Tina, The Tina Turner Musical has hit Melbourne!
After a full 15 months on tour, the highly anticipated musical opened in Melbourne on October 3, 2024.
For Tina Turner fans, this experience is a great way to celebrate and witness the inspiring life story of the Queen of Rock n’ Roll as well as enjoying many of her smash hits.
The Weekly was fortunate enough to chat with leading lady Ruva Ngwenya who plays Tina, back in June 2023.
When we met her, it had been just days since the death of Tina Turner. For Ruva, who had just begun playing her on stage, it was still raw.
“I’ve studied her intimately, so it definitely hits hard,” she said. “It’s been tough, but it’s the highest privilege to contribute to her legacy.”
Tina’s passion for music, along with her mental strength, resonates deeply with Ruva, 30, who started her slog in the industry at 16 and experienced plenty of rejections along the way.
“It’s a constant search for the next opportunity and you have to be okay with the journey,” the Zimbabwean Australian shared.
Growing up, Ruva explains, the only person she saw who looked like her on both stage and screen was Marcia Hines. “That’s just one person,” she said.
“And if you want to push that out to Jess Mauboy and Paulini, now that’s three. I hope things keep shifting in the future. It should be a sea of ethnically diverse Australians on our screens and stages. Because being an Australian is not a homogenous look. It’s a diverse look and we all contribute to what should be an amazing society. We should all be celebrated and highlighted in the media.”
Get your tickets here for Tina – The Tina Musical in Melbourne. Playing now at the Princess Theatre until January 2025.
