Holy Shit.

That was the only words capable of summing up the performance of Jayna Elise as Tina Turner in the Broadway Across Canada touring production of TINA, at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium until March 23^rd.

The former American Idol and America’s Got Talent contestant is mesmerizing. While the voice is a vital part of portraying the title role, capturing the essence of Tina as a person is vital to making it work. At 23 years old Eise can be every aspect from the 17-year-old teen Anna Mae Bullock groomed by Ike Turner to the 45 year old version performing for 180,000 people in Brazil. Multiple times I got goosebumps during classics like Proud Mary and What’s Love Got To Do With It.

Tina’s story is well known – the 1992 film What’s Love Got To Do With It and 2021’s HBO Documentary Tina tell her story. The stage version doesn’t shy away from the tragic side of Turner’s life. Ike’s physical abuse and the racism that she faced are both laid bare. It’s hard to watch but also part of what makes her story so triumphant.

As Ike Turner, Sterling Baker-McClary captures the charisma that charmed people with the underlying cruelty and viciousness that Tina experienced for the 16 years of their marriage. It’s a stellar performance of the villain of the musical, but in this case the villain was real.

The rest of the cast and ensemble works together spectacularly to tell the story. The young girls playing young Anna-May are show stealers, and the choreography captures classic performance like River Deep, Mountain High and Proud Mary.

The show plays loosely with the chronology of the music, songs like I Don’t Wanna Fight used more for story arcs than when they were released. Throughout the show you can feel the anticipation building, and when Elise dons that hair, and the denim jacket and leather skirt for What’s Love Got To Do With It... the audience loses it. Not just because of our connection to the song, but it’s the point in the show where Tuna Turner becomes that solo icon that we love. When the stage turns into a concert stage for Simply the Best and Elise delivers everything Tina -from the growl to the way she would look at the audience to the moves, it’s like seeing Tuna Turner on stage.

The world felt the loss when Tina Turner passed away in 2023. She was involved in the process of creating the musical and appeared on stage at some curtain calls in London and New York when the show opened in those cities. Knowing that the musical was done with her input and blessing makes it that more special.

There will never be another Tina Turner. This musical is an incredible legacy to one of the greatest who ever stepped on a stage and the story will continue to inspire people who get back up after getting knocked down.

Do not miss this show. And don’t make the mistake of heading for the doors at bows, as there are 2 can’t miss encores to wrap up the night.

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Contributor Jason Clevett |

Locale Calgary |

Topic Broadway Across Canada | Theatre |