Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' a shadowy figure in musical

Despite the show’s fine performances, an overarching narrative and theme are missing

- GLENN SUMI

The late, great Tina Turner’s life, career and musical catalogue have all the ingredients for an entertaining and uplifting biographical musical. Alas, “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical” isn’t it.

Although a terrific vehicle for a performer with the requisite pipes, passion and stamina to play the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll” — witness Adrienne Warren’s 2020 Tony triumph on Broadway — the show lacks an overarching narrative, theme or point of view. Its shaggyhaired protagonist remains a shadowy, passive figure, defined more by the things done to her than the things she wants to do.

After an intriguing prelude hinting at the Zen Buddhism that Turner practised later in life, we flash back to 1940s Nutbush, Tenn., where a young Anna-Mae Bullock (Brianna Cameron) sings louder than everyone else in the choir at the church where her father, Richard (Kristopher Stanley Ward), is deacon.

Back at home, Richard berates her for that behaviour and he also physically abuses her strict mother, Zelma (Roz White). The latter is so bruised and fed up that she leaves for St. Louis, taking Anna-Mae’s sister, Alline (Natalia Nappo), with her but leaving our protagonist behind to be raised by her maternal grandmother, Gran Georgeanna (Carla R. Stewart).