After Elton John’s musical “Tammy Faye” transferred to Broadway in November, it was not met with a lot of interest from American theatergoers. In an interview with The Times published Friday, John said he felt the musical didn’t perform well because it was “too political” for New York audiences.
“We put out two musicals recently, one a huge flop in America and the other a huge hit in England,” he said in reference to “Tammy Faye” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” which recently hit 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. It was too political for America. They don’t really get irony,” John explained of its reception. The production opened on Broadway Nov. 14 and closed Dec. 8.
John also addressed rumors he might be prepared to retire from music completely, something that the outlet said has been “exaggerated.” But the singer admitted that he has no interest in going back out on tour. His “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour wrapped July 2023.
“To go back and do an Elton John set on tour, I would just kill myself. We went to New Orleans recently to film ‘Spinal Tap 2.’ We drove into the back of a big arena and I turned to David and said, ‘You know, I’ve got hives.’ I couldn’t do a better show than Glastonbury 2023, so what would be the point? You have to know when to fold it.”
An eye infection the singer contracted in November spurred first those rumors, and the singer admitted the infection has severely impacted his eyesight. “I can see you, but I can’t see TV, I can’t read. I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I’m used to soaking it all up. It’s distressing,” he said.
The music legend’s latest album, a collaborative effort with Brandi Carlile titled “Who Believes in Angels?,” dropped Friday.
