From that first smack to the last song, TINA hits hard on the stage at National Theatre.
The major production musical is at once an emotional appreciation of the full journey of the rock icon that is Tina Turner and a belt-it-out bonanza of some of the singer’s best and most beloved songs.
Tina Turner née Anna Mae Bullock may have been born into poverty in Nutbush (Memphis) Tennessee, but THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL shows her rise to international stardom over several decades — and overcoming all obstacles — with songs from her own repertoire woven in to help tell the tale. (Give it some time. This feels a bit forced early on but gets so, so much better.)
It sounds insensitive to claim you’ll rock out to Turner’s top record hits like Let’s Stay Together, River Deep… Mountain High, Proud Mary, Private Dancer, and Disco Inferno while learning the depth of the emotional and physical abuse she faced alongside bandleader/husband Ike Turner, but while themes of domestic violence, drug abuse, racial injustice, and ageism are prevalent, they make the audience feel let in to secret places in the soul of one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time.
And while it’s the ultimate comeback story, THE TINE TURNER MUSICAL is also a spectacular concert experience that’s… well, (Simply) The Best.
Alternating stars playing Tina (Naomi Rodgers on press night and shown in photos) both give the performance of their lives, showcasing stamina as if Tina blessed them with it herself.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along, remembering outfits (and hairstyles), and dare we say it… punching back.
TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall and directed by the internationally acclaimed Phyllida Lloyd, is a rockin’ celebration of resilience.
TINA runs 2 hours and 40 minutes, including one intermission, on stage at the National Theatre through Oct. 23, 2022
*Images credit MurphyMade courtesy National Theatre/Broadway at the National
