Elton John’s ‘Tammy Faye’ Broadway musical closes weeks after opening

this Tammy Fay The Broadway musical is wrapping up just weeks after its premiere. according to new york timesAfter a surprisingly brief run, the show, which tells the story of the scandal-plagued televangelist/singer from the 1970s and 1980s who became a camp icon for her shocking makeup and wardrobe styles, will dark.

this era The reportedly $22 million show features music by Elton John and lyrics by Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters, with lyrics by James A book by James Graham (ink, looking for neverland) — premiered in London to decent reviews in 2022, but was plagued by poor reviews in New York and failed to find an audience.

As a result, the show, which opened on November 14 and after only 24 previews and 29 regular performances, will go off the air on December 8 due to what the newspaper called a “catastrophic” box office performance, which included being The show’s lowest-grossing show.

In last week’s review, era Called the show a “bland, tonal hodgepodge” and a “disjointed, strangely bland musical.” However, former REM singer Michael Stipe begs to differ. Stipe wrote on Instagram over the weekend that he was moved by the show’s opening night, calling it a “masterpiece” and a “beautifully moving, soulful story about Tammy Faye Buck” The Faye Bakker Story” by John Cash and Roseanne Cash.

Shears paid tribute to the show’s cast and crew on Instagram on Tuesday (November 19). “What a journey these last 12 years (12 weeks) have been. Get Tammy Fay Being on Broadway was one of the most exciting experiences of my life,” he wrote. “It was such a joy to work with the entire cast, their stamina and talent are amazing… and beautiful to watch. Thank you to all the collaborators, cast and crew… I’m extremely proud of our work. I Believe that musical theater is one of the oldest art forms: complex and complex to manage.

Sir John also wrote that he was delighted with the Broadway show, congratulating the cast and crew for their “extraordinary effort and talent… it has been a real privilege to work with you.”

John wrote the music for one of Broadway’s most enduring modern hits, lion kingas well as Tony and Grammy Award winners aida, Billy Elliot: The Musical, the queen wearing prada and Leicesterwhich also had a brief run on Broadway, ending in 2006 after 33 previews and 39 performances.