Fans react as Elton John's Broadway musical Tammy Faye announces closure 5 days after opening: 'Brutal!'
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Fans were left shocked as Elton John's musical Tammy Faye announced its closing date on Broadway just five days after opening.
The show - based on the life of televangelists Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker, had been struggling to sell tickets at the Palace Theatre despite a highly anticipated transfer from London.
It will close on December 8 after playing just 24 previews and 29 performances - with shocked theatre-goers taking to social media to lambast the 'brutal' decision.
One fan wrote: 'This SUCKS. New theatre hardly stands a chance these days' while a second typed: 'This is brutal!'
Others wrote: 'Broadway wth is happening', 'Gurl… my jaw is on the FLOOR!' and 'I feel awful for this cast and crew. The reviews were terrible. No one was seeing it. Ugh.'
'It JUST opened man' and 'Well that didn’t last for anything.'
Fans were left shocked as Elton John's musical Tammy Faye announced its closing date on Broadway just five days after opening - pictured Katie Brayben as Tammy
The show - based on the life of televangelists Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker , had been struggling to sell tickets at the Palace Theatre despite a highly anticipated transfer from London - Elton John pictured at opening night last week
The show has been running previews at The Palace since October with its official opening night on November 14.
The production was facing a worrying lack of sales, with blocks of seating still available for the upcoming weeks, according to official seat maps on Broadway Direct. Prices have also been slashed in an apparent bid to entice theatergoers.
It comes amid reports of multiple last minute changes to the show and disappointment over Christian Borle replacing Andrew Rannells, who was beloved in the London run at the Almeida Theatre.
Despite selling the majority of tickets for opening night less than 48 hours before curtain up, numbers were abysmal.
Reviews from fans have been mixed so far, with some slamming the musical on Reddit, and claiming theatergoers have been walking out mid performance.
'When I ran to the bathroom at the immediate start of intermission, I passed by a woman sprinting past the usher near the main entrance,' one Reddit user claimed.
'The usher yelled after her, “Ma’am, you’re going toward the exit” and she responded loudly, “I KNOW”. Several empty seats after intermission too, including the couple directly in front of us.’
Another wrote: 'I thought each act could’ve had two songs cut from it and also that act two felt like it should’ve ended twice before it actually did.'
It comes amid reports of multiple last minute changes to the show and disappointment over Christian Borle replacing Andrew Rannells, who was beloved in the London run at the Almeida Theatre - pictured
Jim and Tammy Faye electrified audiences in the 1980s with their gaudy brand of evangelism
Fans were left aghast at the show's closure
'This monster of a show deserves to be buried and never spoken of again,' posted a third.
Others have bemoaned Borle replacing Rannells. The actor, whose performance as Jim Bakker earned him an Olivier nomination, said contract issues prevented him from reprising the role on Broadway.
'This was so disappointing to me but hardly anything was more disappointing than Borle,' wrote one Reddit user. 'I went to the first preview so I figured it would be a bit all over the place but he’s my fav Broadway actor and I figured at least he’d be good.
'I ended up spending the whole show wishing I was watching Andrew Rannells.'
But others have defended the show, claiming the criticism is unfair.
'I saw it on Sunday and didn't love it but I really didn't think it was a mess? I was shocked at how harsh this sub has been on it but maybe they changed a lot when I saw it,' wrote one.
'I don't care how bad the reviews are, I still want to see this!' added another.
A third wrote: 'THIS SHOW IS GOOD! Don't let the naysayers prevent you from trying it. I could feel in the audience several people that went in with a negative attitude prepared to hate it.'
