Interview: Jayna Elise of TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Salle Wilfred Pelletier, Place Des Artis

Jayna Elise has been performing since the age of 4. She has been on stages with Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry and many more. When she was 14 years old, she appeared on America's Got Talent and followed that up with two seasons on American Idol. In addition to her performance career, she is a songwriter, writing for hit Kpop groups like Red Velvet and NMIXX. I had the chance to chat with Elise just prior to TINA: THE Tina Turner MUSICAL, in which she stars as Tina Turner, landing in Montreal. She's simply the best!

HANNIBAL: Tell me a little bit about your journey into the arts.

ELISE: I've been performing since I was a kid. I started on YouTube, posting singing videos. I got my first few jobs from there. I was on AGT when I was 14. After all of that, I went to a performing arts high school, The Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Once I graduated, I moved to LA for songwriting, which led to me auditioning for American Idol and then I got this role as Tina Turner.

HANNIBAL: Tell me about your experience on Idol.

ELISE: I went on the show two years in a row. From the very beginning, it was kind of like a full circle moment, simply because the same production company that works on that show works on America's Got Talent. The crew was the same. Having done AGT 6 or 7 years prior, it was great to see them again. When I auditioned the first time, I didn't make it to the live shows. I said to myself, “if I come back, I've got to make it to the live shows!” I did! That was a cool and interesting experience to have done the show twice.

HANNIBAL: I want to pivot a little to your songwriting. Tell me about writing for Kpop groups! I need to know how this happened!

ELISE: It's such an interesting story. As I mentioned, I went to a performing arts high school

and you meet all kinds of people there. There was this one guy who was a concert pianist. He had a song that blew up when we were in high school and he started going out to LA and working with people. Once we graduated, he moved out there. I was trying to decide if I wanted to go out there and he said to me, “if you do, I want to introduce you to this guy, this producer.” He introduced me to Ryan Kim. We are like family now. He has produced for BTS and Girls Generation, some of the biggest Kpop groups. My mom was a huge Kpop fan. She still is. She had been studying Korean and had gone to Korea when I was in high school. She was fully immersed in the culture. When I told her who I had worked with, she was so excited! Over the last 3 or so years, we have done a whole bunch of songs that were eventually picked up by groups. It's very cool to hear someone sing what started as an idea in your head.

HANNIBAL: Let's move on to TINA. What was your audition process like?

ELISE: My audition process was very interesting because one of the casting reps had seen me on American Idol. It was about a month after we had finished filming. I was in that space of “what am I gonna do next?” I got an email about an audition for this show. I thought it sounded cool, so I sent in my tape and it all happened so fast. First of all, they wanted the tape on Monday and it was Saturday. I spent all day doing it, sent it in and they asked for a Zoom callback on Tuesday. By the end of the callback, I had an email saying, “it's yours if you want it!” I said, “hell yeah!” And that was my audition process.

HANNIBAL: Wow! That's an amazing story! I am so excited to see the show and to see you in it. Have you ever been to Montreal?

ELISE: Thank you! No! I've never been to Canada before!

HANNIBAL: Well, if you eat meat, you have to try smoked meat. We are also known for bagels and poutine. You should try La Banquise, a restaurant that specializes in poutine. I think it's walking distance from your theatre!

HANNIBAL: I love that your bio states, “As she embarks on her next adventure in music and performance, she hopes to continue to inspire and educate the community on lessons dearest to her including; self-love, mental health, and breaking barriers.” I just want to say thank you for using your platform for good. We need more of that in the world.

ELISE: Thank you so much. I'm just honestly grateful that I get to do just that.

HANNIBAL: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.

ELISE: Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to meeting you!

TINA: THE TURNER TURNER MUSICAL

When: February 4 to February 9, 2025

Where: Place des Arts, Salle Wilfred-Pelletier, 175 rue Sainte-Catherine, Montreal

Tickets are on sale at the Place des Arts box office

By phone 1.866.842.2112

Get yours online: placedesarts.com  evenko.ca

An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA: THE Tina Turner MUSICAL is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll.  Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.

One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows were seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history.

Featuring her much loved songs, TINA: THE Tina Turner MUSICAL is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.

For more information on Jayna Elise, click HERE

For more information on TINA: THE Tina Turner MUSICAL, click HERE

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