Elton John Says ‘Tammy Faye’ Flopped on Broadway Because It Was “Too Political for America”

Elton John believes his musical Tammy Faye flopped on Broadway because it was “too political for America.”

The legendary singer-songwriter recently shared his thoughts with The Sunday Times on the show’s short-lived run on Broadway. Tammy Faye, which featured John’s music, chronicled the famous televangelist.

“We put out two musicals recently, one a huge flop in America and the other a huge hit in England,” he said regarding Tammy Faye and The Devil Wears Prada, the latter of which is currently at London’s West End.

“Tammy Faye came out during the U.S. election, and it’s all about how the integration of church and state ruined America, which Ronald Reagan did,” John explained. “It was too political for America. They don’t really get irony.” The production was previously at the West End in the fall of 2022, where it earned four Olivier Awards nominations.

The musical, which the “Rocket Man” singer also produced, closed on Dec. 8 last year, just a few weeks after opening at the Palace Theatre in New York City. The production was met with mixed to negative reviews and ultimately failed to capture an audience.

Ahead of its Broadway debut, John told The Hollywood Reporter last year that he was “always incredibly fascinated” by Faye, “so when we got the chance to write the musical, I jumped at it, because I love interesting people like that who have had great success and then been banished and lost everything, and then come back because of their faith and because of their belief, and turn the tables.”