You are spot on. I do believe most Christians don’t like theatrical preachers and Cruz looks and acts a lot like, for instance, Jim Bakker. I personally don’t trust big name evangelists; egoists most of them who happen to live rich lives. Christianity was designed to be solely in homes and hearts. “Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Theater for theater’s sake is called hypocrisy by our Lord. Nothing is forbidden about using the medium of drama to express a gospel message, but even then it would be honest drama. You’d know by the context that you are being presented with a play, an opera, etc.
Also, since SC had open primaries, Trump garnered a lot of cross over votes from Democrat unbelievers who also did not cotton to the Cruz theater. I’ve seen enough of what actual gospel means to understand that Christlike Christian faith would look like something attractive and the bigger question for an honest common witness would be why doubt it, rather than why believe it. Only the keepers of rival religious systems would be giving it serious challenges.