Review: TINA - DE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Beatrix Theater Utrecht: Simply the Best!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After Broadway, The West End and Germany, Tina - De Tina Turner Musical has finally landed in The Netherlands. Opening on 9th of February at the Beatrix Theater Utrecht during a raging storm and heavy rainfall... A extraordinary sign from above for what's to come, prepping the audience for the whirlwind which is this show. Explosive, forceful and leaving you in awe!

Nyassa Alberta plays the title role and is on fire as Tina! Phenomenally in all 3 disciplines and the living embodiment of Tina Turner herself. A triple threat if you ever have seen one. She's meant to play this role. Starting out a green miss Anna-Mea to exploding on stage as miss Tina Turner. If it wasn't for the excellence of the company, Nyassa alone would be amazing enough. But together with the impressive ensemble, who are very strong dancers and singers, they smash it out of the park. And boy, it seems like an Olympic achievement, being in this show.

Juneoer Mers portrays an overly-ambitious, yet violent and agressive Ike Turner. His vocals are very smooth, and his underlining frustration about his wife's talent is tangible. His devilish ways to control Tina are chilling and slowly but surely we see Ike's real personality shine through.

Also worth mentioning is the amazing orchestra/band. You just can't do Tina justice without some great musicians, and they did just that.

The only real downfall of this show is the choice to translate some of the songs to Dutch. Explained by producer Albert Verlinde: "Als een song belangrijk is voor de dramatische lijn, dan is het nummer in het Nederlands. Als het te horen is tijdens een concert of in een platenstudio, horen we de Engelse versie" In short, if we need to help the story along dramatically, we translated it in Dutch. Well, that was quite an gamble. Translation of the songs is done by Han Kooreneef. Though some songs were actually suited to do so, and giving it a little extra umph, some missed the boat. Totally. Trying to put too many syllables (Dutch takes more than English) into it, or just missing the actual meaning of a song. Lost in translation. I Can't Stand The Rain and We Don't Need Another Hero are classic Tina Anthem's, where you just can't make a worthy translation. Some songs you have to leave alone. In addition, you should give the audience a little bit more credit. They will understand the story regardless.

The story of Tina is almost unbelievable, and beautifully told in Tina Turner the Musical. Her life story is one with up and downs - River Deep, Mountain High if you will- and her music is her saving grace. This show honors her music, her struggles and her inevitable glory as no other. Simply the best.

For more info and tickets: https://www2.stage-entertainment.nl/nl/shows/musical/tina-de-musical

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