It's rare that a musical ends with a concert, but that's exactly what happened at the Walton Arts Center Tuesday night for "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical."
After playing Tina Turner on stage for nearly three hours, Ari Groover led a live band in an encore performance of Turner's song "Nutbush City Limits" and CCR's "Proud Mary." And yes, if you close your eyes, you'd swear it was Tina Turner. Groover danced and sang as the Queen of Rock 'n Roll while keeping a consistent hold on where and who Tina was at different times throughout her life.
"You're having to also dive into yourself and be aligned with yourself spiritually, physically and emotionally with this role because you are playing this icon whose life and career expands over decades," Groover said in a previous interview with What's Up! She compares the role to training for the Olympics, but Tina's resilience is inspiring, she said. After playing Tina, she said she feels like she can do anything.
While much of the plot for the musical includes similar elements as the 1993 film, "What's Love Got to Do With It," the musical includes more about Turner's difficult relationship with her mother and her tenacity in making her comeback that helped her surpass the fame she received next to her abuser. It also highlights her PTSD from years of domestic abuse, her struggles and sacrifices to make her comeback and her struggles as a mom.
Symphony King, who played the young Anna-Mae, stole the show early on singing in the choir in the opening act and then joining Groover in the encore concert for "Proud Mary." Another exceptional voice heard last night was Gerard M. Williams, who played one of the band members, with his silky smooth rendition of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."
Roz White, who played the mother, managed to make her character both sympathetic and funny, with excellent comedic timing on stage. Wildlin Pierrevil's performance as Ike was hard to clap for given how awful his character treats others in the play, but he even manages a few moments of humor and gives Ike more complexity than a simple villain.
While the first act is difficult to watch -- there is on-stage violence and even a spot when her kids are affected -- the second part highlights Tina's resilience and allows for more joy. The sets, while simple, had a cinematic quality because of a behind-stage screen that transformed the setting from the fields of Nutbush to the night sky over Mississippi to the bright lights of Vegas.
The music, of course, is incredible, but what a treat to see it performed live. Katori Hall, who wrote the play, said that she wanted the audience to leave feeling triumphant. Who wouldn't when you get to belt out "What's Love Got To Do With It" in Baum Walker Hall?
Monica Hooper is a features writer and podcast host for the NWA and River Valley Democrat-Gazette. She loves sharing stories about artists, dancers, music makers and all sorts of interesting folks. She can be reached at [email protected]. Read the stories at nwaonline.com/staff/monica-hooper.
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FAQ
'TINA: The Tina Turner Musical'
WHEN -- 7 p.m. Dec. 13; 1:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 14; 8 p.m. Dec. 15; 2 & 8 p.m. Dec 16; 2 p.m. Dec. 17
WHERE -- Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
COST -- $42-$103
INFO -- waltonartscenter.org
BONUS -- A private VIP pre-show and at intermission, with two drinks of choice, a dedicated bar, hors d'oeuvres, desserts and a themed photo booth are available for a $49 add-on.