untrue
Saw it at the Almeida - quite enjoyed it (just shy of 4*). I had a lot of back story though ... my Mom and I used to watch PTL Club on TV all the time! Shame it sounds like it hasn't translated well to Broadway.
Saw the show today. The only reason I saw it was because I'm trying to see all Tony contenders for the musical categories, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone because seeing a show about an evangelist sounds, well, boring. (Side note: i heard a guy tell the usher who told him to enjoy the show say, not very likely but we'll see. I think he was dragged there by his friends and i think thats most Americans attitude towards the subject). However, when I was asked by people how I liked the show I said, I enjoyed it but I'm not sure if I liked it. I don't regret seeing it, but I don't need to go back. I couldn't place what my issue was but I think it was missing something. And I think you might be right that it needs to turn up the camp. Loved the performers and costumes though. I would like to add as an American who was born after all this scandal went down, I did not know who Tammy Faye was. My parents did and were a bit confused why anyone would write a musical about her, but she's before my time. So at the end when they made the comment that she got through everything because of the gays, I was super confused. I'm like, how? Even a couple minutes explaining the last 15 years of her life before she died for context would have helped. Leaving me confused as the show ends probably not what the creators were going for, I hope. I'll be surprised if it makes it to Christmas, after all the mezzanine i was upgraded to from the balcony was only 25% full.
I would occasionally come across Jim and Tammy Faye's show and must admit to having been drawn in by their unintentionally campy presentation. It really did play like a parody on SNL except you could see, even beyond those caterpillar lashes, how genuine and sincere Tammy Faye actually was. A real true believer. (Jim Bakker not so much.) It sounds like the show may have missed that.
The idea that the ex bishop of Canterbury is played by a puppet, pleases me. Tammy used to cry every day on her show. On Saturday night live, they certainly turned on the waterworks.
I saw it last minute on a Sunday night and it was easily the most uninteresting thing I saw my whole week in NY. I did not hate it by any means but it was such a nothing of a show, especially for such an interesting subject matter
Thanks for your careful analysis. Would you at any point want to compare to Jessica Chastain film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"? Watching you makes me miss my West End binges when I was 11 and 21 respectively!
I was at the first preview and boy was it a mess. Almost 3.5 hours. I actually enjoyed the music enough but I thought the book was all over the place and had no idea what it wanted to be or what it wanted the audience to think. Also since he’s my fav Broadway actor I was so disappointed in Christian Borle, none of the things that make him great were on display in this, he was so clearly not in his wheelhouse and it got kinda hard to watch towards the end.
I saw Tammy Faye in previews on broadway. I felt that there were some bits that could have been edited out. The leads were wonderful, but the songs were lacking.
They way you describe Elton's score here is also how I feel about his work on Devil Wears Prada in the WE. It's rather bland poppy music with no memorable bites.
I'd imagine that the shows narrative, arc and character problems stem from the fact that a womans story is being created and told by all men (the chief creatives; music, lyrics, book and direction). No wonder Jim's story overtook hers. Typical 🤷🏾
I was really looking forward to go see Tammy Faye eventually, but now that I saw this I don't know anymore. I really just wanted to go to see Christian Borle as he is hilariously funny and very talented. If he didn't hit the mark this time around, oh well!
I'm just confused why this keeps happening, we tried this Exact Same Thing 10 years ago with Saving Aimee/Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson
It's so interesting for Mickey Jo to say if you liked Diana you might like this. Diana was well loved and gave to the people, Tammy Faye was mocked and hated and clearly not naive in stealing money from people in the name of God
I love the way you say if you want to see this get your ticket quickly just as if we can all afford to pop over to Broadway just like that! Sorry l have electric and gas bills to pay and yes l would dearly love to see it. I was very fortunate to see it in London. I thought it was brilliant storytelling, exceptional acting and that Elton’s songs have never been better.But no l can’t just get on a plane and spend a load of money to see just why this version is so disliked. You are a very lucky man Mickey Joe and l hope you realise just what a fortunate life you have created for yourself.
I'm incredibly lucky, you're so right! I should be clear as well, more US viewers watch my videos on here than British, so when I suggest people buy tickets on Broadway reviews I'm broadly talking to the Americans. Certainly not expecting anyone to forego their electric and gas bills (which I also have).
