'Tammy Faye' Co-Star Michael Cerveris Talks About Working With Elton John on the Broadway Musical

'Tammy Faye': Michael Cerveris on Working With Elton John

By Jeff Sneider

In the new Broadway musical "Tammy Faye," Michael Cerveris plays televangelist Jim Bakker, the husband of Tammy Faye Bakker (played by Sutton Foster). The musical, which opened on 17th October 2022, tells the story of the Bakkers' rise and fall from grace.

Collaborating with Elton John

One of the highlights of the show is Elton John's score, which Cerveris says is "incredibly moving." Cerveris has worked with John before, on the Broadway musical "Lestat," and he says that John is "a genius." "He's just so talented," Cerveris says. "And he's so collaborative. He really wanted to work with us to create something special for 'Tammy Faye.'"

John wrote the score for "Tammy Faye" with his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. The score includes a mix of up-tempo numbers and ballads, and Cerveris says that it perfectly captures the emotional journey of the characters. "The music is so evocative," Cerveris says. "It really helps to tell the story."

Cerveris says that he is particularly impressed with the song "Tammy Faye's Eyes," which he describes as "a beautiful ballad." He says that the song is "a perfect example of how Elton John can take a simple melody and turn it into something truly special."

In addition to working with John on the score, Cerveris also got to work with him on the show's choreography. Cerveris says that John is "a great dancer," and that he was able to help Cerveris to develop some of the show's dance moves. "He's a real triple threat," Cerveris says. "He can sing, dance, and act. I'm so grateful that I got to work with him on this show."