Andrew Rannells exits "Tammy Faye" musical over contract dispute
Andrew Rannells and Katie Brayben in Tammy Faye (Photo: Marc Brenner)
In a surprising turn of events, Tony-nominated actor Andrew Rannells has withdrawn from the highly anticipated musical "Tammy Faye" due to unresolved contract issues. The announcement was made by Rannells himself while talking to a reporter from CBS on the Tonys red carpet.
"Unfortunately, we got into a situation where we couldn't quite find terms that made everyone happy, which is really disappointing, which is why normally they don't announce an actor before the contract,” he said.
"Tammy Faye," a musical inspired by the life of the infamous televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, has been generating significant buzz. With music by Elton John and a book by James Graham, the production promises a compelling narrative and a star-studded cast. Rannells was set to play the role of Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye's husband and partner in their controversial televangelism empire, with Katie Brayben playing the title role. The duo starred in the original London premiere.
Previews are set to begin on October 19 at the Palace Theatre, with an official opening set for November 14.
According to sources connected to the show, there are no plans to delay the opening and the team is “working overtime to find a solution.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as new info is made available.