Tina: (Simply) The Best by Grace Loonan

 Tina: (Simply) The Best

“Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” Tina’s chanting echoes through the theater time and time again as the resilient star finds strength from within to keep going. The actual Tina Turner describes her Buddhist mantra as the loftiest place. “It is a sound and a rhythm and it touches a place inside you” (Hamilton). These words could just as easily sum up the mature, masterful production, Tina, which opened at the Orpheum last Wednesday.

Tina tells the life story of Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock), the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, who battled sexism, racism, and ageism to eventually become the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Lightning-fast scene changes are aided by a large screen at the back of the stage that shows different images, allowing Tina to flow like a one-shot film.  The show is a hybrid of musical, live concert, and everything in between, incorporating some of Turner's most famous songs into the plot and including scenes where Tina (Paris Lewis) performs directly to the audience.

Lewis captured Tina’s character to a T, most notably in her rich, powerful vocals and her memorable stage presence. After the final bows, Lewis announced that she’d be singing two more songs as an encore. As audience members clapped to the spry rhythms of “Nutbush City Limits” and “Proud Mary,” I couldn’t help but wonder if Turner had come out of her retirement to star in the show, or if CGI animation was being used. My disbelief that anyone other than Turner herself could sing and perform so well is a testament to Lewis’ knockout performance.

The only criticism I have of Lewis’ performance is that her singing is mostly loud and belty. Her voice soared over my highest expectations, but her dynamics were lacking. Solely at the start of Act II, when Tina sang “Private Dancer” did I hear her voice become softer. I know that Turner was known for her volume when performing, but I still would’ve liked to hear some quieter moments during her songs, which would’ve made the louder parts more compelling.

Throughout the show, a theme of finding strength in spirituality is vividly conveyed through the presence of various characters onstage who are felt but not physically seen by Tina. These characters, who often include Tina’s grandmother, mother, or the preacher from her childhood church, stand ghostlike at the corners or upstage of Tina whenever she is close to giving up. Sometimes, they sing with Tina, and other times, their subtle presence is enough to give the protagonist newfound fortitude. It was a genius decision to place these characters onstage, as it reveals another dimension of Turner’s life and how it was influenced by certain people and spiritual forces.

Overall, Tina blew me away. Its rhythm, sound, and symbolic stage direction touched my heart as I watched an African American woman defy all odds to rise to the top, supported by her foundation of faith. Since it includes scenes of domestic violence, a suicide attempt, and the use of the N-word, Tina is a musical meant for an older audience. That said, it’s a phenomenal production with a beautiful, inspiring story of breaking barriers, and anyone over the age of 15 should be required to see it. Tina is (simply) the best.

Hamilton, Roger. “The Story of Tina Turner: Anything Is Possible.” LinkedIn, 6 May 2016, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/story-tina-turner-anything-possible-roger-hamilton#:~:text=Tina%20explains%3A%20%E2%80%9CNam%2Dmyoho,four%2Dword%20buddhist%20chant%20mean%3F.

Photos courtesy of Hennepin Theater Trust