Tammy Faye – 23 October 2024

The cast and creative team pick an unexpectedly sympathetic protagonist in female televangelist Tammy Faye. Despite the disgusting nature of capitalizing on God and funding a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the impoverished, Tammy Faye (Katie Brayben), had a baseline, human urge to help others that seemed to come from a genuine place of caring about the world and its inhabitants. Her stumbling block was believing that her caring exonerated her from blame for others’ outcomes because her good deeds and hard work meant she had earned her place at the top. Unable to understand that she was propped up by others’ sacrifices, Tammy remained wrapped up in the minutia of her own personal problems, while others suffered and starved because they believed bankrupting themselves in this life would buy them a place in heaven in the next.

In some respects, Tammy’s struggles are universal, especially for her time. A loveless marriage. A husband who cheats. Not being taken seriously because she’s a woman. Having her success seen as a threat. Needing to prop herself up on pills. Trying to do too much. Agreeing to bad ideas to make people feel better. Rebelling and wanting to be her own person. Having medical struggles that stall her life and bring her back to faith. Yet while Tammy experienced these in the public eye with a financial safety net, her followers suffered extraordinary consequences. Somehow, this villainess became sympathetic through relatable ballads with emotions that pull on everyone’s heartstrings, and her story becomes meaningful in reminding us that everyone can rise to glory, and everyone can fall for grace.

The aesthetic, though fleetingly useful in its ability to create monochromatic moments, is holding this production back. The entire show is spent with a flat backdrop of many televisions. They change color, occasionally slide open to reveal people (or puppets) behind them, or become one very latent live video feed while someone is singing. The set does not move, and the cheesy old time television feeling is visually ugly. It looks terrible in production photos, and gives an otherwise good show a juvenile, campy feel that is hard to take seriously.

The score is good. The costumes are good. The sound is crystal clear. Everyone is well cast. The book is clever and meaningful. I predict that Tammy Faye won’t do well because the scenic concept makes it ugly and unfortunately in this town and at these prices, we really do judge a book by its cover. Tammy Faye is going to flop because production photos and marketing material (and, dare I say, most of the actual show) look like a high school level production, which is unfortunate, because the content of the show was timely and beautiful. My eyes were wet more than once. I laughed. I thought about religion and entrepreneurship and Jim Bakker (Christian Borle) just wanting to feel he could contribute something to his marriage with Tammy. I thought about how fast good intentions can get out of hand.

The show was engaging, but in order to be successful, it needs to get out of its own way and be as relevant visually as it is in its lyrics, costumes, storytelling, and philosophical standpoint. Otherwise, it’s going to flop. Though aesthetically correct to PTL and the ridiculousness of the Electric Church, this look won’t work for a Broadway audience that is accustomed to higher standards. It’s really a shame, because the production itself has a lot to offer and a lot to think about regarding the role of God, the role of man, the role of women, and humanity’s collective and individual obligations to the world.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.