Don’t Turn Around

It ended with Tina… It started again with Tina. Actually, it never stops being about TINA.

The last show I went to, pre-pandemic, was in February 2020 in Utrecht for the Premiere of TINA, De Musical, and the first one since then was last week in Madrid for the freshly opened TINA, El Musical.

Between the two, a virus ravaged our world, Adrienne Warren won a Tony for her performance as TINA, and Rhonda Graam, a key figure backstage and now on stage, passed away. I won’t even mention the never ending rumors propagated by ill-intentioned person(s) about Tina’s health.

When watching the musical, I always have the ‘real’ Tina in mind and I reflect on that one way relationship I have had with her for so long and also how proud I am to see so many people coming to witness her story. And even though I only speak very few words of Spanish, that night was an emotional rollercoaster.

Being in those theater always brings a mix of random emotions and last Friday, I end up tearing up during some songs and I left the theater being once again an even bigger fan of that indestructible warrior.

Applause and cheers started right after the first song and each numbers received tremendous support from the public. The Spanish were on fire both on stage and in the audience.

And like in every country where the show is given, all kinds of people were there: Young, old, black, white, alone or with friends, proving once again that Tina Turner has this incredible power of transcending generations and bringing people together.

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Regarding the show itself, no real departures from the other act currently running expect that Tina’s songs sound more appealing translated in Spanish than translated in German or Dutch!

The girl who plays TINA, Kery Sankoh gave a solid performance. Out of all the actresses I’ve seen playing Tina on stage, she probably was the one who tried the most to replicate Tina’s iconic stage moves, most notably her ‘bended arms’ gesture.

Her voice is strong and powerful, her acting not yet at the level of an Adrienne Warren but she’s just gettin’ started!

The lady playing Tina’s mother Zelma, Juno Kotto King was for me the most convincing, showing a real contempt towards her daughter that felt real and raw.

For now, the musical is playing in 5 cities, New York, Hamburg, Utrecht, London and now Madrid. Which makes more or less 5000 people who are living the Tina Turner rollercoaster each day. And that’s not counting all the other tribute act currently running.

Add to that the huge success of the documentary and the freshly cut deal with BMG (a great move by Tina and her team but a scary omen for the blog Youtube channel), Tina’s legacy continues to grow bigger and bigger.

Most importantly her impact in the music industry and in popular culture is finally being recognized for what it is: Massive!

I know I am nobody but I am proud of Tina… I miss Tina…

Book your seat for TINA, The Musical Now!