You are right. I saw it in London and on Broadway. And the most disappointing fact was the performance of Christian Borle, who is normally always excellent (f.e. in Some like it hot or Falsettos), but in Tammy Faye he plays the role as if he‘s ashamed of the charakter. Andrew Rannells was way better and believably.
Broadway is slowly going the way of the Cinema. People are lazy, and they want to sit back in their chair and stream everything from home..and that includes movies and stage productions. Streaming has been directly linked to many cinemas closing for good especially in the rural areas. Theatre subscriptions are way down and it is getting harder and harder to green light any new film or stage production. I for one still go the cinema at least four times a month (mostly new foreign and independent films) but stage shows are way beyond what my pocket book can support. Only the very rich can take their family out to the theatre, especially Broadway.
Disagree with a lot of this, especially about Christian. Andrew and Christian were both great, and Christian brings a lot of nuance to the character. Andrew was incredibly likeable - too likeable and too sympathetic, Jay Bakker said - while Christian accesses the frustration, resentment and ambition necessary to understanding why Jim ends up doing the things he does.
Saw it on Bway in October. Great expectations. No hummable songs- no memorable tunes. Expected Aida or Lion King, got a snoozefest. It has the requisite Christian-bashing lines as well as meat for the TDS New York crowd. But it has no soul or meaning. Won't last the year.
stay away from the politics please. As you are a british citizen, there is no way this was a disastrous election for you. keep you opinions in your back pocket and just keep doing reviews, which is where your light shines.
Thanks. You definitely lowered my expectations. I am seeing this next week. That’s a huge theater to transfer to. What were they thinking? A flop musical to open the new Palace after Ben Platt is sad. Thanks for the heads up about the Christian political angle. Bad timing for sure. At least I will get to see the new Palace. Will we get your thoughts on the actual theatre in a vlog?
My thoughts as you described the creative team: “huh. That’s a lot of British people.” Which, normally not a problem, but this is a story where having a deep understanding of the impact of televangelism and the evangelical right on U.S. politics seems like a bit of a prerequisite.
"If you liked Diana the Musical" - that pretty much sums it up
My thoughts as you described the creative team: “huh. That’s a lot of British people.” Which, normally not a problem, but this is a story where having a deep understanding of the impact of televangelism and the evangelical right on U.S. politics seems like a bit of a prerequisite.
I think part of the problem with the identity crisis is that a vast majority of the writing and production team are British. From my understanding, televangelism and the 80s being the root of Christian Nationalism that we are facing today is much less of a thing in the UK than the US. Televangelism and the Prosperity Gospel has ruined a lot of people’s lives. It’s hard to have the conversations that should be in a show about Tammy Faye when you don’t have the full context of the topic. I would love to see what Sara Bareilles or country singer Kasey Musgraves or, hell, Dolly Parton with a book by someone like Matthew Lopez would have done with the subject matter.
Also, bringing it to America during an election year where it very well may go bad was a questionable decision by the producers.
It should be called The Bakker's Wife.
I'll see myself out.
LOLOL
I could literally hear the rim shot. 😂
I don't know whether to pelt you with roses or rotten fruit...
GET OUT🤣
Five days after opening night, they announced that Tammy Faye will close Dec. 8
Honestly doesn't surprise me, Elton and the show's producers were led by their egos and opted for one of the biggest auditoriums in broadway, with a fairly unknown quantity as a show, uncomfortable or uninteresting subject matter for US audiences, they really should have gone with an out of town/off-broadway trial run to try and gauge interest rather than going for one of the most sought after theatres in the city. Yes it sold very well at the Almeida, but that was a British audience, a completely different value proposition to broadway audiences, who can be unbelievably difficult to please.
@@TheTradge Bottom line: it's easier to sell 325 seats vs. 1,648 seats lol
YES IVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT THIS THANK YOU FOR BEING SO SPEEDY!!
