Lift your hands, because Elton John, Jake Shears, and James Graham's Tammy Faye is officially open—and the reviews are in! The new musical, a West End transfer, celebrated opening at the newly refurbished Palace Theatre November 14 after beginning previews October 19, with Rupert Goold at the helm. See what critics are saying below.
Katie Brayben is reprising her Olivier-winning performance in the musical's title role following a 2022 West End run, also directed by Goold, at Almeida Theatre. Also leading the company are two-time Tony winner Christian Borle as Faye's husband, Jim Bakker; and Tony winner Michael Cerveris as Reverend Jerry Falwell.
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Read the reviews below.
The Chicago Tribune (Chris Jones)*
CitiTour NYC (Brian Scott Lipton)
Entertainment Weekly (Emlyn Travis)
New York Magazine/Vulture (Sara Holdren)*
New York Stage Review (Steven Suskin, Michael Sommers)
New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)
New York Theatre Guide (Joe Dziemianowicz)
The New York Times (Elisabeth Vincentelli)*
TheaterMania (Zachary Stewart)
The Washington Post (Naveen Kumar)*
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
Brayben, Borle, and Cerveris are joined by Nick Bailey as Paul Crouch, Charl Brown as Steve Pieters, Mark Evans as Billy Graham/Larry Flynt/Charles Shepard, Allison Guinn as Jan Crouch, Ian Lassiter as Jimmy Swaggart/Ronald Reagan/Archbishop of Canterbury, Raymond J. Lee as John Fletcher, Max Gordon Moore as Thomas S. Monson/Marvin Gorman, Alana Pollard as Jessica Hahn, and Andy Taylor as Pat Robertson/Ted Turner/Pope John Paul II. Autumn Hurlbert (Legally Blonde) is the alternate for the title role, with a performance schedule to be announced.
READ: Broadway’s Tammy Faye Will Offer a Digital Lottery and $30 Student Rush Tickets
The ensemble comprises Amanda Clement, Jonathan Duvelson, Lily Kaufmann, Elliott Mattox, Brittany Nicholas, Alana Pollard, Aveena Sawyer, Allysa Shorte, Daniel Torres, and Dana Wilton. Swings Michael Di Liberto, Denis Lambert, Keven Quillon, and TJ Tapp round out the company. Casting is by Carrie Gardner and Jillian Cimini of C12 Casting.
Tammy Faye features music by Tony winner and five-time Grammy winner John, lyrics by the Scissor Sisters' Shears, and a book by Graham (Dear England). The 2022 world premiere bow earned four Olivier Award nominations, including Best Musical.
Based on the life of American evangelist Tammy Faye Messner, Tammy Faye tells the story of Messner's rise to national recognition atop a Christian television empire. She and her then-husband and fellow televangelist Jim Bakker founded The PTL Club (Praise the Lord) in 1974, a platform they used to preach to millions. Messner, who died in 2007, was noted for her compassion for the LGBTQIA+ community during the AIDS epidemic, despite conflict between the community and the church.
READ: Two-Time Olivier Winner Katie Brayben on Finally Making Her Broadway Debut in Tammy Faye
Goold has reunited much of his London creative team for the Broadway premiere, including choreographer Lynne Page (Ink), orchestrators Mark Dickman and Tom Deering (Deering is also music supervisor, arranger, and has penned additional music), scenic designer Bunny Christie, costume designer Katrina Lindsay, lighting designer Neil Austin, and video designer Finn Ross. Joining the team for the Broadway run are sound designer Nick Lidster for Autograph and music director Chris Fenwick. Wig, hair, and make-up design are by Luc Verschueren for Campbell Young Associates. Timothy R. Semon serves as production stage manager.
Rocket Stage, Greene Light Stage, and James L. Nederlander produce the Broadway run, with David Furnish and Joseph Smith serving as executive producers.
Visit TammyFayeBway.com.
Company of Tammy Faye
Katie Brayben and Christian Borle in Tammy Faye
Katie Brayben and Christian Borle in Tammy Faye
Katie Brayben in Tammy Faye
Katie Brayben in Tammy Faye
Company of Tammy Faye
Michael Cerveris and company of Tammy Faye
Katie Brayben in Tammy Faye
