Diane, our niece Elise, and I saw Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Lunt Fontainne Theatre during our Thanksgiving trip to New York City. The show was sold out.
I’ve always loved Tina Turner’s music. I saw the movie What’s Love Got To Do With It back in 1993. This musical covers part of the same group–growing up in poverty, abused by a heartless mother, and abused by her talented but frustrated husband, Ike Turner. After 16 years of abuse, Tina finally split with Ike Turner. Ike took all of Tina’s money and the rights to the songs she sang. Tina had to start over and reinvent herself.
Act II centers on Tina’s career without Ike. It was a struggle for a forty-something “washed up” soul singer to get a record contract and find a new audience. Leandra Ellis-Gaston played Tina with plenty of zest and energy. Daniel J. Watts played Ike Turner as a gifted musician who was ground down by the music business and took his frustrations out on Tina.
If you’re a fan of Tina Turner and her music, you’ll enjoy this musical. I’m sure it will be touring the country next year or in 2023. Are you a fan of Tina Turner? GRADE: B+
MUSICAL NUMBERS:
| Act I “Nutbush City Limits” (Tina Turner) – Richard, Young Tina and Company “Don’t Turn Around” (Albert Hammond, Diane Warren) – Tina, Gran Georgeanna and Company “Shake a Tail Feather” (Otha Hayes, Verlie Rice, Andre Williams) – Alline, Tina, Ikettes and Company “The Hunter” (Booker T. Jones, C. Wells, Al Jackson, Jr., Donald Dunn, Steve Cropper) – Ike and Ronnie”Matchbox” (Ike Turner) – Ike, Tina and Company “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” (Rose Marie McCoy, Sylvia McKinney) – Zelma, Ike, Tina, Alline, Ikettes and Company “A Fool in Love” (I. Turner) – Tina and Ikettes “Let’s Stay Together” (Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Jackson) – Raymond and Tina “Better Be Good to Me” (Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman, Holly Knight) – Tina and Company “I Want to Take You Higher” (Sly Stone) – Tina, Alline and Ikettes “River Deep Mountain High” (Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) – Tina and Company “Be Tender with Me Baby” (Hammond, Knight) – Ike, Tina, Alline, Ikettes, Ronnie and Richard “Proud Mary” (John Fogerty) – Tina, Ike, Alline and Ikettes “I Don’t Wanna Fight” (Lulu, Billy Lawrie, Steve DuBerry) – Tina and Company | Act II “Private Dancer” (Mark Knopfler) – Tina “Disco Inferno” (Leroy Green, Ron Kersey) – Tina and Company “Open Arms” (Martin Brammer, Colette van Sertima, Ben Barson) – Rhonda, Tina and Company “I Can’t Stand the Rain” (Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Bernard Miller) – Tina, Ike and Company “Tonight” (David Bowie, Iggy Pop) – Young Tina, Gran Georgeanna, Tina and Roger “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” (Terry Britten, Graham Lyle) – Tina, Ikettes, Ronnie and Raymond “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” (Britten, Lyle) – Tina and Company “The Best” (Chapman, Knight) – Tina and Company”Nutbush City Limits (Reprise)” (T. Turner) – Company “Proud Mary (Reprise)” (Fogerty) – Company ENCORE: “Don’t Turn Around” “Proud Mary” |
I’m first!
And Tina is my first musician/singer of all times!
In the 60s I bought all her records and River deep … was my absolute favourite.
And many years later in the 80s a European tour was announced – my (first) wife and I saw her in Frankfurt and saw David Bowie climbing down to join her, fantastic!
Did you know that later she married a Swiss guy?
They’ve been living in Switzerland for many years, she became a Swisss citizen, gave up her US citizenship – and right now she got an honorary PhD from the Bern university (Bern is the Swiss capital).
Today is the ceremony, but she might not be there in person.
Wolf, part of TINA focuses on the recording of “RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH.” Phil Spector produced that classic, but Ike Turner was outraged by its success. Ike wanted to play on the recording and Spector said, “No.” Yes, the musical also introduces us to Tina’s present husband (who’s presented as a really nice guy). I think one reason Tina lives in Switzerland is because she’s fleeing her memories of America and what happened to her there.
By the way, today’s WALL STREET JOURNAL had a fascinating article on Katalan Kariko, a Hungarian immigrant, who played a pivotal role in developing the mRNA technology that resulted in the Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines. She’s a hero!
I like her, but I don’t think her producers always chose songs that complemented her style. I like some of her early Ike & Tina Turner songs like “A Fool in Love,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” and “Proud Mary.” Of her post-Ike music, my favorite song is “You Better Be Good to Me,” which I think captures all of her strengths as a singer.
Deb, you have exquisite taste in music! I love “You Better Be Good to Me” and that song shows up at a key moment of TINA. In ACT II of TINA, there’s plenty of Tina battling with her “handlers” over the type of songs they want her to sing…and the type of songs SHE wants to sing. The shocking (though predictable) scene where a record executive dismissed Tina as “a middle-aged, washed up, nigger singer” produced a loud gasp from the audience.
Please say “Hi!” to the Meyersons for us!
I guess I just don’t gravitate toward the kind of musical artists who do musicals or have musicals made about them. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just not my thing. Little Richard never did a musical.
Michael, we’ve seen some good juke-box musicals like MAMMA MIA! and some duds like ROCK OF AGES. If we go back to NYC in the Spring, I might want to check out the Bob Dylan musical, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY.
I thought the recent documentary was excellent. I admire if not always like her music.
Patti, I liked the documentary about Tina Turner, too. TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL covers much of the same ground. I’m impressed that Tina found a way to succeed after Ike Turner took all her money and song rights, basically just leaving Tina her name. It’s an astonishing story!
I’d rather just listen to the music I like – not a lot by Tina – than wallow in the misery of the artists life. I far prefer to listen to Aretha.
Rick, both Aretha and Tina contended with harsh lives. Both women struggled in the Music Industry. Aretha was written off as a has-been until she recorded “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me” with George Michael in 1987…and had her first Number One hit in the U.S. and England in 20 years!
I am a fan of Tina and I liked the documentary about her. I think we’ll see Ain’t Too Proud before we see this.
We are at Deb’s house now.
Jeff, please say “Hi!” to Deb and John for us! Enjoy Deb’s wonderful cooking!
She had a few good songs but I’m not a fan of the whole aura around her!
Bob, there are a couple of scenes where Tina is chanting American-Indian prayers. Her mother claimed they had some Cherokee blood.
That documentary on Tina was revealing!
Almost the first time that I realised the problems many pop musicians had with their managers and producers and record companies whose first thought seemed to have been:
We’re only in it for the money!
Re Tina’s honorary PhD degree:
The Bern university did everything offline because of the pandemic, what a pity.
Wolf, I’m sure Tina appreciated the honorary PhD degree.