Broadway is back in Akron for its 2024-2025 run, bringing four show-stopping musicals to E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall.
“TINA: The Tina Turner Musical” was the first show to hit Akron this past week. The Tuesday and Wednesday shows filled E.J. Thomas with fans of Tina Turner and new listeners alike. A few other Buchtelite reporters and I were lucky enough to get tickets to the show.
“TINA” follows the life of Tina Turner, who has been dubbed the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Born Anna Mae Bullock, the audience witnessed the struggles she faced in childhood after her mother and sister left her with only her father. As a teenager, she traveled to St. Louis to stay with her mother and sister and her singing talent was discovered by musician Ike Turner.
Her career jump started as she traveled with Ike and his band, becoming a national sensation. While she eventually married him and they became a famous husband-and-wife duo, “TINA” showed her struggles with Turner’s abuse and the intense pressure she was under as a performer.
After leaving Ike Turner with her children, she fought to keep the Tina Turner name and support her children. She played shows in Las Vegas for years before traveling to London with a new manager to explore the rock ‘n’ roll genre once again.
While many people are aware of her songs while performing with Ike Turner and her later return as a global rockstar, “TINA” makes the audience confront her struggles and the intense passion and drive that kept her going.
Buchtelite reporter Amore Hill described the show, “It’s a story of her, but [with] an underlying theme of race relations, self-discovery, and determination.”
The show does not shy away from the struggles she faced as a female Black performer throughout the 1950s-80s. The depictions of her being broken down and building herself back up were moving.
Neither Hill nor I had much knowledge of Tina Turner before the show, so witnessing the vulnerable and honest performances stuck with both of us. Her courage and star power are admirable and perfectly depicted through the musical’s book and performers.
Every performer in the show clearly gave their all, with powerful vocals and electrifying energy. Standout performers included Jayna Elise as Tina, Sterling Baker-McClary as Ike Turner, and the Ikettes.
The stage design and technical effects also elevated the show to another level. Hill explained, “The show’s choice to feature electric colors and a fast-paced narrative accurately reflected the whirlwind of fame Tina must have felt. With her very quick rise to fame, dealing with an abusive partner, and having to endure never ending performances.”
Visual effects and spotlights that moved over the audience made us feel like we were truly there with Tina. The final scene of the musical featured a full concert stage with Jayna Elise in the classic Tina wig and sparkly red dress. After bows, she spoke right to the audience, encouraging everyone to stand, sing and dance along, and take videos. The performers’ engagement with the audience made me feel like I had traveled back to the Tina Turner era.
Beyond my own experience, the musical also connected deeply with audience members who had grown up listening to Tina’s music. I had the privilege of speaking with the women, a mother and daughter, sitting next to me throughout the show. They told me about their own connections with her.
“She was a once in a lifetime performer – a performer for every generation,” one of them said. She explained that she also admired Tina for knowing when to leave Ike Turner and for taking her children with her.
The daughter said she didn’t start listening to Tina until much later, but that “her presence was just awesome to watch.”
Leaving the theater, I overheard the mother and daughter, along with many other audience members, expressing that this show was the closest one could get to seeing the real Tina live. Others even mentioned that this show convinced them to see more shows at E.J. Thomas.
The magic of the show is truly impossible to describe, but the audience reactions show the impact it had on everyone both nights.
If the power of “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical” makes you want to see more shows at E.J. as well, you can check out the other Broadway in Akron shows coming this fall and next spring. In February, “Hadestown” will be showing for one night on February 25, 2025. Finally, “Come from Away” will close out the run in March.
At E.J. Thomas, students at the University of Akron gain easy access to purchase tickets for the 2024-2025 Broadway run. While ticket prices can range from $25-$70, students can get tickets at a discounted price of $15 by showing their Zip Card at the E.J. box office.
