Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It.
Here's something that would for sure make Tammy Faye Messner cry. Tammy Faye, the joyful Broadway musical based on the life of the late televangelist, has set its closing date -- less than a month after officially opening.
Featuring songs with music by Elton John and lyrics from Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, the stage show will play its final Broadway performance at the Palace Theater in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 8. Opening night was just on Thursday, Nov. 14.
At the time of closing, the production will have played 24 previews and 29 regular performances.
It's a surprising outcome for such a high-profile project, especially one that was acclaimed when opened in London's West End back in Fall 2022. The Almeida Theatre production was nominated for four Olivier Awards -- the British equivalent of the Tony Awards -- including best musical. Star Katie Brayben, who portrayed Messner onstage, even won her second Olivier for the role.
But here in the states, Tammy Faye didn't do nearly as well, with critics including The New York Times, Variety, The Wrap, Deadline and Entertainment Weekly panning the production.
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John, 77, previously said that he spend 12 years getting Tammy Faye to Broadway. He wanted to build a musical around the beloved figure because of the message of love he believe audiences could all learn from her.
"It's really important at this time were's living at the moment, especially in America and the rest of the world where there's so much hate and violence and we all seem to be so far apart," he said. "Tammy was an example of inclusivity. She forgave people, she embraced people. She had no bias or racism. She welcomed everybody. And the world needs to learn a lesson from that right now."
Brayben, who reprised her role for the Broadway run, had similar feelings when speaking to PEOPLE in a piece published earlier this month. She stressed that while Messner's story certainly makes for good drama, it's the heart she hopes audiences focus on, noting how the late star held onto her love for people to the end.
"She was still kind and did everything with love and was non-judgmental even when she was criticized in the public eye through her scandals," Brayben noted. "We don't shy away from that in the musical. So hopefully people will walk away and think, 'Yeah, love... actually.' "
Tammy Faye features a book by Olivier Award-winning writer James Graham (Dear England, Ink), choreography by Lynne Page (Ink, Standing at the Sky's Edge) and direction by Olivier Award-winner Rupert Goold (Patriots, Dear England).
Set in the 1970s, the show follows Messner's rise to fame alongside her then-husband, preacher Jim Bakker, and the rivalries behind the scenes that ultimately destroyed their empire.
Messner died in July 2007 at the age of 65 after an 11-year journey with colon cancer. She and Bakker divorced in 1992, three years after he was sentenced to prison for numerous counts of fraud and conspiracy. She went on to marry property developer Roe Messner, who himself had his own run-ins with the law and would serve 27 months in prison for bankruptcy fraud.
In addition to Braybyen, the musical also stars two-time Tony-winner Christian Borle as Bakker and two-time Tony-winner Michael Cerveris as Jerry Falwell.
The rest of the cast includes Autumn Hurlbert, Nick Bailey, Charl Brown, Mark Evans, Allison Guinn, Ian Lassiter, Raymond J. Lee, Max Gordon Moore, Alana Pollard, Andy Taylor, Amanda Clement, Michael Di Liberto, Jonathan Duvelson, Lily Kaufmann, Denis Lambert, Elliott Mattox, Brittany Nicholas, Keven Quillon, Aveena Sawyer, Allysa Shorte, TJ Tapp, Daniel Torres and Dana Wilton.
Despite the musical's outcome, Jay Bakker -- Messner and Bakker's son -- told PEOPLE prior to the musical's opening that he was appreciative of the work the creative team had put into bringing his mom's story to life.
"[Elton] was like, 'Have I caught your mom's spirit?' And I was like, 'Yeah, yeah, you did,' " Jay, a pastor and author, told PEOPLE at an Oct. 2 dress rehearsal in New York City before Tammy Faye began preview performances on Oct. 19.
"They did a great job, and it really seems to celebrate my mother's life," he added. "They had to use broad strokes. You're talking 20-some odd years of ministry and 15, 20 years after that. They really captured my mom's spirit."
He went on to joke that seeing the Broadway musical was like "getting hit by a freight train."
"It's like having all your trauma in a musical," Jay explained. "Almost like, 'Here's some mushrooms. Let's relive the trauma.' ... It's surreal. There's times I almost wanted to raise my hand ... and then I was like, 'I can't. This is not an interactive play.' "
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