Also hi I DID in fact yell “I love you Mickey Jo” at you as you were leaving the MHE stage door yesterday, I apologize for yelling, I was just trapped in the crowd and couldn’t break free to say hi, but I love your content and hope you’re enjoying your trip 🫶🫶
I didn't mind the hug because in the Tammy Faye interview the man had planned to be there in person and to protect his health opted to do the interview via a televised feed. In the interview Tammy says, and Im paraphrasing "If you were here I would give you a big hug." It would have been strange to do this scene on a stage with a television screen so I understood why they opted to use their poetic license to have the man there in person. And once he was there in person she really had to hug him to stay true to the discourse of the interview. Also it's noteworthy that the pastor was white and they cast a black man to play that character adding another layer of detachment from historical accuracy.
I've seen the interview on TH-cam, and as much as Tammy Faye's emotional response was touching to me, I think there's a world of difference between saying you would hug someone and actually hugging a gay HIV+ pastor on your popular Christian family talk show. Maybe I'm cynical or don't know enough about the history, but I can't believe something like that would fly at that time (regardless of whether or not she had the desire to).
@@ASmidgeOfPidge I get the difference, but it was still a radical position for anyone to take, especially a woman from the Christian Zionist movement. Her son Jay continues this in his ministry. Its normalized in a lot of countries where the concept of community is built into the religion, though many sects of Protestantism, most especially Christian Zionism, are considerably more concerned with the opposite. In the New Testament and the Quran it is a grave sin to keep the teachings of Jesus from anyone. Love your neighbor as yourself is actually supposed to be practiced, even by Anglos. Shocking, I know.
I can see what youre saying. For me I think it would have been cool to see the behind the scenes aspect of it because although the show made it seem like it was the pastor’s decision, it was really the show who didnt want him there in person. Tammie was the only one who fought for him but had to make due with the circumstances. Her getting emotional would further emphasize how caring she was and her saying she wished she could hug him was a subtle form of rebellion.
I couldve sworn though they did an interview together like years later and she actually got to hug him? I could be wrong.
Maybe British subjects are interested in Tammy, as outsiders looking in.
Here in the US, most people, who well remember the scandal, just don't feel like rehashing the matter.
That's quite apart from whether or not the show is any damn good. If it's not actually good, then so much the worst.
Best summary of the main problem! 🎉
Agreed. It is all yesterday's news. Decades old news.
I was actually at Tammy Faye on opening night. I wish I could say I loved it, but I agree with all the points in your review. I will say that I fell in love with Katie Brayben’s performance when she sang “Empty Hands”. That performance made me sit up and think “Oh wow.”
Also loved Michael Cerveris being back on Broadway. I haven’t seen him live on stage since the original production of Titanic & had forgotten how gorgeous his voice is.
I was at opening night as well. Katie Brayben is a marvel, as is Michael Cerveris. Her performance was a tour de force and gave me chills.
I saw it in London and it was a fun show but was quite taken aback to hear it was getting a Broadway transfer - nowhere near the best new musical I’d seen in recent years, that’s a huuuge step
Omg I was hoping for a review of this! I've been curious about how it would do this side of the pond.
Adored this at the Almeida. Such a shame they didn’t keep the spirit of the original
I remember being super confused at the time that it was going straight from the Almeida to Broadway. Definitely sounds like it could have done with another UK run before they even thought about an American transfer
Maybe they felt like the story was too American as we don't have televangelists or whatever
I was so excited to see this on my next NYC trip (in March)--but it doesn't sound like it's going to make it. Thanks for your thorough review!
The whole idea of a Tammy Faye musical is a bafflement to me to begin with. Her life made for an excellent and fascinating documentary. But apart from a respectable (though by no means extraordinary) Oscar-winning performance by Jessica Chastain, the feature film adaptation didn't quite work. So I'm at a loss to explain why anyone would think it was a good idea to mount it as a musical. The whole thing seems so wrong-headed right out of the gate.
Its driving me crazy. "There's no place like" WHAT - tell me what.
Sorry! It says homo 😅
I was at opening night of Tammy Faye. Katie Brayben and Michael Cerveris are marvels. Her performance was a tour de force and gave me chills. I guess because I spent 11 years in SC when she was doing PTL and all those scary Televangelists I knew her story.
I saw this show on its first preview and like you I agree that it is very tonally confused and it should have went for the straight camp route (imagine more puppets!). I don't think it's a bad show. Folks are giving good performances esp Katie but the music is not memorable at all and the story is trying to be so many things at once. With how bad the reviews are and numbers I don't think it will be open for much longer. The second biggest mistake was putting this in the Palace. Should have went off broadway or pre-broadway to see if there would be any buzz.
