Simply the best! Adrienne Warren, who received a Tony nod this year for Shuffle Along, has been tapped to lead a workshop of a Tina Turner bio-musical, Tina. The legendary singer will attend the December 16 industry event, which will be performed by a cast of 14, the Daily Mail reports. Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) will direct the project, which features a book by Olivier winner Katori Hall (The Mountaintop).
Turner told the Mail that “one of the most surprising and wonderful discoveries for me in this process has been that my songs tell my story.” Some of her famous numbers include “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits,” “Private Dancer,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” and “Simply The Best.” No word yet on which tunes will make the cut; the musical is aiming to open in London 2018.
Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 in Nutbush, Turner rose to fame in the 1960s alongside her husband Ike. She later revealed in her autobiography that she had suffered domestic abuse at his hands—they separated in 1976 and divorced two years later. Turner later made a massive comeback in the 1980s. The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll has sold 180 million records worldwide and been honored with eleven Grammy Awards.