Interview: Pier Lamia Porter And Malaikia Sims-Winfrey of A TRIBUTE TO TINA TURNER AND THE WOMEN SHE INSPIRED VOL. 2 at 54 Below

These are busy times for Pier Lamia Porter.  The prolific producer of group shows at 54 Below has two concerts playing exactly one week apart.  The first of these show, A TRIBUTE TO Tina Turner AND THE WOMEN SHE INSPIRED VOL. 2 will play Broadway’s Living Room on August 14th at 7 pm, while the second program, BLACK WRITERS SHOWCASE VOL. 2., will be presented on August 21st at 9:30 pm.  Fortunately, Porter has the show business savvy (and collaborative senses) to work with a co-producer when creating the productions that she helms.  For her Tina Turner show, Pier Lamia is working alongside Malaika Sims-Winfrey, and for the Black Writers showcase, her producing partner is Keisha Gilles.  With the Tina Turner show just days away, I asked if the two women leading the way on the tribute to the late, great legend would like to chat with Broadway World about the show, about cabaret versus theater, and about the need to put your money where your mouth is when it comes to representation in an industry that needs as much help as it can get.

This interview was conducted digitally and has had slight changes for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Pier Lamia Porter and Malaikia Sims-Winfrey, welcome to Broadway World!

Pier Lamia: Thank you, Stephen! It's always a pleasure to share space with you and I’m very happy to be here.

Malaikia “Lake”: Thanks for having us Stephen! This is all very exciting!

You are co-producers on the upcoming 54 Below show A TRIBUTE TO Tina Turner AND THE WOMEN SHE INSPIRED VOL. 2.  Tell me about your individual relationships with the music and legacy of our late, great legend, Tina Turner.

PL: I grew up in households full of strong women - my mom, grandmother, and my aunts. My mother loves Tina Turner and would talk about her often; her music and her legs more so than anything else, but there was always an underlying sense of adoration to her words. That alone blew my mind -  that my mother, a proud, self-sufficient, and assertive woman - could speak of another woman with such reverence shook me to my tiny human core. Through all of these glimpses, among other things, Tina became synonymous with strength, courage, and perseverance to me. She was a woman who looked like me and is/was adored by the world. A true role model if ever there was. 

Lake: I studied music all my life, and have always been fascinated with the history of music and how it has evolved over time. Before I studied Music in college, growing up, I used to watch all the documentaries and biopics about various music artists and the What’s Love Got To Do With It biopic starring Angela Bassett was always one of my favorites. That biopic brought her story to even more fans, especially in the younger generation. Though her songs were often played on the radio, on movie soundtracks, and were popular picks at karaoke, the biopic provided more insight into her personal life, which made me gain even more respect for her artistry. I was able to learn all she had to endure to get to where she was. You cannot tell music history without mentioning Tina Turner. Her contribution to music, and the barriers she broke with Rock and Roll, especially as a Black woman, are the kind of stories that continue to inspire and influence the next generation. She is timeless.

The Tina Turner catalogue is enormous.  How many iterations do you think you could create, centered around Tina’s music before you had to start recycling songs?

PL: Oh my gosh. I don’t know. We are actually already recycling a few songs because they are known favorites and we want everyone to both hear and experience the new, while also being comforted by the well-known. 

Lake: Adding to, because we are also highlighting the women she inspired, we have a plethora of options in that regard, in order to mix it up. You’ll be able to hear your favorite Tina Turner songs, while also getting a sense of how her legacy was passed down to other influential women in music. Artists like Tracy Chapman, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, just to name a few… 

 

Put our readers in the picture of what a cabaret and concert producer does.

 PL: Send a lot of emails haha. No, really, we send a lot of emails - to potential singers, the music director, each other, etc…the list is truly endless. We are consummate organizers, miracle workers, casting directors, writers, and much more. Lake is right about being very clear about your intent and goals for each show. Working well in high-stress situations and being able to successfully navigate the highs and lows that come with creating and producing a show are a must. 

Lake: Yeah I second all of that. It involves a lot of artist care and organizing, and you have to be adaptable, but also clear on what your goals for the show are. Producers wear many hats. It’s such a great role for multi-hyphenated artists that can toggle back and forth between various roles. 

What is the casting process for putting together a group show like this?

Lake: I think one thing that we both value is diversity. In all my shows, I strive to make sure we are uplifting underrepresented voices, and, depending on the theme of the show, those voices can change. In honoring Tina Turner, I feel it is necessary that Black women and femmes are represented throughout. It adds to the authenticity of telling her story. We reached out to lots of people we’d either worked with in the past, at 54 Below or other artistic endeavors, AND women we’ve both been interested in working with, but just have not had the chance to. It is also very important to include a mixture of 54 Below debuts, as well as industry performers that already have skin in the game. We want to sell tickets while also providing a platform for newcomers to be heard and seen. The casting process for me is a huge way to bridge connections that will hopefully continue to grow beyond this concert.  

PL: Lake said absolutely everything here, I wholeheartedly agree, and it's one of the reasons why I asked her to co-produce this show with me. 

Will either or both of you be making appearances as performers in the program?

Lake: I won’t, but catch me cheering everyone on and dancing like the mom from Mean Girls!

PL: I probably won’t either. I don’t have the time to put anything together. Maybe next time! 

