Review: Tammy Faye Was Over-the-Top. This Musical Makes Her Small.
'Tammy Faye' tries, but it fails to capture the televangelist's larger-than-life persona in a standard musical theater treatment
Linda Ronstadt once said of Tammy Faye Bakker, “I think she’s a person who has such a love of life that it spills out all over the place, and you can’t help but respond to that.”
Ronstadt knew Tammy Faye when she seemed to be everywhere: with her husband Jim Bakker on “The PTL Club,” on magazine covers (“Holy or Hinky?” asked Time in 1987), on Broadway in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” in ads for her own line of cosmetics and mascara.
Tammy Faye inspired strong reactions: Some loved her for her compassion, her makeup (often applied with a trowel), and her fluffy hairdos. Others found her phony and greedy.
'Tammy Faye' the musical
Now comes “Tammy Faye,” a musical with a book by Bekah Brunstetter and music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Tammy Faye’s story certainly provides good source material for a musical. It includes her humble beginnings in International Falls, Minnesota; her marriage to Jim Bakker; the founding of PTL (Praise the Lord) and the building of Heritage USA, a Christian theme park in South Carolina; Bakker’s womanizing and financial scandals; and Tammy Faye’s divorce from Jim and her eventual remarriage to Roe Messner.
Sadly, the new musical feels shallow and forced. Tammy Faye was a larger-than-life figure but the new musical makes her seem small.
Gabriel Barre’s direction is awkward. It’s a static production with very little movement as the actors stand in place and sing directly to the audience. The staging is strange and distracting. In one scene, Tammy Faye ends up in a pool of water and in another scene a giant white cross descends from the flies and almost lands on top of Tammy Faye. The result is camp (“Holy or Hinky?”), but unintentionally so.
The songs are unmemorable. There are none of the soaring melodies Elton John is known for and Bernie Taupin’s lyrics lack his usual cleverness.
中山 美穂 Nakayama Miho Tammy Faye and the gospel of self-acceptance
Marissa Jaret Winokur was miscast. She’s too earthy for the role. Tammy Faye had an otherworldly quality that came through even when she was caked in makeup. She wasn’t self-aware. Winokur knows she’s playing a character. She’s having fun, mugging for the audience.
The supporting cast is equally disappointing. Tony Award-winner Michael Park doesn’t have enough stage presence to play Jim Bakker. His performance is one note: He simply shouts.
As Tammy Faye’s mother, Catherine Brunell’s performance is wooden. She moves mechanically around the stage and her delivery is equally stiff.
Stephanie J. Block is wasted in the show in the small role of Rachel Laverne. She gives the shallow material all she’s got, winning the only genuine applause of the night with her rendition of “Free to Be Me.”
If Tammy Faye were still alive today, what would she make of this musical? That’s hard to say. But one thing is for sure: The women who have come to see this show will take away a different message than the one the creative team intended. In the end, “Tammy Faye” is not about the dangers of fame and fortune. It’s not about redemption or forgiveness.
The show is about one thing: self-acceptance. Tammy Faye was a trailblazer who defied the odds. She was a woman who loved herself, inside and out. And that’s a message that will resonate with audiences long after this musical closes.
