Rupert Goold, James Graham, Katie Brayben, Michael Cerveris, Christian Borle and Jake Shears
The new Elton John-scored musical Tammy Faye, about a televangelist couple and their ministry empire, has arrived on Broadway after its run in London’s West End.
Ahead of previews kicking off at the Palace Theatre on October 19, The Broadway Show spoke with two-time Olivier Award winner Katie Brayben, two-time Tony winner Christian Borle and two-time Tony winner Michael Cerveris, as well as director Rupert Goold, lyricist Jake Shears and book writer James Graham.
“Theater’s my church,” said Graham. “It is all about a leap of faith. Every time you go and see a play or a musical, it’s a leap of faith to go, okay, I’m gonna pretend this is all real because the values, the messages in the stories and the human experience will somehow have some meaning for me morally.” He added, “Theater for me has always been just a space that’s very loving and tolerant and accepting of different lives and different experiences. So that’s, to me, what Tammy Faye is.”
“There are no limits to her love,” Brayben said of Tammy Faye as a character. “[The show] is so funny in moments and it’s so heartbreaking in others—it does take you on a real ride.”
Check out the full segment below.
