By Jason and Alisha Hagey
With electrifying glory, Broadway Across America’s production of Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (TINA), makes its fiery debut at the Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are so fortunate to attend, you are in for a sensational feast. At times Tina is part rock concert, part intimate drama, and it always is a musical and movement extravaganza.
TINA follows the life of Anna Mae Bullock. Starting with her humble beginnings in Tennessee and then to her rise as the queen of rock ’n’ roll, we follow the turbulent life of Tina Turner. Through the two acts, we experience her emotional relationship with her mother, then her marriage with Ike (not shying away from the abuse she suffered), to her struggle as a solo artist. She defies the odds and electrifies the world with her talent.
Katori Hall (Book) with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins (Book) sieze all of the key moments in Tina Turner’s life. Ranging from delightful to down and dirty, the scenes come in quick succession, building to the exuberant finale. Each moment is punctuated by the oeuvre of Ms. Turner, where Nicholas Skilbeck (Original Musical Supervision, Arrangements, and Additional Music), Alvin Hough, Jr. (Tour Music Supervision), Ethan Popp (Orchestrations), Anne Shuttlesworth (Music Director), and John Miller (Music Coordinator) lovingly express the heart-pounding to the heart-wrenching in broad and intense strokes. The music is sumptuous and exhilarating throughout, the scenes carefully crafted as if to inject Tina’s experiences right into your heart.
Anthony Van Laast’s (Choreographer) choreography is as fierce and versatile as Tina herself. Mark Thompson (Set & Costume Design), Bruno Poet (Lighting Design), Campbell Young Associates (Hair, Wigs and Makeup Designer), and Jeff Sugg (Projection Design) each deserve a paragraph unto themselves with the monumental work they do in expert tandem to create a gorgeous reality for Tina’s story to unfold.
Thompson’s set is infinitely malleable, his costumes capturing every character, time period, and scene with perfection. Poet’s lighting somehow runs the gamut of being theatrically flawless to garishly marvelous for a proper rock-and-roll concert. Then, with polished prowess, Sugg’s projections bring everything together visually. Campbell Young Associates is phenomenal. Their pieces are fluid, time-period, and varied. Some of these changes happen on stage. Their presence allows us all to instantly be transported to a moment in the past. The overall result of Lloyd’s vision and the whole creative team’s artistry makes for stunning beats and emblazoning scenes that will stay with you long after the show is over.
Of course, there is no TINA without someone who can capture her onstage. Naomi Rodgers (Tina Turner) is quintessentially the rock-and-roll queen. Rodgers is the avatar, the vessel, the embodiment of Turner, and powers through the show with the swagger and unstoppable energy that we all remember of the legend. Her powerful vocals get to be as gravelly and sensual as her namesake. Rodgers performs with intense gravitas.
Roderick Lawrence (Ike Turner) is smooth-talking, passionate, and despicable. Lawrence does not shy away from the hard sides of Turner but also gives us glimpses of Ike’s humanity. Lael Van Keuren (Rhonda) is ever-present. She is part of the stability and hope throughout the life of Turner. Keuren is so nuanced. You feel her love in every move and line delivery. Brianna Cameron (Young Anna Mae) is joy itself. When she begins to belt, she brings the house down. She is a bright star.
The entire ensemble is fantastic. They invest deeply into the music and book. Each of them gives it their all, so much that when they play different characters there is never a moment where you don’t know who is who. Nothing is over-the-top. The cast finds a connection to the material and exudes honesty.
Just when the show traditionally ends, we are given this marvelous gift: post-curtain call. The energy of the cast, after giving us their all for the past few hours is unreal. This sing-along-mini-concert is a joy to be a part of. We all share a moment to revel with the performers and to catch a glimpse of what watching Tina Turner in person must have been like. This absolutely incredible shared moment also gives us time to honor Ms. Turner and share our respect for her as we mourn her passing. Tina – The Tina Turner Musical finds ways of breaking the mold of the jukebox musical and transcends the genre just as Turner herself broke barriers to become the sensation we all know and love.
Recommended For:
Recommend for ages 14+. The production includes scenes depicting domestic violence, racist language, loud music, strobe lighting, haze, and gunshots.
Zions Bank/Broadway at the Eccles presents Tina – The Tina Turner Musical Book by Katori Hall, with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, in association with Tina Turner
The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater
131 Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Duration: 2hrs, 40mins with 1 intermission.
Tickets are $50-149
ArtTix
May 30 – Jun 4, 2023
May 30th: 7:30 PM
May 31st: 7:30 PM
June 1st: 7:30 PM
June 2nd: 8:00 PM
June 3rd: 2:00 PM
June 3rd: 8:00 PM
June 4th: 1:00 PM
June 4th: 6:30 PM
Audio Described: Friday, June 2nd, 2023 at 8pm.
Open Captioned: Saturday, June 3rd, 2023 at 2pm.
Patrons who are interested in the captioned performance should select seats located Orchestra Right on the Main Floor (excluding Orchestra Pit seating).
The Tina Turner Musical Website
Broadway at the Eccles
https://saltlakecity.broadway.com/
Purchase Tickets at ArtTix.org
Eccles Theater Website
Eccles Theater Facebook Page
Eccles Instagram Page
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