Tammy Faye (2024) Musical Review
Focusing on the founding, rise and fall of PTL, Tammy Faye is more about the company than the woman who made it matter.
Summary
As Tammy Faye faces the end of her mortality, she jumps back to 1972, when she and her then-husband Jim laid the foundation for the opportunity of a lifetime—one that brought them to great heights and made them the envy of many. But between that envy and their own sins came their downfall, and, as history shows, there was forgiveness, rebirth, and salvation through God.
Characters and Cast
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Tammy Faye | Katie Brayben |
| Jim Baker | Christian Borle |
| Ronald Reagan | Ian Lassiter |
Character Descriptions
Tammy Faye
A progressive Christian, due to Tammy growing up poor and her mom ostracized, as much as she loved the church, she disliked people who used its power to push out rather than bring in. So, using her platform, whether you were gay, divorced, or mean-spirited, she made sure to remind people of the love of God and not the hate of man.
Jim Baker
Jim was Tammy’s husband who, alongside Tammy at times, would overspend, but Jim gets most of the blame for the fall of PTL.
Ronald Reagan
The man who would eventually become president.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (If Affordable)
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Highlights
The Comedy
Tammy Faye and Jim Baker are eccentric people, which is played up heavily for laughs. Jim Baker is especially targeted, with occasional gay jokes being one of the many ways the audience will laugh at his expense. But, beyond that, you’ll find yourself laughing at Tammy’s adversaries and those who comment on what she and Jim are doing, like the Pope. Most of whom are shown to be the evil or neutral evil that is akin to cartoonish villains, minus a slapstick routine.
On The Fence
Tammy Faye Shares Too Much Of the Focus
You’d think the “Tammy Faye” production would just be about Tammy Faye, like a musical biopic. However, it isn’t. It is very much rooted in the rise and fall of PTL and features all the people involved. Which, in some ways, would be fine if you didn’t think this was going to cover Tammy’s personal life and career.
However, “Tammy Faye” skips what happened in her life until 1972, doesn’t touch upon her take on her marriage to Jim or raising their children, acknowledges her addiction but not too much, and gives only a little about the fall and rebirth of Tammy Faye to the public. It often seems like they didn’t want to get too deep here.
Heck, I’d even take note, in the beginning, before the time jump back, there felt like a direct connection to Brayben as Tammy, for she was speaking to us or talking to us like she was talking to God in her thoughts. That disappears once the time jump happens and doesn’t return until Tammy is back towards her final days.
The way the narrative is structured makes it feel like it is exploiting Tammy’s name to retell the story of PTL rather than trying to be all about the subject matter on the Playbill. This can be frustrating, for there is a running theme about how Tammy was downplayed and her power not taken seriously by all. So while Tammy may get the torch songs, and close out act I and act II, it often can seem like, outside of when it is time to sing, Tammy doesn’t get to be front and center, she is just a featured ensemble member.
The Inconsistency Of Certain Features
There are certain things you may wish were consistent throughout the musical. For one, when it jumps back to 1972, you see that on the screens on stage. However, you won’t get a date noting the year after that. You’ll have to rely on context clues like the rise of Ronald Reagan as a means for you to know what year it is.
Alongside that, there is a need to question why Tammy goes from talking to the audience, or at least allowing us to hear her inner monologue in the beginning, and then when she jumps back in time and acknowledges it, that gets cut off. Lastly, throughout the production, they will give you a TV screen look at what is going on stage, but it isn’t for every last performance Tammy does or shot of a PTL segment. In my mind, especially since most of these old theaters don’t do it, it would have been cool for those in the mezzanine or in the balcony to get the view of Tammy close enough to see the iconic makeup throughout. Rather than randomly for a handful of songs or moments.
The Songs
Let me begin by saying that when it comes to Brayben talking, you get that vibe of someone from middle America, and I’d even say that when Dolly Parton has her jukebox musical premiere, Brayben should be considered. However, with that said, the way songs were sung throughout the production didn’t really give church. They felt very much like Broadway tunes that lacked soul but allowed people to show their range. Which, for some around me, was excellent, and they were clapping, hooting, and hollering. As for me? While I recognize the talent, I am starting to think the majority of Broadway musicals, unless focusing on Black musicians, may always lack soul.
Background Information
| Language | English |
| Attendance Type | Offline – In Person |
| Event Status | On Schedule |
| Duration | 3 Hours 5 Minutes With ten minute intermission |
| Performance Date | October 21, 2024 |
| First Performance At This Venue | October 19, 2024 |
| Opening Night Performance | November 14, 2024 |
| Last Performance At This Venue | N/A |
| Venue URL | https://tammyfayebway.com/ |
| Tickets Starting At | $59.75 |
| Director(s) | Rupert Goold |
| Writer(s) | James Graham |
| Theatre Name | Palace Theatre |
| Address of Theater | 160 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036 |
| Genre(s) | Comedy Drama Biopic Historical |
Content Information
- Dialog: Innuendo
- Violence: N/A
- Sexual Content: Sexual Situations (Implied)
- Miscellaneous: Drug Use
Crew
| Scene/ Set Design | Bunny Christie |
| Costume Design | Katrina Lindsay |
| Lighting Design | Neil Austin |
| Sound Design | Nick Lidster, For Autograph |
| Choreography | Lynne Page |