@1:12 Spongebob the musical was at the Palace theater back in 2017 and that set filled the theater! The Palace is a huge theater and no idea why Tammy Faye set did not take advantage of the Palace's size. @3:30 I grew up in the 80s but never watched Tammy Faye; my parents opted to have me watch Sesame Street instead! Back then I think Tammy Faye's show was on cable TV, which was expensive. @15:40 That whole scene reminded me of Princess Diana!!! I then wondered how come I never heard of Tammy Faye doing this before since it would have been iconic but now I learn it never really happened. @26:50 I quite liked Christian Borle. I didn't know anything about Tammy Faye/Jim Bakker beforehand but Christian's portrayal of Jim Bakker seemed like there was something off or distrustful about him where later on I wasn't surprised at all by his fall.
really interested by your last point abt Christian! I always felt like he would embody the sketchiness of Jim more than in Andrew’s portrayal and was looking forward to seeing what the show would be like with that element of Jim’s character emphasised
i saw it on broadway a few weeks ago. i do wish we had seen tammy becoming a gay icon! while watching, i felt like the story of her (and jim bakker's) downfall dragged a bit. i was kind of hoping they'd get there at the end of act I/early act II. i also agree completely w the tonal dissonance you talked about - it distracted me during the show tbh. personally i think continuing the use of the framing device they half set up w the nurse could have helped w that. the nurse could ask questions (esp about the broader legacy of this moment in time) or fact-check tammy at certain points, which could make the picking-and-choosing of which televangelists are antagonistic an intentional choice re tammy being our opinionated, somewhat unreliable narrator (such as tammy being star-struck w billy graham vs. betrayed by jerry and vilified by other televangelists). another (evita inspired) option could have been running w the 'tammy and jerry meeting in that waiting room after dying' bit (or before dying? i can't remember clearly) so tammy and jerry can argue about their different perspectives on what happened. i feel like that could make the tonal dissonance an actual part of the story and tammy could still triumph by having jerry die of heart failure mid-argument (and so she could keep the line about jerry dying as he lived). also i don't think you're being pedantic about 'if you came to see me cry'. i liked the song but i kept waiting for some kind of definitive statement to end those refrains.
They got the closing notice tonight. It will play it's last performance on December 8th, 2024. It didn't take long. Feel sorry for the front of the house staff.
Oh boy! Also haircut(style) looks incredible in this video Mickey!
adored this in London and so sad about some of the changes for broadway. particularly ‘bring me the face of tammy bakker’ & also alterations to ‘if only love’ - BANGERS. mostly feel like the script has somehow gone the wrong way and (from what i’ve heard) random details have been changed unnecessarily and more important things - eg more campness / jim&tammy’s relationship / their impact - haven’t been developed in a way i know would’ve been fully possible & just really good with how brilliantly talented james graham is. just quite sad about what it could’ve been
The tone issue (how much are we laughing at, how much are we taking seriously) was a big issue in Queen of Versailles, which I saw in Boston previews. I'll be super interested in watching that make its way to Broadway
@mockingdragon i loved queen of Versailles but there were definitely tone issues. The second act was way less fun and it got harder to like the character (despite the brillance of Kristen chenowith. ) hopefully they will figure out how to fix the show but not sure how….especially since its based on a real person with a real history
@@charliehorey9886 A real person whose family is credited as financing the show...how critical is it really allowed to be? I agree that the first act was much stronger. It needs a lot of trimming down, I think.
I loved queen of Versailles but tone was definitely a problem. The second act was a lot less fun as the character became less easy to like. Wasn’t sure what to feel at the end despite kristen being so amazing. Not sure how to fix it since its based on a real person.
I’m cracking up at the headline!! 😂
I was at the same performance a couple of rows behind you but didn’t get a chance to say hi! I agree completely with your review!
I went into the show completely blind, not knowing anything about Tammy Faye or Jim Bakker. I read through her Wikipedia page at intermission and came out of the show disappointed that they didn't really touch on her involvement with the queer community, her second marriage, or the fact that she lived on quite a while longer after her cancer diagnosis. It was annoying that they only showed her through her relationship with Jim.
