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TINA- The Tina Turner Musical (Broadway Touring) at Music Hall, Kansas City MO (2023-12-05 through 12/10)

TINA TURNER MUSICAL SHOWTIMES Tuesday, December 5, 2023: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 6, 2023: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 7, 2023: 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 8, 2023: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2023: 2 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2023: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, December 10, 2023:1 p.m. Sunday, December 10, 2023: 6:30 p.m. TINA TURNER MUSICAL TOUR DATES FAYETTEVILLE, AR 12/12/23 - 12/17/23 Walton Arts Center OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 12/26/23 - 12/31/23 Civic Center  HOUSTON, TX 01/02/24 - 01/07/24 The Hobby Center AUSTIN, TX 01/09/24 - 01/14/24 Bass Concert Hall SAN ANTONIO, TX 01/16/24 - 01/21/24 Majestic Theater DALLAS, TX 01/23/24 - 02/04/24 Music Hall at Fair Park FORT WORTH, TX 02/06/24 - 02/11/24 Bass Hall NASHVILLE, TN 02/13/24 - 02/18/24 TPAC NAPLES, FL 02/20/24 - 02/25/24 Artis-Naples FORT MYERS, FL 02/27/24 - 03/03/24 Mann Performing Arts JACKSONVILLE, FL 03/05/24 - 03/10/24 Jacksonville Center WEST PALM BEACH, FL 03/12/24 - 03/17/24 Kravis Center GREENVILLE, SC 03/19/24 - 03/24/24 Peace Center GREENSBORO, NC 03/26/24 - 03/31/24 Tanger Center RICHMOND, VA 04/02/24 - 04/07/24 Altria Theater DAYTON, OH 04/09/24 - 04/14/24 Schuster Center APPLETON, WI 04/16/24 - 04/21/24 Fox Cities Arts Center MILWAUKEE, WI 04/23/24 - 04/28/24 Marcus Center INDIANAPOLIS, IN 04/30/24 - 05/05/24 Murat Theater COLUMBUS, OH 05/07/24 - 05/12/24 Ohio Theater TULSA, OK 05/14/24 - 05/19/24 Tulsa PAC ROCHESTER, NY 06/04/24 - 06/09/24 West Herr Auditorium  MADISON, WI 06/11/24 - 06/16/24 Overture Center TORONTO, ON 06/18/24 - 07/28/24 CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre SCHENECTADY, NY 07/30/24 - 08/04/24 Proctors Collaborative Read More Broadway in Kansas City Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album....

“I don't want to hurt no more, don't care now who's to blame, I don't really want to fight no more, 'cause it's time for letting go…” - “I Don’t Wanna Fight'- Tina Turner

Starting a play with the ‘miracle mantra’ Buddist chant of “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo”, it’s very clear that the power of letting go can move mountains and is personified by the lows and highs in the life of legendary singer Tina Turner in TINA- The Tina Turner Musical, now playing through the weekend at the Music Hall in downtown Kansas City. We were fortunate enough to take in the production’s opening night--

Perhaps rock’s best-known, against-all-odds comeback story of redemption, the story of aka Anna Mae Bullock has ascended to legend; whether it be from the book co-written with MTV’s Kurt Loder, the award-winning 90’s movie starring Angela Bassett, or the recent acclaimed documentary, but this musical version not only maybe covers the largest scope of Turner’s life, and because of its format, is overall the most accessible in its delivery.

Written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Katori Hall and directed by internationally acclaimed Phyllida Lloyd (who basically invented the modern jukebox musical with Mamma Mia!), the musical tells the story of the 12-Time Grammy Award winner’s journey to stardom, and sheds light on the many highs and lows she experienced to get there.

For this touring production, the shared role of Tina featured an opening night appearance by Parris Lewis, a former understudy who has elevated role of Tina. Lewis’ voice starts somewhat meekly, reflecting Turner’s own initial uncertainty as a lead singer but dramatically blossoms with confidence when she and the band play Turner’s distinctive version of CCR’s “Proud Mary.”

Lewis may not have the trademark endless legs of the real Turner (who else does?!) nor the undefinable growl to her voice, but more than succeeds in embodying the stage presence and vocal range of the original.

The story starts with a career pinnacle – Turner’s record-setting audience in January 1988 at Maracana Stadium in Rio, with her nervous trepidation just before going on stage to almost 200,000 fans, resulting in some meditation that triggers memories all the way back to her beginnings near the ‘Nutbush City Limits’ of rural Tennessee.

A young Tina starts to stand out from the others due to the early quality of her voice, and as a teenager, she’s coaxed into singing a verse as bandleader Ike Turner with his group the Rhythm Kings passed around a mic at a local juke joint, which became the beginning of a six decade+ career.

