Tina Turner dominated the music scene with her unparalleled musical prowess. Her outrageously bushy hair, gritty and growling vocals, and contagious over-the-top energy have become her signature. Her rock-n-roll swagger was iconic, and only she could replicate such a powerful force in the industry. In many ways, Tina Turner was a trailblazer. She began her career as a part of the band Ike & Tina Turner Revue, where she shared the spotlight with his abusive former husband, Ike Turner. After they separated, the unique blossomed into a pop and rock musician in the 80s. She then became an unstoppable force in the scene when the 90s and 2000s came.
Like other legendary musicians, Tina Turner is celebrated through the art of theatre. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is a story of resilience. It bares the life of the legendary artist as told by her. Also, it is a legacy she left for everyone to experience. This musical is a celebration of her life. This is a story everyone can take hope from. Tina Turner will be remembered as the “Queen of Rock,” and no one will replace her in that spot. Rock n’ roll is extra special this October at the Buell Theatre when you see Tina: The Tina Turner Musical there!
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical Tickets:
“Slickly choreographed, beautifully designed and roof-raisingly well-sung.” — The Daily Telegraph
“This is one fine specimen in the best showbiz tradition of the Great Big Broadway Musical.” — Variety
“It’s so resounding joyous you don’t care.” — Echoes
The person who initiated the biopic musical’s production was the young producer Tali Pelman. To realize the musical, the up-and-coming producer pitched her idea to Tina Turner herself. At first, the rock legend was adamant about pursuing the musical. She has had enough of the dramatized versions of her life, which has focused attention on the ugly experiences she had rather than her music. For decades, she has explained again and again how difficult her life was, and it kept her from moving on. It became repetitive, to say the least. It has become common knowledge that she suffered abuse from her former husband, Ike Turner. She did not want to bring attention to that portion of her life again because she had highlights in her life other than the negatives. After a long time of convincing, the fierce and steadfast Tina Turner yielded when Pelman told her that this was a chance for her to retell the story from her point of view. In short, she was asked to join the creation of the musical. She accepted the request and became the main validator of the script.
After this happened, the musical pushed through. The writers were then chosen. Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins were the initial writers of the draft. Finalizing the book was Katori Hall, who religiously followed Tina Turner’s retelling of the story. Right after the writers, Phyllida Lloyd joined the team. The English director became the musical’s primary source of creative direction. Mark Thompson then took the helm as the costume designer, and choreographer Anthony van Laast put movements to the story. Furthermore, Tina Turner paused her retirement and was hands-on with the creation of the musical.
The musical’s story was carefully weaved by Hall, who decided to begin with Tina Turner’s childhood, way before Tina became the Tina Turner people know today. In the humble town of Nutbush, Tennessee, the young Anna Mae Bullock dreamt of becoming a star. She wanted to entertain. To reach this dream, her first stepping stone was the church. She sang her heart out and has never stopped ever since. She wanted out of her town because it was a suffocating and oppressive environment. She knew she was destined for more.
Then came Ike Turner, who is named as the person who started the rock n’ roll phenomenon through his revolutionary song “Rocket 88.” In the beginning, Ike seemed to be the star maker of Tina, but when the violence crept into their relationship, it was clear that he was not. This part was what the great artist wanted to avoid going to. With great responsibility, Hall handled this with care and sensitivity. To avoid making a big deal of this occurrence, the young writer only included it in the first part, which ended with Tina finding the strength to leave the toxic relationship. She became free, and the rock legend Tina Turner blossomed. The second act proceeds with the highs and lows of Tina’s career. This tackled her life, from her stints in Las Vegas to her superstardom.
The highlight of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is the music. The musical consists of 22 songs from Tina’s beginnings to her latter years. This includes her bests like “River Deep Mountain High,” “Proud Mary,” “Private Dancer,” “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It?,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome),” and “The Best.”
After years of building the story from the ground up, the musical went public in 2018. It premiered at the Aldwych Theatre on West End. It will run there up until September. A year after the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre production on Broadway opened. It ran for 400 performances. International productions, such as in the Netherlands, Spain, and Australia, also popped out worldwide.
The original Weste End production bagged multiple nominations on its debut. Included with this were Evening Standard Theatre Award, Stage Debut Award, Black British Theatre Award, WhatsOnStage Award, and of course, the Lawrence Olivier Award. It bagged one win from the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical. Moving on overseas, the Broadway production grabbed more nominations. The prestigious Tony Awards gave the musical 12 nominations, and won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.
The Denver rock n’ roll scene and enthusiasts will surely celebrate as Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will be showing at the Buell Theatre. This will be on October 18 to 29. Do not miss it as a star-studded cast comes to entertain and honor Tina Turner’s life. See Naomi Rodgers or Zurin Villanueva in the role of Tina, Garrett Turner as Ike Turner, Roz White as Zelma Bullock, Ann Nesby as Gran Georgeanna, and Lael Van Keuren as Rhonda. Tickets are now available. You can reserve yours by hitting the “Get Tickets” link on this site. Buy yours now, and witness a memorable show from one of industry’s biggest theatre productions.