“Tammy Faye” Heads to Broadway! Elton John and Jake Shears' Divine Musical to Debut This Fall

Olivier Award winner Katie Brayben and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells will reprise their roles from the acclaimed London production

Tammy Faye Messner will sing again, this time in a new Broadway musical set to open this fall.

The life of the late American evangelist is the subject of Tammy Faye, a new musical with music from legendary songwriter Elton John and lyrics by Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears.

Performances begin Oct. 19 ahead of a Nov. 14 opening night at the legendary Palace Theatre in New York City. It'll be the first Broadway musical to play the space since its renovation.

Katie Brayben and Andrew Rannells will lead the musical as Tammy Faye and her ex-husband, Jim Bakker, respectably. Both earned Olivier Award nominations when they originated the roles when Tammy Faye made its debut at the Almeida Theatre in London in Fall 2022, with Brayben winning the trophy.

Related: Who Is Tammy Faye Bakker? All About the Famed Televangelist

Tammy Faye is billed as "the story of a traveling preacher’s wife who beamed into homes with a message of hope... and stole the country’s heart."

"It's the 1970s, and for the very first time, satellites are bringing cable television into American homes," the show's description reads. "As families gather in their living rooms, young preacher Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye hit the airwaves to build a nationwide congregation and put the fun back in faith. But while Tammy dazzles on screen, rivals plot behind the scenes, jealous of her popularity and threatened by her determination to lead with love."

Featuring a book by James Graham with direction by Rupert Goold and choreography by Lynne Page, Tammy Faye hopes to "shine a sparkling light on the generous, loving, often lonely soul behind the illustrious lashes."

Messner was known for her eccentric personality and glamorous persona, which differentiated her from many of the mainstream evangelists at the time. She was also more liberal than her contemporaries, advocating for members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

She and Bakker married in 1961 and began their ministry the following year. They'd go on to become founding members of The 700 Club and host of number of popular shows themselves, including The PTL Club (Praise The Lord), which eventually blossomed into its own network.

The pair divorced in 1992, three years after Bakker was sentenced to prison for numerous counts of fraud and conspiracy. She went on to marry property developer Roe Messner in 1993, who himself had his own run-ins with the law and would serve 27 months in prison for bankruptcy fraud.

After an 11-year journey with colon cancer, Tammy Fay died on July 20, 2007 at the age of 65. Both Bakker and Messner are still alive.

Tammy Faye is not the first time her story has been brought back into the spotlight. A number of musicals have been developed about her over the years, including one that never got produced starring Kristin Chenoweth.

In 2021, Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield starred in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, a film based on the popular 2000 documentary of the same name. Chastain would go on to win Best Actress at the 94th Oscars for her portrayal of Tammy Faye.

Meanwhile, John and Shears have a long history on in the theater themselves.

This is the sixth major musical John has composed, after The Lion King, Aida, Billy Elliot, Lestat and The Devil Wears Prada. Both The Lion King and Billy Elliot went on to win the Tony Award for best musical.

Shears' first musical, Tales of the City, went into production at the American Conservatory Theater in 2010. He later starred as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots on Broadway and at the Hollywood Bowl. The 45-year-old recently made his West End acting debut as the Emcee in the acclaimed revival of Cabaret, which opens on Broadway this spring.

Tickets for Tammy Faye go on sale Wednesday, March 27. For more information, visit the show's official website.

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