 

Pier, you have done quite a bit of producing at 54 Below, sometimes on your own, sometimes with a co-producer.  What are the differences and benefits in each of those processes?

The main difference and benefit surrounding producing on my own versus having a co-producer is having a sounding board - someone you can spout out ideas to that can, then, offer their own insight. It sounds small, but can sometimes be the determining factor between having a fully developed concept and cast or having something that isn’t quite done. It's also great having someone to divvy up the assortment of tasks associated with your show - specifically casting. Lake was the driving force behind the casting of the Tina show. She had access to artists that I didn’t and it's because of her that we have the incredible lineup of amazing Black Women that we do. 

Malaikia, you do a lot of work, theatrically.  Do you find more similarities or differences between working in theater and cabaret & concert?

Lake: There are plenty of similarities! One major one being the process of making sure the story you are telling, in this case, the theme you are presenting, is conveying the message you intended. Whether I was presenting a stage musical about Tina or a concert, the message you want to convey must be clear so you keep your audience engaged while creatively telling a story of her legacy. The difference for me revolves around the fact that, for cabarets and concerts, all you have is the music, most of the time, you don’t necessarily have a set, costumes, or a book to string things together. The theme’s message is conveyed mostly from the music, so it’s important to be intentional about what music is being included, who is singing it, and how all the songs tie together to tell the story. However, these are all key factors that are also important in working on stage musicals, so the skills transfer quite seamlessly for me. Cabarets are often closely linked with the experience of a musical theater artist. 

Pier, you also have the Black Writers Showcase coming up at 54 Below - one week after the Tina Turner show.  This is your second volume of this series.  How are things shaping up with the performance?

They are moving along nicely! We, unfortunately, had to reschedule from May to August and lost a couple of writers due to that, but we are still excited, the music is beautiful, and we have 12 fantastic Black Writers coming to the 54 Below stage that are doing amazing things in the industry. Please come out if you can to support Black Writers and Black Music. 

Malaikia, your online biography mentions your activism.  Tell me about the delicacies of melding activism and art into one powerful entity.

Lake: Art is a language, just as any other language like Spanish, French, ASL, etc. The language of Art is one of the most inclusive to me because regardless of what age, race, creed, or status you represent, art can universally connect us all. That is why combining it with Activism is crucial in promoting social change, because the more people you want to reach with your message and call for change, the more connected we have to be. Art can tell stories and raise awareness that reflects back at us the world we live in with clarity and more intention. It’s the easiest concept to merge together because it is often the most authentic look into our lives. Art imitates life imitates art. It’s cyclical. Art does not HAVE to be created for activism purposes, but when it is used, whether directly or indirectly, it has been proven very effective in many attempts at social change. To be fluent in Art as a producer OR consumer is very powerful in promoting the change you want to see in the world. 

Describe for me the depth of your dedication, as women and as black women, to utilizing your work in the arts to create opportunities for the people and artists that stand beside you.  

Lake: Representation is key. Black women have historically had to open our own doors so our stories can be told authentically and so we can be represented in ways that push out the narratives that have been created to hold us back. No matter what I do, my art will naturally be a product of my experience as a Black woman, and I strive to use that experience to open the doors for people with similar experiences, and as a way to be that representation in spaces that lack it. I want to make space at any table I have access to. With me being one of few Black women to have produced shows at 54 Below, I feel I have an obligation to open that door wider so that other Black women can enter it and unlock even more doors for even more people. It’s about access. “Who has access? Who does not? What can we do to bring people in vs keep people out?”

PL: This exactly. It's what drove me to start producing shows as the, then, Bar Captain at 54 Below, and it's the driving force behind my concert series, including every Black Female co-producer I bring onto each project. I’ve already had this conversation with my colleagues, so I feel comfortable saying it here. I created my concert series because I didn’t see enough artists who looked like me in this space. I was sorely disappointed in the lack of diversity I saw every day, and I decided to attempt to do something about it. Now that I’m in a position of power in the Programming Department, it's even more so prevalent in everything I do. It's why I created and hosted the recent Producers Open House and why I’m going to continue to do everything I can to ensure that all of the amazing and creative POC individuals out there have access to any and all information I can give. Knowledge and True Representation are the name of the game. 

What is, for each of you, the Tina Turner song that you listen to every day?

Lake: I know it is basic, but “Proud Mary” is so infectious. There are so many layers to that song. It’s like a burst of energy that can start your day off RIGHT. I love testing my low range with the Ike part and feeling like a rockstar when the song picks up. 

PL: It's a 4-way tie for me: The Best, Fool in Love, Help!, and Acid Queen. I thoroughly enjoy scream-singing these anywhere anytime. 

Congratulations on both of these important upcoming shows and may there be many more in your individual and group futures.  Thanks for chatting with me today about this important work that you do.

Lake: Of course, thanks again! 

PL: Thank you for taking the time to both help us spread the word about the show and for always making space for artists of color! 

A TRIBUTE TO Tina Turner AND THE WOMEN SHE INSPIRED VOL. 2 plays 54 Below on August 14th at 7 pm.  Information and reservations are available HERE and the livestream option can be chosen HERE.

BLACK WRITERS SHOWCASE will play 54 Below at 9:30 pm on August 21st.  Information and reservations can be accessed HERE and the livestream option is right HERE.

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