Mixed feelings. That is how I describe my experience with this show. For years, I have anticipated this show coming to Denver. As a lifelong fan of Tina Turner, I couldn’t wait to experience her energy once again, especially since her passing; her last concert tour that ran through Denver was the most magical concert of my life. Yet Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is much more than a fantasy ride through the flashy fun and fabulous music we all enjoy. Tina is an intense depiction of the real person behind the Tina Turner stage persona – Anna Mae Bullock. I was not ready for the emotional toll that journey would take. Her decades of suffering at the hands of so many who should have loved her, the intersection of racism and misogyny and brutality she experienced, make this show hard to watch. Fantasy collides with reality; how can you relax and enjoy the performer when you know that person you love is suffering?
Tina opens with Anna Mae Bullock’s life as a poor child in the rural south, picking cotton, in a home of domestic violence; this sets a tone of sadness that never fully lifts. Despite her international triumphs as an entertainer, the past haunts this show ‘til the end. Tina does not hide the ugly truth of Anna Mae’s reality – there is a great deal of vulgar language, depictions of domestic violence, and repeated use of the N word by both black and white characters. The audience gasps at each. From a purely entertainment perspective, these painful truths of Tina’s life dampened this viewer’s ability to enjoy the show – how could I ever listen to Proud Mary and be thrilled again knowing the abuse she was subjected to behind the scenes?
The truth of Tina’s life breaks the heart and makes Tina Turner, Anna Mae Bullock, an even more compelling person. How did she persevere? How did she still have the energy left to go out on stage and give her very best to the audience? How could so many have treated her so poorly? Her lifelong search for love, acceptance, and belonging seems hopeless. Yet Anna Mae / Tina Turner triumphed. Although the show barely introduces him, it’s good to know Tina found a happy love in her last decades with Erwin Bach.
The cast of Tina is phenomenal. Tina Turner was played by Ari Groover on opening night; she had the stage presence for the part and a massive vocal range that evoked the real Tina. (At times she was overwhelmed by the music, making it hard for her voice to stand out.)
Ike, powerfully played by Antonio Beverly, is a tragically villainous character. His smooth, slick stage persona beguiles Anna Mae as a teen; the injustices of racism, drug abuse, infidelity, jealousy, twists him into an abusive monster that Tina cannot fully escape. Painful to watch.
Stand-out performances include: Anna Mae’s mother Zelma, played by Roz White, who is a powerful presence on stage. The Ikettes are a terrific chorus – with great dance moves, back-up vocals, and an occasional dash of levity. And young performer Symphony King, who plays childhood Anna Mae, is a real crowd favorite. She has a voice that seems way too big for her petite body!
The staging of Tina is modest for a Broadway show – sometimes to a fault. For a larger-than-life figure like Tina Turner, who filled stadiums with tens of thousands, a stage set with more WOW factor would have been welcomed. That said, the shallow staging pushes the action closer to the audience like a cabaret, offering intimacy and connection. Tina uses hit songs to tell the story, often in surprising ways. Some hits are slowed down and used as effective narrative. A male character singing one of her big hits is a joyous discovery (Raymond, played by Gerard Williams, sings Let’s Stay Together). We Don’t Need Another Hero is used in a way that misses the mark.
An explosive finale fulfills the audience’s desire for the Tina Turner fantasy performance; force of nature, American legend, super-human energy. Tina ends the night with the audience on their feet, Anna Mae in their hearts, with love and gratitude for all the joy she gave the world.
Tina – The Musical plays at the Buell Theatre Oct. 18-29, 2023. Click here for tickets and more information.
-By Jimmy McDonough
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