Review: TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL Dazzles Edmonton

Long before she was the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll, Tina Turner was Anna-Mae Bullock, a talented, outspoken little girl from Nutbush, Tennessee. Born into a household rife with physical violence, Anna-Mae was cast into the spotlight at age 17 after meeting charismatic singer, Ike Turner. Soon, Anna-Mae finds herself touring with Ike’s band, Kings of Rhythm, and reluctantly adopting a new name: Tina Turner. 

Though she captivates her audiences, Tina’s path to stardom is anything but smooth sailing. She endures a violent 14-year marriage to Ike Turner, experiences financial instability, and is the target of discrimination. Eventually, she triumphantly returns to centre stage, captivating audiences around the world with songs like What’s Love Got to Do With It and (Simply) The Best. Until March 16, Edmonton audiences can groove to her legendary hits at Broadway Across Canada’s presentation of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. 

From the moment the curtain rose on opening night (March 11), tangible excitement filled the packed auditorium. Soon after, Young Anna-Mae (10-year-old Taylor Brice) takes the stage, wowing the audience with her powerful vocals. Eventually, the precocious little girl grows up into the young woman who eventually becomes known as Tina Turner (Jayna Elise). Portraying a legendary singer is a tremendous feat, but Elise makes it look effortless. In turns, her larger-than-life performance sparkles with energy and exudes vulnerability. She is joined by Deidre Lang as Tina’s tough-as-nails Gran Georgeanna, Mya Bryant as Tina’s sister, Alline, and understudy Aniah Long as the sisters’ volatile mother, Zelma. Starring alongside them is Sterling Baker-McClary as the charismatic but cruel Ike Turner. The depictions of Ike’s violence are extremely difficult to watch; Tina’s eventual escape is among the show’s many compelling moments.  

A musical about Tina Turner deserves the best costuming, design, and lighting that theatre magic can conjure, and the creative team delivers. Thanks to Costume Designer Mark Thompson, Tina has no shortage of fabulous outfits, including a glittery gold flapper dress and daring red leather getup. Thompson’s versatile set captures countless settings from Young Anna Mae’s church to grand, dazzlingly lit concert stages. By the time the flashy encore/sing-along rolls around, the audience is on their feet, singing along with Elise and the stellar onstage band. 

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical takes the spotlight at Edmonton's Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium until March 16. 

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