Review: TINA TURNER- THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Golden Gate Theatre

Fans are still absorbing the loss Tina Turner at age 83 this May, which makes attending Tina Turner – The Tina Turner Musical a tad more emotional and significant. The 12-time Grammy award winner and “Queen of Rock n Roll” sanctioned this production which premiered in the West End in 2018 and is now in its sixth incarnation. Following the jukebox format, the show highlights plenty of Tina’s huge hits wrapped around the ups and downs of her tumultuous and ultimately triumphant career.

Biography musicals are nothing new (The Cher Show, Beautiful: The Carole King Story, MJ The Musical, Tick, Tick... Boom!) and immensely popular as they provide an opportunity for fans to see and hear the objects of their adulation. Hopefully the shows add some value to the music with stories that grab your attention, either educating us to new facts or illustrating commonalities that show our humanity. Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall elevates the show by incorporating Turner’s repertoire within the dramatic arc of the show, from her humble gospel beginnings as a precocious, “loud” child, to her parental abandonment, through the horrors of her collaboration and marriage to Ike Turner, and her re-invention and massive solo career.

 Zurin Villanueva (The Lion King, Mean Girls) is tasked with portraying Tina  (Naomi Rodgers (Frozen) will alternate shows) and has the legs and powerful voice for the role. She does not mimic Tina’s voice, but approximates the gravelly, sultry delivery with an impressive vocal power. The arrangements have been tweaked just a touch which adds to the differentiation. It’s a tough role, especially as the victim of domestic abuse, and the Turner signature dance moves.

Tina Turner – The Tina Turner Musical is brash, flashy, and energetic. Fans will delight in the musical numbers and can cheer at the success Turner achieved after she was considered washed up. We all love a rise like a phoenix story – overcoming tremendous odds to happiness and glory. Tina Turner, more than perhaps any other musical greats deserves this type of loving tribute.

Tina Turner – The Tina Turner Musical continues through August 27th. Tickets available at broadwaysf.com

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy and Edward Zimmerman