Also, the audience was definitely not enjoying it, and that always impacts the experience, in my opinion.
@@brigidcupolo-shorter5018 Well, honestly, her relationship with Jim is what defines her -- if she'd never met him, nobody would remember her today. The Christian evangelical movement is generally run by and for men, that's just the way it is.
@@chuckoneill2023I definitely get what you mean! I just meant she lived 15 years after she divorced Jim Bakker and did a lot of significant work in that period, and I wished they touched on that in the show.
What I’m really excited about this Broadway production is someone from my home state is in the ensemble of this production. I personally don’t know this person but we have some of the same social circles and I’ve seen her in a few productions here and there. Coincidentally we have the same barber which is so cool to me
It just posted its closing notice. Last performance Dec 8.
I enjoyed the show but i did struggle to understand everything because I didn’t know who Tammy Faye was beforehand
Was surprised at your positive review in London but not surprised that it found no audience on Broadway. I am an older American and I really have no positive memories of the Bakers. They were insincere grifters using their notoriety to trick people into funding their lifestyle. It seems like the people creating this musical didn’t have any real understanding of how much Americans felt defrauded by the Baker circus at the time. Making a fawning musical about her seems tone deaf.
I saw it in London and while not fantastic it was not the train wreck the critics are portraying. Thanks for going into the changes
We won digital lottery for a preview performance of Tammy Faye earlier this month but decided instead to stand in line for general rush for Romeo & Juliet. That didn't pan out so we ended up getting front row general rush for The Great Gatsby instead which was a great experience even though we were a little bummed that Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada both had understudies in for that performance. Sounds like we dodged a bullet passing on this one.
And Piece by Piece (the Pharrell biopic in LEGO) is great, but since I live in the area where he grew up I got a big kick out of seeing some of the local landmarks be presented in LEGO form.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. After I saw the show I told everyone that Katie Brayben was totally amazing but her performance was the only thing worth seeing it for. This was the first time I was ever disappointed in the wonderful Christian Borle who I have loved in so many previous shows. You’re right his tone is all wrong for this part. I never really bought his naivety or vulnerability. And dear Michael Cerveris, what a waste of talent. I couldn’t understand why he took such a minor role. Perhaps his role was more substantial in London but here he just came off one dimensional villain. All in all though I’m glad I got to see Katie’s phenomenal performance.
I felt that Andrew Daniels would have been a stellar Jim baker. Christian was not a look alike nor a type to be jim
Please watch The Eyes of Tammy Faye with Jessica Chastain if you haven’t already.
Light of the world is just the melody of light at the end of the tunnel
Andrew Lloyd Webber is now being plagiarised which is ironic
I KNEW that song sounded familiar!! Thank you for pointing that out.
I too saw Tammy Faye last week. I LOVED the Almeida production, but the Broadway production was ovrblown and dumbed down for an American audience. Everything had to be explained e.g How Tammy met Jim, How they became a couple etc. lyric changes didn't work, it didn't need the big reveal of the main set whilst in a revival tent, Heritage USA was overblown and didn't need all the bells and whistles. That song was shorter on Broadway, yet felt so much longer.... The 16 piece orchestra didn't add anything either. But 1 thing i DID love.... the adult sized puppets at the end of 'If Only Love' !! I appreciated some of the changes in act 2 though. Christian Borle was miscast and Jerry Fulwell wasn't quite the villian he was in London. Do you prefer those other Elton scores because you know them well, and have only heard this in performance? I have bootlegged both productions and Londons version is far superior.
Where did you get the bootlegs? I’m trying to find a place to get bootlegs for shows.
Hoping you have a 'Death Becomes Her' review coming up. You can't have been here and missed it!
Playwrights Horizon's theater spaces are 100-200 people. A Strange Loop and Stereophonic both transferred from PH.
I would rather see Donald Trump the Musical. Tammy Faye scandal is so long ago, why would anyone born recently have any knowledge about her? I just turn 60. She was on my rear view mirror when I heard about her.
