Through Sun 5/14
Tina Turner’s road to fame was not all roses and rainbows, but it was fueled by her grit and blessed with music’s power.
That is the gist of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical now playing at the Connor Palace Theatre as part of Playhouse Square’s KeyBank Broadway Series. This jukebox musical offers an engaging mix of biography and song about one of rock’s biggest divas, Miss Tina Turner.
The book by Katori Hall, with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, gives us a Cliff’s Notes version of Tina’s complicated (and often messy life) as it sketches the star’s life as she moved from an unhappy childhood to an unhappy marriage and on to freedom and megastardom.
As a testimony to how central Tina is to the story, and how much energy she was known for, Naomi Rodgers and Zurin Villanueva share the role, each on stage four times a week. On press opening night, an intense Naomi Rodgers “became” Tina.
Others were also impressive, especially Ayvah Johnson as young Anna Mae (Tina’s name as a child). Johnson showed poise and a rich, nuanced voice. If young Tina sounded as good as Johnson, one can easily understand how she caught the ear of Ike Turner when she grew up.
When Ike (played by Garrett Turner) hears 17-year-old Tina, he is charmed and enlists her as part of his show and later as his wife. Together they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and then, years later, Tina won the award for herself as a solo artist).
But their marriage was rocky to put it mildly, and it is startling to realize how long they were together (16 years). As Ike’s abuse reached the point in the musical when Tina finally shouted “Enough” and left, enthusiastic cheers rose from the audience.
Other characters helped and hindered Tina along the way to success. Tina’s mother (Roz White) deserted her, but Gran Georgeanna (Carla R. Stewart) raised her. Later Tina depended on her manager, Rhonda (Lael Van Keuren).
Playing everything from rockers to preachers (and sometimes, what’s the difference?), the multi-talented ensemble consisted of Gordia Hayes (a recent Baldwin Wallace graduate), Daelyanna Kelly Benson, Antonio Beverly, Taylor A. Blackman, Karen Burthwright, Aliyah Caldwell, Lillian Charles, Max Falls, Zachary Freier-Harrison, Reyna Guerra, Andre Hinds, Takia Hopson, Geoffrey Kidwell, Parris Mone’t Lewis, Nia Nelson-Williams, Gracie Phillips, Nicole Powell, Terance Reddick, Shari Washington Rhone, Jacob Roberts-Miller, Aniya Simone, Chris Stevens, Jeff Sullivan, and Carlton Terrence Taylor.
Set and costume designs by Mark Thompson appeared stripped-down, yet representative of the era. Choreographer Anthony van Laast realistically reproduced both typical rock moves and fervent gospel meetings.
Yes, almost two dozen beloved “Tina” songs were included, such as “Don’t Turn Around,” “Proud Mary,” “I Don’t Want to Fight No More,” “Don’t Need Another Hero” and “(Simply) The Best.” For the finale, the screens that hid the small onstage orchestra, conducted by Anne Shuttlesworth, were removed. That welcome touch — so we could “feel” the band — added power to the final “pep rally” that concluded the show.
Bottom Line: Tailor-made for Tina fans (I even spotted two women sporting “Tina wigs”), this musical sketches and celebrates the star’s triumphant rise to fame despite daunting obstacles. Full of beloved songs, it’s a reminder of why “classic rock” became “classic.” Celebrate.
BTW: It also comes with a warning that it is not for kids under fourteen and that it has loud music, strobe lights, gun shots, domestic violence, and abusive language.
[Written by Laura Kennelly]