Leading lady keeps 'Tina Turner' rolling despite musical's paper-thin plot
This article has been updated with the correct spelling of Ari Groover's name.
“Tina - The Tina Turner Musical” - ★ ★ ½
Wednesday's opening of “Tina - The Tina Turner Musical” at the James M. Nederlander Theatre marked the national touring company's 200th performance. And what an energetic performance it was, led by the indefatigable Zurin Villanueva as the titular queen of rock 'n' roll, whose rise from humble beginnings in rural Tennessee to the top of the rock, pop and R&B charts is chronicled in the bio-jukebox tuner.
Capping off the performance was a rousing, concert-style encore featuring blistering versions of “Nutbush City Limits,” Turner's hometown portrait, and “Proud Mary,” the John Fogerty cover that became a signature hit for the singer and her ex-husband Ike Turner.
That post-finale coda, for which the sequined Villanueva was joined by her castmates and music director Anne Shuttlesworth's 11-member pit orchestra, provided some of the most satisfying moments of this show.
Turner's life story is as inspiring as her talent is undisputed: Born Anna-Mae Bullock, the superstar-to-be - abandoned by her mother, abused by her husband and dismissed by record executives - perseveres to become one of music's most distinctive and beloved vocalists. Unfortunately “Tina” suffers from problems common to many jukebox musicals that shoehorn the hits into a narrative for which the songs are ill-suited.
For instance, Villanueva (who alternates with Ari Groover in the role) sings “Private Dancer” (a song about a prostitute) while she's working as a maid by day and performing in Las Vegas lounges at night. The power ballad “We Don't Need Another Hero” from 1985's “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” is inexplicably paired with a death scene.
The issue isn't the performance by the soulful Villanueva, who masterfully recreates Turner's gravelly vocals and boundless energy. It's the placement. Puzzling over the reasoning behind it took me out of the story.
Those aren't the only issues. The book by Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins is thin. The characters, lacking dimension, feel like caricatures.
Take for instance the volatile, abusive Ike Turner, the Svengalie-like bandleader/producer who put Anna-Mae in his band and renamed her Tina. Garrett Turner makes a valiant attempt to amplify the man, but that's difficult to accomplish when the character is one note.
The sets are minimal, the projections and lighting (except for the finale and mini-concert) are unremarkable and Phyllida Lloyd's direction feels perfunctory and obvious.
That said, “Tina” has its moments. Ayvah Johnson, who plays young Anna-Mae, is a powerhouse in the making. “Let's Stay Together,” the duet between Tina and bandmate Raymond, sympathetically played by Gerard M. Williams, features some of the show's loveliest vocals. “Proud Mary,” in all its incarnations, is a delight. And the majestic “River Deep - Mountain High” (for which sound designer Nevin Steinberg recreates Phil Spector's storied wall-of-sound) sends shivers up the spine. On that note, “Tina” delivers.
Location: James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday through April 2. Also, 7:30 p.m. March 19
Tickets: $49-$149
Running time: About 2 hours, 40 minutes with intermission
Rating: For adults, includes mature language and depictions of domestic violence
COVID-19 precautions: Masks recommended