I saw the show in previews just a few days before the Broadway opening. I grew up in the 80’s and was well aware of Tammy Faye. I thought the show had a lot of heart and was campy fun…but I knew halfway through Act 1 that this probably won’t live long on Broadway. The party of 3 sitting next to me left at intermission. I was impressed with the entire cast but felt the book was weak and was disappointed that it focuses solely on the PTL television show and didn’t shine light on Tammy Faye’s life post scandal. I was really surprised to see so many empty seats in a Broadway theatre on a Friday night! However, the Palace is huge and I also fear that Tammy Faye’s celebrity doesn’t resonate with today’s theatre-going audience.
sounds like if Titanique transferred to the New Amsterdam.
Saw this at the Almeida and absolutely loved it. Katie Brayben was legendary. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts as toying with seeing on Broadway too…or perhaps not?
I’m sooo curious why it seems like so many of your feelings around the Almeida production have changed since you saw it. I watched your review recently after seeing Tammy Faye in Broadway, and I was surprised that you gave it 4 stars. But from your description of the show it felt like not much had changed on its way to Broadway. So how does a 4 star review turn into a 2 star review?
Andrew, Zubin and the excised material made a big difference, as did the venue BUT I'm not sure I ever should have given the London run 4*, it probably ought to have been a 3*
@ interesting! Yeah even during the review you were going between 3 and 4 stars so that makes sense
As someone alive in the US in the eighties, the idea of seeing any kind of work of entertainment about these figures is anathema. Even if he's a villain--I do not want to see Jerry Falwell. I would rather not think about that man ever again.
Entirely understandable, also a component of this show's early demise I feel!
Saw the first night of Previews--where the performance was actually stopped for technical adjustments and things in general were obviously still in the process of being worked out, so my review has a caveat. Tons of energy in the audience before the curtain rose, though by intermission there was a distinct pall over the entire house. Was clear this either needed a LOT of work or was just hit & miss dud. I felt it was maybe too ambitious, too wide-ranging in trying to provide the whole history of televangelism, the poisonous Reagan/Falwell alliance and AIDS epidemic, so that what got lost was a focus on Tammy herself. Also the score, while clearly in an Elton John idiom didn't seem to land. Numbers that were good enough as they were happening left no resonance. Not enough hooks? Too many of those sing-at-the-utter-top-of-your-range belts? I don't know. The voices were up the task, but still there was a certain failure to generate real thrills. Lots of on-and-off action too, entrances & exits coming right, left, and straight down the center aisle--a busy-ness that distorted any sense of a through-line of the plot and underscored the sense of having a lot of ground to cover--so exposition trumped drama. I'll just say the crowd leaving the theatre was in a WHOLE different state than we were going in. Even if I'm always keen to see Christian Borle on stage, this i not a show I'd recommend.
This was in my “maybe” pile for last week, so glad I took the advice of so many others and didn’t see it. Had it not been for Oh Mary, I’d have loved everything I went to see!
This is a very good review
I cant quite believe this got a 4 star from you at the Almeida…
Saw the preview. One the best musicals ever.
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Bernadette Peters played Tammy Faye in a TV drama. Watch!
sad to hear this has gone in the wrong direction! I enjoyed it in London but was definitely disappointed to hear Andrew Rannells was not returning. Interesting to hear your thoughts on Christian, he is such a different choice that it was a very shocking replacement to me (as a huge Falsettos revival fan I’m hoping it doesn’t mean there’s bad blood between them haha)
Definitely no bad blood! Christian said a couple of days ago how much he still loves Andrew and was very happily saying how much he loved working with him!
@SidebySidebySophie oh where did he say that pls?
@@ellarossiter2473 firstly- they’re professionals not high schoolers. This thing (actors initially intending to be a part of the show but then not due to contract issues) actually happens all the time in the industry but it was publicised because the TF marketing team made SEVERAL blunders- the ‘controversy’ itself is to the blame of no one but the marketing team. Also why would someone follow the account of a musical they’re not a part of? Andrew has also made posts reminiscing about working with Christian in falsettos since then and has shown to be highly supportive of the production even now. There’s no ‘beef’ or ‘drama’ these are two adults who work in a very fast moving and SMALL industry plz don’t spread rumours which are blatantly untrue
Oh crap Rannels is AWESOME for this role!
