“Tina” Turns Back Time by 2023 by Tyler Quade

 Tyler Quade

Tina, The Tina Turner Story, 2023

“Tina” Turns Back Time

Delving into the triumphs and tribulations of singer Tina Turner’s life, Tina does far more than just retell her Wikipedia page. Seen at the 7:30 performance at the Minneapolis Orpheum theater on March 1st, Tina was played by Parris Lewis who delivered nothing less than a stunning performance. Each performance was larger-than-life and never a challenge to comprehend from the far reaches of the balcony section. From the first scene, I could tell this performance would quickly become one of my favorite shows from the season.

The show opens with a religious intensity. Tina comes on stage and kneels before praying in a foreign tongue. An older woman who we can assume to be her grandmother joins in on the chanting before Tina’s (then Anna-Mae) father begins to preach. The scene smoothly transitions to a church choir, with Tina being replaced by her younger self (Ayvah Johnson). Only nine years old, young Ayvah Johnson gave one of the most powerful and chills-inducing vocal performances of the whole show. Overall however, this scene sets the tone of desperation and perseverance that comes to be present throughout the whole show.

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

In this production, there were no roles that were not performed to the full extent of their actor. Every step of the way the audience was rooting for Tina. At the end of the first act, I was on the edge of my seat despite knowing that things had to work out in order for there to be a second act. Garrett Turner did a phenomenal job of playing such a despicable character as Ike while not crossing into a cartoonishly evil villain. Each of the songs were pulled off by their singers who gave deeper meaning to them more than many “jukebox musicals” do. The ones that stuck out the most were “Be Tender With Me Baby”, in which Tina ends up overdosing on drugs and a beautiful transition of urgent medical care takes place in the background as her mother and father monologue in the foreground. Similarly, “Proud Mary” showcases the juxtaposition between her thriving performing life and her dying home life. The show ends in a callback to the beginning which gives a sense of closure and completion. 

While the performances from all of the actors could stand on their own, they are each greatly enhanced through the clever use of technical elements throughout the show. Most prominent is the use of set dressing and costuming to show the passage of time without outrightly stating the time jumps. Each of the songs that took place in a concert reflected the trends of the era, with small brass bands earlier on and flashy bright lights later with the emergence of rock and roll. Projections were also effectively utilized throughout. One note was in the ending of act I where it gave off a blinding white light and turned Tina into a perfect silhouette. 

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman. Note the photographed “Tina” is not Parris Lewis

While there were many exemplary technical aspects, there were also a few times where microphones faltered. During “Proud Mary” there was a constant buzzing, Raymonds mic was once turned on late, and there was one scene where a character’s mic was either not turned on or dead.  

As a whole, I recommend this show to all who are able to see it. The ending gave meaning to the show for all who see it and not just fans of Tina Turner.  The trigger warnings should be greatly understood however as the show was incredibly intense at points.