Theatre review: Powerhouse performance captures a star's troubles and triumphs in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Backed by re-creations of famous looks and moves, Jayna Elise’s strong voice drives an eerily believable portrayal of the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll
Jayna Elise in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Broadway Across Canada presents Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to March 30
BROADWAY ACROSS CANADA’S Tina: The Tina Turner Musical has stormed into Vancouver with every ounce of electrifying energy, confidence, and sexiness you would expect from a jukebox bio musical about the music icon.
Led by the phenomenal Jayna Elise, who delivers a powerhouse performance, Tina takes audiences on the wild ride of Turner’s life, hitting the gamut of emotions—from heartache and fear to hope and joy.
Originally premiering in London’s West End before transferring to Broadway in 2019, this is as splashy and spectacular a show as one would expect to honour the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll”. Jeff Sugg’s stunning projections take us from the cotton fields of Tina’s early community of Nutbush, Tennessee, to the big city lights of London. Costume designer Mark Thompson’s re-creations of Turner’s famous looks, such as her fringed Proud Mary dress, are a visual treat. And thanks to sound designer Nevin Steinberg, we even get the illusion of big stadium sound, at times making us feel as though we’ve been whisked back in time to Turner’s concerts.
But as most people know, glitz and glamour were only the façade of Turner’s persona for much of her life as she fought through tumultuous personal struggles—the most notable, of course, being her abusive relationship with Ike Turner. In Tina, the book by Katori Hall (with assistance from Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins) takes us back to scenes from Turner’s childhood, in which a phenomenal Taylor Brice portrays young Turner—known back then as Anna Mae Bullock. Brice’s powerful voice gives us more than a hint of what we have in store as we watch Anne Mae develop.
Elise takes over as adult Turner, moving to St. Louis and, soon after, meeting Ike (a fittingly villainous Sterling Baker-McClary) at a nightclub. Elise’s singing in the early numbers exude sweetness and innocence. But when Baker-McClary hands the mic to her, Elise unleashes a sensational voice—leaving no doubt that we’re in for a very special experience.
The whirlwind look at Turner’s life—both with Ike and afterwards—includes other challenges she had to overcome, such as racism and sexism. Through it all, Elise all but blows the roof off the theatre with her passion-filled performances of Turner’s hits, from the fun “A Fool in Love” and “Proud Mary” to the emotional “We Don’t Need Another Hero”. But it’s not only the singing that Elise masters. From the moment she steps on-stage as 17-year-old Anna Mae, through to Turner’s eventual victorious comeback in the music industry, Elise is almost eerily believable, gradually taking on the singer’s famous vocal inflections and body mannerisms throughout the story.
As there’s a lot of ground to cover in this story, director Phyllida Lloyd appropriately keeps the show’s pace swift, only occasionally slowing down for sensitive moments, such as the gorgeous rendition of “Let’s Stay Together” by Maurice Alpharicio (as saxophonist Raymond Earl King). There’s a strategy to Lloyd’s direction, and the first act builds to a shockingly intense climax, leading Elise to deliver a riveting monologue.
Not everything here is flawless. As is often the case with jukebox musicals, not all the songs fit well within the story. “Private Dancer” is meant to parallel Turner’s life at the time, but it’s quite a stretch. Things get more absurd a few scenes later when Turner hears a demo of “Private Dancer” for the first time, even though she’s just sung it moments earlier. One of the most disjointed parts of the narrative is Tina’s sudden rush to accept Ike’s marriage proposal despite zero chemistry or romance leading up to that point.
Despite these blemishes, Lloyd’s staging and the show’s overall strengths—including, of course, Elise’s performance—combine to tell Turner’s story with heart. To say that Tina finishes with a bang is an understatement. The final moments are thrilling and make for a brilliantly unique theatrical experience. Tina gloriously sings the story of a woman who defied the odds and fought to free herself from being anyone’s puppet—and it speaks powerfully to anyone who embraces Turner’s message to be simply their best. 
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