As TINA: The Tina Turner Musical cranked up the pace and volume and rocked the venerable Bushnell Theater to the high octane “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, the energy in the theater skyrocketed. My wife, a diehard Tina Turner fan, was practically vibrating with excitement. She was mesmerized by the performance, barely able to contain herself from jumping up and dancing along.
Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
And it was no wonder – Zurin’ Villanueva’s portrayal of Tina was nothing short of electrifying. With every move and every note, she fully embodied the spirit of the music legend. Her vocals were raw and powerful, sung with skill and passion. Her stage presence was commanding, playful, and seductive all at once, just like Tina herself. Watching her perform, it was easy to forget that we were sitting in a theater and not at an actual Tina Turner concert.
Hartford’s Bushnell Theater typically holds symphonies, operas, and ballets, so I’m sure that its 2800-seat theater rarely experiences this level of energy, but the North American touring company of TINA had perfected the art of capturing and holding our imaginations. With Zurin Villanueva alternating shows with Ari Groover, both talented and passionate performers, and a cast and crew, the production was immersive and compelling.
The effect on the crowd was palpable. As “What’s Love Got to Do With It” reached its climax, the theater erupted into ap-plause.
My wife was practically in tears, overcome with emotion at the experience of seeing one of her idols come to life on stage. And I have to admit, even I was caught up in the energy and exc ite-ment.
The song was a major turning point in Tina Turner’s career. Written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and was initially offered to several other artists before Tina finally agreed to record it, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” propelled Tina back into the spotlight and marked a significant shift in her musical style from R&B to rock. It helped to solidify Tina’s status as a music icon and ultimately led to her in-duction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
| The energy in the theater was palpable as Zurin strutted across the stage, belting out the lyrics with all the ferocity and passion of the original Tina Turner. |
My wife, a big Tina Turner fan, was impressed with the play’s attention to detail and how it accurately portrayed Tina’s personal and professional struggles. She felt that the play did an excellent job of following Tina’s actual history and conveying the emotional impact of her story on stage.
The play tells the story of Tina Turner’s life from her childhood in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her rise to stardom as a music icon, showing her perseverance in the face of adversity throughout. The show’s first act focused on Tina’s early years and her tumultuous relationship with Ike Turner, played by Garrett Turner so well that I had to remind myself that he wasn’t the real Ike. The second act explores Tina’s journey to success as a solo artist and her triumphant comeback after leaving Ike.
Throughout the play, Tina’s songs are woven into the storyline, serving as both a reflection of her personal experiences and a means of advancing the plot.
The music in the play is carefully curated to reflect the different phases of Tina’s career, with songs like “A Fool in Love” and “Proud Mary” representing her early years with Ike, while “Private Dancer” and “The Best” showcase her successful solo career. Blended in so well, in fact, that I had to look up the song list to assure myself that with only two exceptions the songs were not written specifically for the play. These songs are used to tell the story of Tina’s life and convey the emotional impact of her experiences, from the pain of her abusive marriage to the joy of finding success on her own terms.
Throughout the performance, the use of costumes also played a key role in reflecting the different stages of Tina’s career, with frequent changes to highlight her various styles and eras of music. At times the costume changes were important to the storyline, at times the changes
were cues to the changing world that Tina lived in. But just the coordination of the costuming, occasionally onstage, deserves special recognition. But costuming is hardly the only technical aspect of note, I could go on and on about the integration of the musicians into the storyline, the use of a gigantic digital backdrop, and the metaphoric touches within the script.
One of the key themes of TINA is Tina Turner’s resilience. Throughout her life, she faced numerous challenges and struggles, including an abusive and neglectful family life, an abusive husband, and racial discrimination in the music industry and society at large.
The play portrays how Tina grew up in poverty with a mother who abandoned her and a father who was distant and abusive. Despite these hardships, Tina found solace in music and began singing in church at a young age. However, as she pursued a career in music, she encountered further obstacles, including racism and sexism in the industry.
