There’s a moment early in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which is in town as part of Broadway at The Hobby Center, when Turner’s mother Zelma tells a young Tina Turner, “Anna Mae Bullock, you’re too loud.”
In that vein, I’m happy to report that Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is blindingly bright, gorgeously arranged and magnificently loud.
The musical traces Turner’s rise, from her childhood in Nutbush, Tennessee, as Anna Mae Bullock to the launch of her solo career, ending with 180,000 Brazilian fans waiting to see her in concert. Of course, Turner’s relationship with Ike Turner dominates the first half of the show, with her comeback following their divorce the focus of the second.
Now, I’m no expert on the life and times of Tina Turner, but the book – by Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins – does appear to be more concerned with staying true to the spirit of Turner’s journey, if not the letter. For example, persistence led Tina to perform with Ike; he didn’t just show up at her door one night at 2 a.m. and ask her to go on tour after hearing her sing once. In reality, Roger Davies may not have been so keen on managing Tina’s comeback. These changes are not necessarily a bad thing, but considering that Turner and her husband Erwin Bach executive produced the show, it is interesting where the story veers a little left.
Of course, her beginnings in Nutbush are true, as is the fact that her mother left her with her father, before she was sent off to live with her grandmother. From there, she moved to St. Louis to live with her mother as a teenager. It was in St. Louis that she first saw Ike Turner, who eventually gave her the name we all know: Tina Turner. Ari Groover and Parris Lewis share the role in the production, and on opening night, it was Parris Lewis donning Turner’s iconic short dresses and wigs.
Lewis is Tina Turner – there’s no better way to say it. Lewis channels all the traits that make Turner a legend, particularly Turner’s recognizable rasp. A throaty, emotional grit colors every note of classics like “River Deep – Mountain High,” “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “(Simply) The Best”, and it’s sure to please both the most casual to the most diehard of Turner fans. It’s exhausting to watch Lewis run through the eras. The show moves at a relentless pace, but the rangy Lewis still manages to stop the show with a transformative “She Made My Blood Run Cold,” a bone-tired “I Don’t Wanna Fight No More” and tender “Tonight.”
A lot of talent surrounds Lewis on stage. Starting with Deon Releford-Lee, who is the evening’s villain, Ike Turner. In passing Releford-Lee does get to vocalize Turner’s own traumatic history, his insecurities, as well as his wrongs, and we see repeated examples of his drug use, womanizing and, of course, his abuse of Turner. It’s mostly told in shorthand, though, as the writers clearly lean on shorthand to convey as much as possible in the time allowed.
The time allowed, by the way, is about three hours. Director Phyllida Lloyd sets a fast pace for a long show, which leads to some moments – including some serious, domestic abuse-type moments – to come and go so fast they fall dangerously close to being played comedically. It’s by the skill of Releford-Lee that the production mostly stays on the right side of that line.
The cast is rounded out by Roz White, a perfectly standoffish Zelma. Brianna Cameron is excitable as the Young Anna Mae, with a voice that rings out above the ensemble. Kristopher Stanley Ward, as Richard Bullock, loans his rich voice to an early rendition of “Nutbush City Limits.” Wydetta Carter’s Gran Georgeanna is a warm presence, who offers a standout duet with Lewis on “Don’t Turn Around.” Gigi Lewis is a gem as Alline, particularly during “Shake a Tailfeather.” Gerard M. Williams, as Raymond, drips honey all over “Let’s Stay Together,” his duet with Lewis.
In the second act, Dylan Wallach serves as Turner’s manager during her comeback, the tenacious 27-and-a-half-year-old Aussie Roger Davies. Sarah Bockel gets a chance to shine as friend-manager Rhonda. Max Falls is an awkward and serviceable Erwin Bach. And Eric Siegle (as Terry Britten) and Rowan Vickers (as Martyn Ware) offer a fairly appreciated comedic interlude at Tina’s first Abbey Road recording session.
Speaking of the second act, the show gets better as it goes, with the second act being a marvel. Overall, the music is fairly well-integrated into the story, with standout moments during “I Want to Take You Higher” and “Private Dancer.” But everything really gels in the second half of the show.
On the creatives side, lots of credit to Bruno Poet’s lighting designs, Nevin Steinberg’s sound designs and the recreations and homage built into Mark Thompson’s set and costume designs. The backdrops and projections (by Jeff Sugg) are, however, a mixed bag; at times reminiscent of screensavers and at other times the Windows Media Player visualizer. Choreographer Anthony Van Laast doesn’t disappoint, weaving in the moves you know you want to see. (Whatever was going with those umbrellas during “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” though, that was a misstep.)
After approximately three hours, you may be tempted to sneak out as soon as the cast starts making their way out to take their bows. But don’t. One, appreciate the cast because they’ll deserve it. But two, the show’s not quite over and you’re not going to want to miss the last two numbers. Seriously, this show is most successful when it feels like it turns into an honest-to-goodness concert, which it does at the end, and it’s not to be missed.
Performances will continue through January 7 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-2525 or visit thehobbycenter.org or broadwayatthehobbycenter.com. $40-$325.
