Tammy Faye Bakker musical comes to the stage — with new music by Elton John
Televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker has a complicated legacy, muddied by the fraud conviction of her first husband.
Televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker has a complicated legacy, muddied by the fraud conviction of her first husband. But the story of Bakker, who died of cancer in 2007 at age 65, continues to live on in a string of recent projects that shine a light on her life.
In 2000, her story was told in the RuPaul-narrated documentary “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Last year, Jessica Chastain obtained the rights to the documentary for the major motion picture that snagged her her first Oscar. Now Bakker — with her signature flamboyant makeup — is coming to the stage, with an impressive list of creatives at the helm.
Elton John and Tammy Faye Bakker.Getty ImagesThe forthcoming musical — titled simply “Tammy Faye” — is set to premiere this fall at the Almeida Theater in London. Elton John wrote the music, while Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears penned the lyrics.
“From a studio in South Carolina, Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker revolutionized religion,” the theater’s website reads. “Preaching to millions 24 hours a day, Tammy just wants to put the fun back into faith. But a new wave of ministers wants you not to just feel God in your heart, but in your homes, in your schools and in the law too.”
Katie Brayben will play Tammy Faye Bakker.David M. Benett / WireImage / Getty ImagesOlivier Award winner Katie Brayben — known best for her portrayal of Carole King in the London production of “Beautiful” — will play Bakker, with Tony Award nominee Andrew Rannells as her first husband, Jim Bakker.
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