Saw it at the Almeida - quite enjoyed it (just shy of 4*). I had a lot of back story though ... my Mom and I used to watch PTL Club on TV all the time! Shame it sounds like it hasn't translated well to Broadway.
Saw the show today. The only reason I saw it was because I'm trying to see all Tony contenders for the musical categories, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone because seeing a show about an evangelist sounds, well, boring. (Side note: i heard a guy tell the usher who told him to enjoy the show say, not very likely but we'll see. I think he was dragged there by his friends and i think thats most Americans attitude towards the subject). However, when I was asked by people how I liked the show I said, I enjoyed it but I'm not sure if I liked it. I don't regret seeing it, but I don't need to go back. I couldn't place what my issue was but I think it was missing something. And I think you might be right that it needs to turn up the camp. Loved the performers and costumes though.
I would like to add as an American who was born after all this scandal went down, I did not know who Tammy Faye was. My parents did and were a bit confused why anyone would write a musical about her, but she's before my time. So at the end when they made the comment that she got through everything because of the gays, I was super confused. I'm like, how? Even a couple minutes explaining the last 15 years of her life before she died for context would have helped. Leaving me confused as the show ends probably not what the creators were going for, I hope. I'll be surprised if it makes it to Christmas, after all the mezzanine i was upgraded to from the balcony was only 25% full.
Interesting. I do remember loving this show at the Almeida.
I would occasionally come across Jim and Tammy Faye's show and must admit to having been drawn in by their unintentionally campy presentation. It really did play like a parody on SNL except you could see, even beyond those caterpillar lashes, how genuine and sincere Tammy Faye actually was. A real true believer. (Jim Bakker not so much.) It sounds like the show may have missed that.
I am of a certain age . I lived through the rise and fall of Tammy and Jim they were always a spectacle.
So what has gone wrong here from London to NYC? (Other that the casting?) xx sorry but feel there’s still some questions….
It was terrible, but I loved the escalator in the theater having rainbow lights and clouds on it!
The idea that the ex bishop of Canterbury is played by a puppet, pleases me. Tammy used to cry every day on her show. On Saturday night live, they certainly turned on the waterworks.
I saw it last minute on a Sunday night and it was easily the most uninteresting thing I saw my whole week in NY. I did not hate it by any means but it was such a nothing of a show, especially for such an interesting subject matter
Thanks for your careful analysis. Would you at any point want to compare to Jessica Chastain film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"? Watching you makes me miss my West End binges when I was 11 and 21 respectively!
I was at the first preview and boy was it a mess. Almost 3.5 hours. I actually enjoyed the music enough but I thought the book was all over the place and had no idea what it wanted to be or what it wanted the audience to think. Also since he’s my fav Broadway actor I was so disappointed in Christian Borle, none of the things that make him great were on display in this, he was so clearly not in his wheelhouse and it got kinda hard to watch towards the end.
I saw Tammy Faye in previews on broadway. I felt that there were some bits that could have been edited out. The leads were wonderful, but the songs were lacking.
They way you describe Elton's score here is also how I feel about his work on Devil Wears Prada in the WE. It's rather bland poppy music with no memorable bites.
So sad! I loved the movie! My mom mom and I watched Tammy's show every afternoon.
I'd imagine that the shows narrative, arc and character problems stem from the fact that a womans story is being created and told by all men (the chief creatives; music, lyrics, book and direction). No wonder Jim's story overtook hers. Typical 🤷🏾
I saw it at Almeida and I found it disturbing, but I assumed I just wasn't the right audience. Maybe not?
Off-Topic question @MickeyJoTheatre but are you still planning on doing a video reacting to the new 2024 West End Starlight Express Album?
Oops - I’m seeing Tammy Faye next week, had been looking forward to it. We shall see…
They were in danger from the get go from grosses from the box office. it is always at the bottom.
Well, it's closing on December 8 after 5 performances. Was it Bad Cinderella?
It would've made a better straight play,
Agreed about the lyrical decline/being few and far between
Scissor Sisters are back together and touring next year! Coming to an arena near YOU! Go see.
Have you gotten to see Teeth? It’s my favorite off-Broadway show right now.
I predict it’ll close by January and Ragtime will have replaced it.
