This is one of the most highly anticipated musicals of the decade! TINA THE MUSICAL has just opened at the Aldwych Theatre in the West End.
This new jukebox musical is a story of tenacity, survival & ultimately celebrating a formidable woman of mind-blowing strength with incomparable talent.
It’s not Disney – at times it’s shocking, breath-taking and heart-breaking.
There’s incredibly strong language and graphic scenes of domestic violence. This isn’t theatre – it’s Tina’s remarkable life.
This show celebrates a remarkably disciplined cast who shine. Adrienne Warren leads this cast magnificently and steals the entire show in the glorious title role.
There’s no question though that Adrienne is a 5* talent in this familiar looking 4* show.
Enjoy our HD Video Review via YouTube:
Featuring all of Tina’s most well-known hits, you’ll love hearing these classic showstoppers brought to life on the West End stage.
If you’re like me though, you will not enjoy the classless karaoke harmonies from the litany of women surrounding you (throughout the show often at inopportune moments).
The show drags at times and appears visually repetitive, especially at the beginning of Act 2. Other moments become a bit club cabaret…maybe that was down to the clowns sat around me doing three part harmonies.
This is a major problem for this type of mega jukebox musical. There’s almost a contempt for the piece because of the love for the hits. They just want ‘The Best’, ‘What’s love got to do with it’ and ‘Proud Mary’….who can blame them at £70 a ticket?!
Enjoy a HD Video preview @ Tina via YouTube:
Adrienne Warren makes her West End debut in this production raising the roof and embodying Tina. She’s a STAR who gives 100% throughout this entire performance.
She drives the show, she is the show.
One does wonder how she’ll perform this 8 times a week for months on end…even with her experience and skill. It’s a BIGGGG sing!
What a voice, what talent, what charisma, what sexiness, what legs – the epitome of TINA.
As well as the stunning Adrienne, TINA also celebrates the talents of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith who plays Ike & Gerard McCarthy who plays Tina’s
Kobna is utterly believable. He brings to life the vile manipulations and despicable controlling megalomania of Ike.
The entire cast were pure class with highlights including Ryan O’Donnell as Roger, Gerrard McCarthy as the charming love interest Irwin & Francesca Jackson as Tina’s confident Rhonda.
I’m not sure the booing during his curtain call was necessary. This ain’t panto.
I do fear the audience, overall, missed the point tonight. It felt like the sold out house wanted a party not the abhorrent reality of Tina’s abuse. Disappointing.
This show has many nods to Jersey Boys. It is raw, heart-wrenching, shocking yet equally as joyous, fun, inspiring and uplifting show.
It also has visual similarities to the Aldwych’ previous occupant ‘BEAUTIFUL’, the Carole King story – as well as Jersey Boys. I guess most mega-stars have a similar rise to stardom.
In summary all of these shows include struggle, failure, frustration, a recording studio, front room scene, kitchen scene, arsehole record company boss, theatre flop, bed scene, emotional heartbreak, global domination and ultimate happiness leading to a show stopping medley when everyone can sing-a-long and leave happy.
Tonight’s standing ovation @ TINA…
Visually TINA is mostly formulaic and there’s nothing new. Never seen so many doors popping up and down although the LED screen was sometimes impressive.
There were some beautiful moments throughout. The choreography at times is inspired and the lighting is excellent. The surround sound was used to great effect and the heavy processing on Adrienne’s voice ‘through the years’ helped massively with context of Tina’s musical development
One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner has won 11 Grammy Awards and her live shows have been seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history. She producers this show.
Tina Turner began her career in 1960 as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
What was most surprising was the amount of songs included that were not massive Tina hits, although global chart toppers for other artistes ‘I can hear the rain’ & ‘Disco Inferno’. Who knew?
If you love Tina Turner’s hits, you’ll love this show. Adrienne is doing an impression of Tina, a bloody good one, but, that puts this show in the category of Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You & Jersey Boys – you’re either in or out.
By the end the entire audience were on their feet. Need we say more?
There’s no question this show will happily do 3 years in the West End before being re-imagined for Broadway.
You’ll love Tina The Musical, but I’m begging you DO NOT sing along until the end – it’s not a bloody tribute show!
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 29th March 2018.
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