Ike’s substance-filled mistreatment of Tina that went on for over sixteen years, has become well-known and her courage and resiliency was really put to the test after leaving Ike, penniless and with children in tow, forgotten by most of the music world (FYI, she even played the Grand Theater in downtown Topeka during those lean years as well).

The fortunate combination of meeting Australian business manager Roger Davies (played excitedly with a near-parody accent by Zac Freier-Harrison) and German music executive and eventual longtime partner/husband Erwin Bach (played by Max Falls) helped eventually set Turner on a redemptive path to unprecedented success and acclaim. (Comically and for the music buffs, there is a brief cameo appearance by the character of UK musician Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 during those early Capitol Records recording session scenes.)

Despite her continued and persistent reluctance to record (at least their version of) “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, the song became the true breakthrough (following a successful cover of Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’) that properly returned Turner into the international spotlight, that would continue until her recent death.

The production itself is highly skilled, briskly shifted from scene to scene (with the help of a large background video screen showing gauze-focus locations and trippy psychedelic light effects during the vintage performances), and a tight live band that mostly hides in the shadows, until taking centerstage for the final live songs.

The length of the production (with one intermission) isn’t really realized, as the all-familiar songs and strength of the performances, seem to make time fly. Lewis shines particularly on her own signature song, Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” which she would often sing at auditions.

Though several songs are completely done out of chronological order, (i.e. the 80’s “Better Be Good to Me” and ‘90s “I Don’t Wanna Fight” sung during 1960s-set scenes), they were clearly inserted early for a reason, and gave additional gravitas to the drama of the situation.

The story culminates back behind, and on stage in Rio with her trademark song, “The Best”. But, like any good rock show, there is an encore of live performances after the group bows, so be sure not to leave until the very last note is played.

Entertaining, ultimately uplifting, and inspiring, TINA- The Tina Turner Musical playing at the Music Hall through this weekend, is a triumph and will bring additional joy during this holiday season, to anyone seeing it.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will run from Dec. 5-10 at the Music Hall.

 ((National Tour Photos by Matthew Murphy were provided) / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)    

TINA- THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL (Ari Groover as 'Tina Turner')

Ari Groover and John Toney (bass)

Ari Groover performing as Tina Turner

Ari Groover performing as Tina Turner

TINA- THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL (Parris Lewis performing What's Love Got to Do with It)

Ari Groover performing Higher

Parris Lewis sings River Deep, Mountain High

Kristopher Stanley Ward as 'Richard Bullock' and Symphony King as 'Young Anna Mae'

TINA- THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL (Brianna Cameron as 'Young Anna Mae')

Roderick Lawrence as 'Ike and Roz White as 'Zelma Bullock

Parris Lewis sings River Deep, Mountain High

Roz White as 'Zelma Bullock

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / Twitter.com

R.I.P. Tina Turner

Read more Musicians who died in 2023

R.I.P. TINA TURNER

The world lost a bonafide musical legend and singing icon as it was announced that Tina Turner had died on Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich, at the age of 83, confirmed by her publicist Bernard Doherty.

Though no cause of death was disclosed, Turner was in declining heath in recent years, recovering from a stroke and known to be struggling with a kidney disease, among other late life maladies.

Anna Mae Bullock was born on Nov. 26, 1939, in Brownsville, Tenn., near Memphis, spending her beginning years on the Poindexter farm in Nutbush, and singing in the choir of the Spring Hill Baptist Church. Her father, Floyd, oversaw the farm’s sharecroppers and was mentioned as having a "difficult" relationship with his wife, Zelma.

Young Anna would live with her grandmother after World War II and her parents separating, eventually re-locating to St. Louis to live with her mother and attend local public high school. While also still a teen, she first saw a young Ike Turner and his band perform at the local Manhattan Club, eventually gaining up the nerve to ask him if she could try singing during a performance intermission.

She eventually became a backup singer and was involved romantically with Ike, who christened her with a new stage name, inspired in part by character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. The Ike Turner Revue would score a Billboard #2 on the R&B charts with 1958’s “A Fool in Love”.

Ike and Tina would eventually marry in 1962, marking more musical success for the pair and band, but also a tumultuous and often violent fourteen-year period, before Tina would finally leave. Their fame increased with hits along the way, notably their version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary”- a song in her canon so much made her own definitive version, many people still don’t realize it is a cover. Ike Turner would have diminished musical and personal success post-Tina, eventually passing away in 2007 from a cocaine overdose.

The 1993 award-winning theatrical film (based on the book of the same name), "What’s Love Got to Do With It" chronicled much of that life and career-tipping period of time. The later 60s and into the 1970’s proved more challenging for Turner, whose 1966 Phil Spector-produced single “River Deep, Mountain High” was a musical milestone, but failed to sustain her popularity, more so in the U.S. than in the UK and overseas.