I was really looking forward to go see Tammy Faye eventually, but now that I saw this I don't know anymore. I really just wanted to go to see Christian Borle as he is hilariously funny and very talented. If he didn't hit the mark this time around, oh well!
I'm just confused why this keeps happening, we tried this Exact Same Thing 10 years ago with Saving Aimee/Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson
Was talking about that as a companion to this earlier this week! 'For such a time as this' was a cracking number though!
@@MickeyJoTheatre I saw Saving Aimee as a teen in Seattle and had a blast because I didn't understand what was happening at all
It's so interesting for Mickey Jo to say if you liked Diana you might like this. Diana was well loved and gave to the people, Tammy Faye was mocked and hated and clearly not naive in stealing money from people in the name of God
What were they thinking. A hot mess with tantalizing elements that don’t go anywhere.
Agree 100% 🎉
I love a good Ghost reference.
I just came to watch this review after hearing Tammy Faye is closing on Broadway after 53 performances
I love the way you say if you want to see this get your ticket quickly just as if we can all afford to pop over to Broadway just like that! Sorry l have electric and gas bills to pay and yes l would dearly love to see it. I was very fortunate to see it in London. I thought it was brilliant storytelling, exceptional acting and that Elton’s songs have never been better.But no l can’t just get on a plane and spend a load of money to see just why this version is so disliked. You are a very lucky man Mickey Joe and l hope you realise just what a fortunate life you have created for yourself.
I'm incredibly lucky, you're so right! I should be clear as well, more US viewers watch my videos on here than British, so when I suggest people buy tickets on Broadway reviews I'm broadly talking to the Americans. Certainly not expecting anyone to forego their electric and gas bills (which I also have).
You are right. I saw it in London and on Broadway. And the most disappointing fact was the performance of Christian Borle, who is normally always excellent (f.e. in Some like it hot or Falsettos), but in Tammy Faye he plays the role as if he‘s ashamed of the charakter. Andrew Rannells was way better and believably.
I think it's close down
I just don't think...we needed a musical about this.
Broadway is slowly going the way of the Cinema. People are lazy, and they want to sit back in their chair and stream everything from home..and that includes movies and stage productions. Streaming has been directly linked to many cinemas closing for good especially in the rural areas. Theatre subscriptions are way down and it is getting harder and harder to green light any new film or stage production. I for one still go the cinema at least four times a month (mostly new foreign and independent films) but stage shows are way beyond what my pocket book can support. Only the very rich can take their family out to the theatre, especially Broadway.
Devastating US election?! 🤨🤦♂️ Dude…
Should I have said horrifying?
Why don't you like "Jersey Boys"?? I must know!
Speaking of Lego Pharrell what's your take on Chimp Robbie?
COME ON HAIRCUT
Truly Tammy Faye was a candle in the wind.
damn- I missed your R&J review- did you love it? as for Tammy....I....just can't go there.
This review aged like milk. They already announced the show is closing.
How exactly did this age like milk? 😅
Disagree with a lot of this, especially about Christian. Andrew and Christian were both great, and Christian brings a lot of nuance to the character. Andrew was incredibly likeable - too likeable and too sympathetic, Jay Bakker said - while Christian accesses the frustration, resentment and ambition necessary to understanding why Jim ends up doing the things he does.
A good point about the likeability!
Saw it on Bway in October. Great expectations. No hummable songs- no memorable tunes. Expected Aida or Lion King, got a snoozefest. It has the requisite Christian-bashing lines as well as meat for the TDS New York crowd. But it has no soul or meaning. Won't last the year.
stay away from the politics please. As you are a british citizen, there is no way this was a disastrous election for you. keep you opinions in your back pocket and just keep doing reviews, which is where your light shines.
Thanks. You definitely lowered my expectations. I am seeing this next week.
That’s a huge theater to transfer to. What were they thinking? A flop musical to open the new Palace after Ben Platt is sad.
Thanks for the heads up about the Christian political angle. Bad timing for sure.
At least I will get to see the new Palace. Will we get your thoughts on the actual theatre in a vlog?
My thoughts as you described the creative team: “huh. That’s a lot of British people.” Which, normally not a problem, but this is a story where having a deep understanding of the impact of televangelism and the evangelical right on U.S. politics seems like a bit of a prerequisite.