Tina Tour

[Rita127]

Posted: 8/3/22 at 6:25pm

Is Kayla Davion going on tour as Tina?  She's fabulous!!

[David10086]

Posted: 8/3/22 at 10:58pm

I’m a TT fan from way back, but haven’t been to nyc to see the show ( mostly due to not wanting to travel during Covid). Anyhow, my favorite song by her is 1989’s “ The Best”. 
 

However, the tour kicks off in my city in a few weeks. The song “ The Best” is the song they are using to promote the musical and the season coming up. Every commercial on every tv station is  blaring “ The Best”. I’m sick of the commercial and starting to abhor the song. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 7:21am

The tour launched last night in Providence. I would love to hear from anyone who went/ is going soon about how the cast is and what alterations were made to the set design!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 8:37am

Doesn't appear as if many from the Broadway production are doing the tour. The role of Tina is being split between two actresses and they'll be doing 4 shows/week each.

[taragel2]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 9:35am

Seeing it tomorrow night. Will report back!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 11:03am

ACL2006 said: "Doesn't appear as if many from the Broadway production are doing the tour. The role of Tina is being split between two actresses and they'll be doing 4 shows/week each."

Naomi Rodgers(Frozen tour) and Zurin Villanueva(The Lion King, Mean Girls, Shuffle Along and The Book of Mormon B'way) are the two actresses playing Tina.

[taragel2]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 10:28pm

Just got out of tonight’s performance! Naomi Rodgers played Tina tonight and she was simply phenomenal! Astoundingly powerful voice, great dancing, and incredible stage presence. She reminded me a little of a young Viola Davis too. Other standouts were Ayvah Johnson as young Anna Mae (incredible voice!) and Ann Nesby as Gran.

I hadn’t seen it previously so I can’t compare to the Broadway staging but there really wasn’t much in the way of stage design. Beds, chairs and tables, and video projections for the backgrounds were mostly it, plus the stage (steps and risers) for the end of the show. Smart of them to have a mini concert of Nutbush and Proud Mary after the bows. 

Bookwise…eh. I don’t expect much from bio/jukebox musicals and this seemed as adequate as any other? My biggest disappointment/head scratcher was that they go right from her being rejected in London to being a big hit in NY without really showing us how or giving her a big comeback/triumph moment there at the 11 o’clock spot? I mean she has the scene with her mom/Ike and We Don’t Need Another Hero there, but honestly I was more interested in her career momentum at that point. 

Overall though it was enjoyable and entertaining and worth seeing for Naomi’s performance all on its own.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 10:52pm

Were ushers at PPAC stamping down on anyone taking a video of the finale number?

[taragel2]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 11:22pm

I didn’t see anyone near me trying to film the finale but a friend in another row said they did see an usher stopping someone filming earlier in the night.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 12:47am

Here’s the curtain call and medley featuring the original Broadway cast:

 

[MattieIce2018]

Posted: 9/15/22 at 11:25pm

Saw the first performance of the tour on Sunday - to be honest, I didn't go in with very high expectations because I generally don't enjoy jukebox shows. That said, I was pleasantly surprised! Some of the songs feel forced, which I guess comes with the genre, and I echo a lot of taragel's thoughts about the book, but I thought Zurin Villanueva gave a really strong performance as Tina. The crowd absolutely loved the show (and her) and the last 10-15 minutes of the show ("The Best" and the encores) were just so much fun.

I also didn't see it on Broadway but there really wasn't much in terms of physical set pieces. I thought the projections worked well for what they were but definitely would've preferred a bigger physical production.