Elton John tunes can’t save this middling musical

Take two steps into the newly-renovated Palace Theatre and you’ll spot them: the skyward eyes of late Christian televangelist Tammy Faye Messner, which have been superimposed over a cotton candy sky. It’s a simple image — Tammy was, of course, known for her signature makeup look — but stare a little longer and you’ll soon spot thin trails of black mascara leaking down the screen, suggesting that real pain resides behind those dreamy blues. It’s a shame, then, that the musical adaptation of her life sacrifices both the time and space to properly explore her many trials and tribulations in favor of over-the-top gags and bright, flashing lights.

Following a highly-praised stint at London’s Almeida Theatre, which saw Katie Brayben earn an Olivier award for her performance as the titular PTL Club host, Tammy Faye is now officially spreading the good word on Broadway. The musical, which features a book by James Graham, attempts to serve as a retrospective look at Tammy Faye and her husband Jim Bakker’s (Tony Award-winner Christian Borle) rise and fall from grace, as well as the absorption of Christian ideals within the Republican party during the televangelism boom in America. However, in trying to weave the two topics so tightly together, it doesn’t truly dig into either, instead creating a surface-level, strangely lifeless look at a larger-than-life figure. 

As the story goes, Tammy and Jim meet at school and fall in love while conducting their own traveling Christian puppet show. Their hard work lands them their own electric church — a.k.a religious television show — that skyrockets to the top of the charts due to Tammy’s charismatic personality and her interest for diversifying typical church content with interviews and lifestyle segments. 

As they receive record ratings, pastors like Jerry Falwell (Michael Cerveris) begin to conspire behind-the-scenes to tank Tammy and Jim’s careers for their own political and professional careers and, quite simply, because they hate to see a woman winning. From there, the musical attempts to cram as much of Tammy Faye and Jim’s life story as possible in between moments featuring chaotically evil clergyman and — genuinely — Ronald Reagan (Ian Lassiter) making a slow, sad MAGA joke. 

And herein lies one of Tammy Faye’s biggest problems: it wants to inspect both the joys of its lead’s Christian broadcasts, while also impressing upon viewers the real-life implications this movement still has on American politics to this day. As a result, it swings wildly in tone throughout its two-hour-and-35-minute runtime — having its talented ensemble deliver campy punchlines, sing, spank their butts, and blow up bright pink, extra long balloons as they perform an innuendo-filled song about God (“He’s Inside Me”) one moment, and then having Cerveris sinisterly perform a fire and brimstone ballad the next.

It also largely strips away Tammy’s involvement within PTL’s eventual legal trouble and rarely makes her confront the faces of those affected by her company’s actions, making her come off as a victim of circumstance rather than someone who did take funds from followers under the pretense that it would save them or earn them hotel perks. 

Its songs, brought to life with solid music by EGOT-winner Elton John and lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, succeeds in providing a bit of insight into Tammy’s mind, but there aren’t many memorable tracks behind “He’s Inside Me” and “In My Prime Time” that stick with audiences after the performance. Still, Brayben’s vocals — which are imbued with a soft, country twang — are a true highlight, especially in the musical’s final two performances of the evening. That being said, there are multiple songs that could’ve been cut entirely in order to keep the show moving smoothly and more focused on its star.

Brayben brings both a kindness and, later, a conflicted nature to Tammy Faye that feels earned. As her ex-husband Jim, Borle succeeds in coming across at first as a charming young man before slowly and thoughtfully highlighting his darker, more corrupt side. Meanwhile, Cerveris does a fantastic job at getting under your skin as the pure evil Falwell, as he delivers fiery odes to a satellite and rebukes Tammy Faye and women like her. However, Graham’s book and Rupert Goold’s direction moves past so many of the characters’ transgressions at such a speed that it’s difficult to feel sympathetic toward anyone’s actions by the end of the musical. 

That’s not to say that there aren’t touching moments within Tammy Faye. Her support for the LGBTQIA+ community is mentioned throughout the musical, but its recreation of her groundbreaking 1985 interview with Steve Pieters, a gay man with AIDS, is hands down one of the most effective scenes in the musical. Others, like the opening of act two, which is recorded backstage and broadcast on screens, allows viewers the chance to witness a more raw, resilient version of Tammy as she gives herself a pep talk, sprays her hair one more time, and then steps out onstage for her big comeback. If only there had been more moments like this.

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And, speaking of hairspray, the true star of Tammy Faye is its staging, makeup, and production design. Costume designer Katrina Lindsay nails Tammy’s looks throughout her many eras, which range from simple pink dresses to rainbow ensembles to a Violet Chachki-worthy dress reveal, while wig, hair, and makeup designer Luc Verschueren keeps her hair teased to the high heavens and mascara a-flowing. Tony and Olivier award-winner Bunny Christie also absolutely crushes it with her simple, yet effective stage design, bringing forth a Hollywood Squares-esque platform that not only serves as the backdrop to Tammy’s show, but also allows its cast to deliver lines from in its windows or broadcast footage onto its many screens. 

While Tammy Faye may try to wrap up its lead’s life into a pretty bow by preaching about the importance of loving yourself and forgiveness, its end result, sadly, is a complicated portrait of an equally complicated woman. Grade: C