[rating=3] The long-awaited “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” has finally opened in Chicago as part of this season’s Broadway In Chicago series. The Nederlander Theatre was hot tonight and while the story follows her life and is filled with some wonderful songs ( “We Don’t Need Another Hero”, <“Proud Mary”, “I Don’t Want To Fight No More”) I am not sure that it was a “must see”.Zurin Villanueva has a dynamite voice and a great stage presence and some very long legs, but for many scenes, I felt that she was not “Tina”, and this character, who is a real person is unlike any book character- being real, audience members have specific expectations so the person playing this role must convey the true and real “Tina”.
The overall show is a great storytelling experience with a book by Katorui Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins. The set is very simple, mostly done with great projections and one highly energetic cast. They dance (choreography Anthony Van Laast) and some unreal wigs ( Campbell Young and Associates did some amazing wigs) with costumes by Mark Thompson.
Jane and I were sure that this was something we had seen before and was shocked to find out that this road company brought this production here from New York. It was not tried out here ( unusual of late). On the drive home, I realized that what we had seen before was Black Ensemble’s rousing production of “Women of Soul” which featured as part of the story, of Tina Turner. That settled, let me go back to the story of Tina.
Born and raised in a very poor community, her voice was a shining light ( I must tell you that the two young ladies that play Tina growing up, Ayvah Johnson and Lillian Charles were terrific). Grandma ( played to perfection by Ann Nesby) gives the warmth that makes the humanity of Tina’s life have meaning that is not superficial. As we watch her grow into adulthood and see the way her life goes, we care about her and want her to do what she does to get her life in order.
Ike (a masterful performance by Garrett Turner) is the man you love to hate. We see his wickedness and his ego ride high over the needs of his wife and family.
This is a long play with one 15 minute intermission ( that went 23 minutes) so be prepared for 2 hours and 45 minutes from start to finish. On opening night, and also celebrating 200 performances on the road, we were treated to additional music for an extra 15 minutes. Not sure if that will continue, so if it does, consider it a bonus.
The musicians are terrific and during the final number, I believe it was Norman Palm that did a solo. If I am wrong I apologize, but it was powerful!
This production should not be compared to the film that has been around. It is “live” and that is always the best way to tell a story. There is a second actress who plays Tina on other performances. Her name is Ari Groover, and I am pretty sure from what I have read, that she is super!
The story shows her being discovered, the abuse she lived through, her trying to make it on her own without Ike and the lowest points before getting that second chance. We go through the highs and lows ( more lows than highs, I am sorry to say), but of great importance in this story is that in spite of all the downers and obstacles that Tina faced, she met them head on and rose back to the top.
Again, if you are a Tina Turner fan, I think you will be well satisfied by this stellar production. If you are only so-so about Tina and the music she brought to the stage, then perhaps this will not be for you. I am unsure if this is a play that will have a shelf life longer than a decade as, unlike plays like “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Oklahoma”, “My Fair Lady” and others of this type, our grandkids may never listen to her music and therefore why would they run to see a play about her. Think about plays like “Salad Days”, “The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd” and “Stop the World, I want to Get Off”.
“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will continue Thru – Apr 2nd with performances as follows:
Wednesdays 2 p.m. and 7:30pm
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