Posted: 6/27/24 at 9:01pm
Marc Kudisch was the first person who came to my mind for Falwell. He could kill the whole "blustery preacher" vibe.
(Mr. Catalano's ears just perked up)
Posted: 6/27/24 at 11:32pm
Borle can be surprising while Andrew is somewhat limited. I wonder though if there was more to the story than a pay dispute. Especially since he probably would have secured a Tony nomination given he was nominated for an Olivier award.
Posted: 6/27/24 at 11:47pm
Borle wont be as gratuitous on the stage. Andrew Rannells has a habit of doing all sorts of little bits for a cheap laugh.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 2:18am
Broadway Flash said: "They don’t want stars. They probably could have gotten a bigger name for Tammy and decided not to. They will sell the show through other means and frankly, I think it’s the front runner for winning best musical at this point. Betty boop, wonderful world, maybe happy ending, swept away, redwood, death becomes her definitely won’t. We’ll see how queen of Versailles does and operation mincemeat could win. It actually beat Tammy Faye in London"
OPERATION MINCEMEAT did not beat TAMMY FAYE for Best Musical at the Oliviers. They were not competing in the same year.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 2:26am
I'm hoping the roles you refer to, Jan and Paul, have been toned down at least 90% of where they were and that they have cut/changed their act 2 song.
Whilst Andrew Rannells might have been a bigger box office draw, if you saw him in The Book of Mormon, then you've basically seen him in Tammy Faye."
Yes, I was referring to those roles and that of Billy Graham which had him flouncing around the stage like a Solid Gold dancer which was baffling. Hopefully the revised version is less camp and more straightforward as the main criticism I had of the show was that everyone was dialing it up to 11 which made the character TAMMY FAYE hard to stick out. Her goofy but sincere magnetism is what drew people in but if everyone is camping it up, she gets lost in the mix.
Much as I liked Andrew Rannells in the show I have to agree that his performance was Elder Pride Redux. I think Borle will nail it and look forward to seeing who else they have cast.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 2:35am
“They obviously don’t care about putting bigger names in the show. if they did, Tammy would have at least been played by someone like Jessie Mueller or Laura bell Bundy.”
The last production Laura Bell Bundy starred in on Broadway made approximately $7 a week, but by all means, talk to me about stars Broadway Flash.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 4:29am
Posted: 6/28/24 at 8:00am
Oh yes I mixing up operation mincemeat with standing at the sky’s edge. The two British musicals people talk highly about
Posted: 6/28/24 at 9:42am
Broadway Flash said: "Oh yes I mixing upoperation mincemeat with standing at the sky’s edge. The two British musicals people talk highly about"
Yes, sadly they do. I thought both works were dreadful and amateurish but thats just my .02.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 10:14am
bway1430 said: "Broadway Flash said: "Oh yes I mixing upoperation mincemeat with standing at the sky’s edge. The two British musicals people talk highly about"
Yes, sadly they do. I thought both works were dreadful and amateurish but thats just my .02."
…glad I’m not the only one.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 10:24am
I think it’s very unlikely for them to bring over more of the UK cast for this, aside from possibly Zubin Varla if they try to make the argument to AEA that he’s essential to the production.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 11:17am
Kad said: "I think it’svery unlikely for them to bring over more of the UK cast for this, aside from possibly Zubin Varla if they try to make the argument to AEA that he’s essential to the production."
I agree that his coming with the show is unlikely. I liked him in the show but would enjoy seeing a different take on the role.
Updated On: 6/28/24 at 11:17 AM
Posted: 6/28/24 at 12:06pm
AEA will sort of agree to anything nowadays but each show has different views on who/what they view as "essential." It's usually more of a budgetary thing because you have to house the actor, fly them over, deal with Visas, etc. Which for a single actor might be as little as an extra thousand a week, but that money adds up, and the TAMMY FAYE creative team is British and will have to be housed for rehearsal & previews.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 12:06pm
Does anybody know whatever happened to the Tammy Faye Baker musical that Kristin Chenoweth was working on? She sounded like ideal casting, and for several years talked about it being her ''passion project.'' At various points, Henry Krieger and David Yazbek were reportedly involved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAZswfdC_bU
Updated On: 6/28/24 at 12:06 PM
Posted: 6/28/24 at 12:39pm
Hugh Coles was brought over in Back to the future and he won an Olivier for his performance. I’m surprised sunset boulevard is bringing so many of their principals over.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 1:03pm
All the reports I've heard about this said it was Elton's best score in years but that Shears lyrics were bad. And since melodies can't cover terrible lyrics it kind of killed any excitement I had for it.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 1:12pm
Some of the lyrics are very funny but I think they’re mostly on the nose and pedestrian. I hear they’ve done a lot of work on it though
Updated On: 6/28/24 at 01:12 PM
Posted: 6/28/24 at 1:21pm
Updated On: 6/28/24 at 01:21 PM
Posted: 6/28/24 at 1:29pm
This should have opened in London first, even if it was delayed from her pregnancy.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 1:34pm
BroadwayNYC2 said: "This should have opened in London first, even if it was delayed from her pregnancy."
It did play London already. It ran at the Almeida from October-December 2022. A commercial transfer to the West End probably would have just delayed its coming to Broadway, and if the demand is there it can return to the West End after getting established on Broadway (as with Hadestown).
If the calculus was also "we can get Rannells for two engagements but not 3," Broadway was probably a bigger priority....and look how well that turned out 
Updated On: 6/28/24 at 01:34 PM
Posted: 6/28/24 at 1:51pm
I’m aware, I saw it. But it should have transferred to the West End prior to Broadway.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 2:38pm
No, doing it on Broadway first is the right move. It will have more success over here than over there
Posted: 6/28/24 at 3:06pm
I appreciate an original score but Tammy has some iconic songs it would kind of be amazing to see re-orchestrated on the Broadway stage. Tammy was a little lady with a big voice and although not a trained singer she sure loved to belt it out! I had always known about her as a gay icon and saw her on tv in her later years on The Surreal Life etc.
when the Jessica Chastain movie came out I watched the two documentaries they are based on (which are great if you never seen!). I haven’t read any of her books yet.
Posted: 6/28/24 at 4:40pm
"
That was nothing to do with it. The plan was always West End in 2023 then Broadway in 2024. If Katie hadn’t fallen pregnant then Tammy Faye would have opened at the Gillian Lynne in spring 2023, with Andrew Rannells and the rest of the Almeida cast.
Rannells dropped out, in part, because his priorities changed after the success of Gutenberg. Plans happen then life gets in the way.
Updated On: 6/28/24 at 04:40 PM
Posted: 6/28/24 at 6:18pm
bigbelterbaby said: "I appreciate an original score but Tammy has some iconic songs it would kind of be amazing to see re-orchestrated on the Broadway stage. Tammy was a little lady with a big voice and although not a trained singer she sure loved to belt it out! I had always known about her as a gay icon and saw her on tv in her later years on The Surreal Life etc.
Tammy's songs would be out of place here and when you hear the songs Elton John has written for her, you'll understand why. Her Act One closer, "Open Hands" is a blistering ballad that alone, could win her the Tony and her 11:00 number "If You Came To See Me Cry" stops the show cold. She follows that with "I'll See You in Heaven" which is a raise the roof/stomping gospel number that serves as the finale. Hopefully they will have figured out the staging for that final number as it was a jumbled mess at the Almeida and nearly ruined one helluva song......and hopefully Broadway audiences will learn to clap on the 2 and 4 and not on the 1 and 3. :-)