Perhaps the most well-known struggle of Tina’s life was her abusive marriage to Ike Turner, which is depicted in the play in great detail. The play shows how Tina endured years of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse at the hands of Ike, culminating in a violent altercation that led her to finally leave him and strike out on her own as a solo artist.
Throughout the play, Tina’s struggles are depicted with sensitivity and empathy, highlighting the emotional toll of the abuse and discrimination she endured. However, the play also celebrates Tina’s strength and resilience, showing how she overcame these challenges to become one of the most beloved and influential musicians of all time.
One of the most memorable parts of the performance was the audience’s reaction to the familiar songs from Tina Turner’s extensive catalog.
When the bass player began the iconic opening riff of “Proud Mary” as a quiet background to the dialog of the play, members of the audience immediately recognized it and began applauding in anticipation.
As the song built to its famous chorus, the energy in the theater was electric. My wife and I looked around and saw that many of the other audience members were swaying in their seats, mouthing the words, and tapping their feet. It was clear that Tina’s music had a profound impact on everyone in the theater, many of whom had grown up listening to her songs and knew them by heart.
This was not an isolated incident either. Throughout the play, the audience reacted strongly to many of the songs, from the soulful ballad “I Can’t Stand the Rain” to the high-energy rocker “Nutbush City Limits.” It was clear that Tina’s music had a special place in the hearts of the audience members and that her songs had the power to transport them back to important moments in their own lives.
Overall, the audience’s reaction to the familiar songs in TINA was a testament to Tina Turner’s enduring legacy and the impact her music continues to have on people of all ages and backgrounds.
As TINA approached its climax, the intensity of the music and the audience reaction continued to build, culminating in the rousing finale song “The Best.”
Throughout the play, Zurin Villanueva’s powerful vocals and electrifying stage presence had captivated the audience, but it was during the final number that she truly brought the house down. As the opening chords of “The Best” rang out, the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
The energy in the theater was palpable as Zurin strutted across the stage, belting out the lyrics with all the ferocity and passion of the original Tina Turner. My wife and I were swept up in the moment, clapping and cheering along with the rest of the audience, barely able to contain our excitement.
As the song reached its explosive conclusion, Zurin held a final, triumphant note, eliciting an ecstatic roar from the audience. It was a truly unforgettable moment, and one that left us both feeling uplifted and inspired.
It’s clear that the power of Tina Turner’s music is as strong as ever. The way the show wove together her iconic songs with her personal story was masterful, creating a truly immersive and moving experience that left a lasting impression on us both.
As my wife and I left the Bushnell Theater and made our way back to the car, we were both still buzzing with excitement from the incredible performance we had just witnessed. The energy of the crowd and the power of Tina Turner’s music had left an indelible mark on us both, and we knew that we would be talking about the show for days to come.
As we settled into the car and started the drive home, my wife pulled up a stream of Tina Turner music on her phone, singing along at the top of her lungs. It was clear that the show had left a profound impact on her, and I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to her belting out the lyrics to “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “Proud Mary.”
Reflecting on the experience, I realized that the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts had truly lived up to its reputation as one of Connecticut’s premier performing arts venues. From the historic and beautiful surroundings to the exceptional acoustics and the incredible talent on display, the theater had provided us with a truly unforgettable evening.
As we drove home, still lost in the music of Tina Turner, I knew that we would be back at the Bushnell before long, eager to experience the magic of live performance once again.
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Paul not only writes many of the articles in the pages of this magazine, he is also the publisher and editor of all of the magazines in the Amygis Publishing’s family of travel magazines. He loves exploring, traveling the back roads, experiencing the world, and finding what is unique and memorable about the places he visits.
And he loves writing – poetry, short stories, essays, non-fiction, news, and. of course, travel writing.
For over 20 years, he has shared his explorations with readers in a wide variety of outlets, from groundbreaking forays into the first stirrings of the dot-com boom to travel guides, local newspapers, and television, including Runner’s World, Travel Lady, Providence Journal, and Northstar Travel Media. He currently publishes and writes for Amygis Publishing’s magazines Jaunting, Northeast Traveler, and Rhode Island Roads.