Meeting manager Roger Davies (who also managed Olivia Newton John) in the late 70s would eventually spark a return to her musical/stage essence and rejuvenate her career path to even bigger heights. Covers of “Ball of Confusion” and Al Green’’s “Let’s Stay Together", would pave the path for her May 1984 breakthrough album, Private Dancer which would go on to sell over 10 million copies, and win three main categories at the following year’s Grammy Awards.

She would set a Guinness World Records for attendance at a futbol stadium concert in Brazil and by 2000, would sell more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history. We were lucky enough to see her live at Sandstone (now Azura) Amphitheater in Bonner Springs KS in 1997 for a memorable show that featured a towering staircase she and her backups would first appear on, sing from, and dramatically leave from. Her 2008 World Tour (which would be her last) was launched that October in Kansas City, with two dates at the (then) Sprint Center.

In theaters, she would appear as The Acid Queen in The Who’s film, “Tommy” and Aunty Entity in 1985’s “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” providing the theme song for the film’s soundtrack, which would become yet another mega-hit.

Among her numerous accolades, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with Ike in 1991, and again as a solo artist in 2021, received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2005, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2018.

Related, there was a recent critically acclaimed documentary on HBO simply called “Tina” and “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” the 12-time Tony Award-nominated stage musical based on her life opened in London in 2018, on Broadway in 2019. The show is currently touring, having recently run in Minneapolis in March and is scheduled in Kansas City for December 8, 2023.

She would eventually retire to Switzerland (also becoming a Swiss citizen) with her husband, German producer and music executive Erwin Bach, who survives her.

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

News: The Big and Small Screen

Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)

Tina Turner

This week's news theme is movies & television. As usual, please check with news.weheartmusic.com for all the latest press announcements.

MAD MAXINE
eonline.com

E Online is reporting that Charlize Theron is ready to go beyond Thunderdome.

I was in a bit shock to read that, simply because the last thing I heard about Mad Max 4 was that the movie would take place with Mad Max's son (Mel Gibson to play the aging father). If the Theron rumor is true, does that also mean that Mad Max 4: Fury Road have been re-written? Tom Hardy (who incidentally shares the same name as my favorite depressing writer, Thomas Hardy) is to play the villain.

Well, one thing is certain is that the movie will be written and directed by the original creator, George Miller. Perhaps a great release date would be December 2012, you know the year the world ends?

BILL COSBY RELEASES ALBUM
billcosby.com

I saw this announcement and was very intrigued by it. Bill Cosby has a music album? What? Does he rap? The answer is: "Cosby does not rap or sing on the album".

Still, I'll be looking further into it. In the meantime, I have downloaded his title track, "State of Emergency" for free off his website, billcosby.com.

Looking at the merchandise, I see that the best deal seems to be CD with digital tracks and book for $24.99. The extra deluxe edition seems kind of expensive for all of the above plus a "16 page artwork booklet" and 12 x 16 giclee album artwork poster. Still, it may be worth it if you consider that Bill Cosby autographed the poster. All physical items will be shipping November 24, 2009 - just in time for Christmas.

You can watch Bill Cosby on ustream.tv/billcosby and twitter fans can add @BillCosby.

GLEE
fox.com/glee

Columbia Records announced that they are releasing the soundtrack for Fox's Glee for November 3^rd. I will have to admit that as much hype surrounding this show, I have not really gotten into it - based on my viewing of its pilot episode.

Still, as a cover lover, I am interested in some of their covers (particularly "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Bust a Move". Full tracklisting:

1. “Don’t Stop Believin’”
2. “Can’t Fight This Feeling”
3. “Gold Digger”
4. “Take a Bow”
5. “Bust Your Windows”
6. “Taking Chances”
7. “Alone”
8. “Maybe This Time”
9. “Somebody to Love”
10. “Hate On Me”
11. “No Air”
12. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
13. “Keep Holding On”
14. “Bust a Move”
15. “Sweet Caroline”
16. “Dancing with Myself”
17. “Defying Gravity”

If you are based in the US and want to check out the show, see it on Hulu. Foreigners, you guys might want to check into proxy servers.

BATMAN: THE MUSICAL!
newline.com

Starting today October 23^rd, Cartoon Network will be airing Batman: The Brave & The Bold's “Mayhem of the Music Meister!” which features the voice and singing talent of Neil Patrick Harris as the Music Meister.

In conjunction with the aired episode, the soundtrack, Batman: The Brave & The Bold: Mayhem of the Music Meister! will also be made available digitally on amazon and iTunes.

 10/23/2009 11:22:20 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com