Welcome to CADL CAST with Capitol Area District Libraries.

Executive Director Scott Duimstra.

Welcome to an exciting episode of CADL CAST based on the life

and legend of one of the world's best selling artists of all time,

the musical TINA reveals the untold story of Tina Turner

as she dared to defy the bounds of her age, gender and race.

This dynamic show will be at Wharton Center from April 18 through the 23rd.

And joining us today is one of the leads playing Tina Ari Groover.

Ari, thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank you for having me.

Now, there's a reason that Tina Turner was dubbed the queen of rock and roll.

Talking, singing and dancing like her is something so demanding that

on this tour, the title role is divided between two actresses.

What's it like for you to transform into Tina Turner?

Oh, I mean, it is.

It is.

It is magnetic.

It is intense.

It is all of the emotions that you can think of

when you are trying to fill in into this icon's shoes.

You're really giving all of yourself when you do this role.

It does require a bit of you to put your you know, your all into it.

But it is so rewarding at the end

that you feel so honored and privileged to

to play someone that is so iconic

and is basically on a global scale that is,

you know, that you go to sleep happy.

I can imagine. And just just playing.

And I kind of figure, I mean, as you kind of take on that role,

what are some things that you learned about Tina that you didn't know

before you joined the show?

I'm Tina.

Tina's is very much about community.

She loves to take care of her people.

And I think you'll probably see that throughout the show.

I know everybody knows the story between her and Ike and the abuse and her arising.

You know, from, you know, the ashes of phoenix,

you know, phoenix rising from the ashes.

We know this story.

But I think you get to really understand who she was as a person

and how fun she was as a person.

And she she actually loved to

live life.

And she's actually she's pretty goofy.

I think.

She's. Yes, she loves to have a great time.

I know she's dealt with a lot of tumultuous things,

but I think the things that have kept her going is her sensibilities

and the fact that she is able to make sure she takes care of her people.

But also, she didn't quit on herself. Sure.

And made sure to find the fun things in life, which I think is why she has had

colleagues work with her for 20 to 30 plus years.

And I think that's what made

her continue to be

a success story even decades after.

Just because she is a fun person to work with,

that's what we've all learned.

Now, I don't want to put you on the spot with this one, but what is your favorite

song in the show or even a song of tennis?

Oh, it's so hard

because I'm also a deejay, so

this is.

Our whole catalog then.

So yeah, I'm a deejay.

And my my mother, she grew up with Tina Turner,

especially, you know, the Ike and Tina Revue.

She's a have a couple of those records.

So I think the one that

I really love to listen to, especially in the car, is probably higher.

Higher has a drive to it.

And it was a popular song and especially at that time,

it was a song that was sort of a catalyst for

a sort of cultural shift

in the sixties and this political shift also as well.

But it's like between that and I mean,

Nutbush City Limits also is a good one too.

I actually thoroughly enjoy that.

That record.

But Tina, she has so many jams, she has so many sides that it is really

hard for me to say which ones are the ones I do love to perform.

Happen to be those two numbers in the show.

And now dance is a huge part of Tina's performance as well, too.

And is it true that your choreographer

spent time with Tina Turner herself to really nail down the steps?

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

Anthony, who is our wonderful choreographer,

I mean, has spent a lot of time with with Tina

to make sure that the movie is still as authentic as they can be.

And what we've noticed is that, you know, Tina

also, you know, is about it is a community she gets with her kids.

And I cats are very big part of her life.

And I think you'll see, you know, the sort of sisterhood and womanhood

that helps Tina to become who she is because of her, her Ikettes, her dancers,

that they sort of created this movement

just from being around each other and from being from seeing what

they've seen, you know, in the in the clubs in the sixties and seventies

and how people relate to each other

in that sort of world

that, you know, Tina has found a way to do choreograph all of these things as well.

Anthony wanted to make sure that that was shown in the in the show,

make sure we got some of the specifics, but really, really the camaraderie

of each other, which is what really makes the choreography so sure.

Now, the show doesn't gloss over the harder parts of her life, like her

abusive marriage.

I can only imagine how emotional taxing that can be.

How do you prepare for that role?

And I think you you have to go into a mindset of knowing

that you are really you're playing a person's life.

So you want to be as authentic as you can be

with this storytelling and to know

that there are still people

who have either went through it or is still going through it,

and you want to make sure that you are taking care of them,

but also making sure that you're taking care of yourself as you are going through,

you know, this sort of hard phase

of portraying somebody's life.

But so you you make sure you are able to dig deep,

but also you have to make sure to let it go.

At the same time,

I think it's important to make sure you release a lot of the things.

So, you know, we we like to, you know, listen to some music,

have some fun, maybe, you know, crack some jokes or two just to make sure

that we're not sitting in the in the severity of of this this abuse,

which I think helps us get out of it and not have to linger into it.

But we also want to make sure that we are being as authentic as we can.

And also making sure that

if anybody needs sort of a help

or guideline or assistance, we also try to make sure that we work with a lot of

domestic violence,

domestic violence groups that come see the show.

We normally talk to them, you know, have a great time,

share stories, and I think that's just an important part of it.

So for sure. Sure.

And what inspires you most about Tina?

Tina is not only an entertainer, but as you said, she's a very powerful woman.

And what inspires you about her.

Her her perseverance?

I think the fact that, you know, people were quitting on her,

but she didn't quit on herself, that she she had,

you know, a family to feed in.

But she she saw herself. She saw her goals.

She saw what she could be become in

a genre that, you know,

at that time in the eighties,

didn't necessarily see

black people and black women as the forefront, even though,

historically speaking, black people have been part of that,

that catalyst and culture of rock and roll.

And for her to do it in her her late thirties to her forties

is absolutely amazing.

You know, from time to time, a lot of people,

especially in the entertainment business, which can be a male dominated world,

you know, they sing,

you know, they, you know, as a woman, once you pass a certain age, you can do this.

Once you have kids, you can't do this.

How will people look at you as a sex symbol?

How will you know?

She overcame all of that and she just really wanted

to show her artistry in her music and because of that, she was able

to become this global phenomenon that she is now and still is today.

And I think that is one of my favorite

traits about Tina, because

I think anybody can relate to this.

Any type of woman, actually, any type of performer

can relate to this story to let you know that it's not over.

If it is meant for you, it will be for you.

Nobody can tell you or take that away from you.

Yeah, I love that.

And we are

we are chatting before we started recording

and you don't have a lot of downtime, but we are a library podcast,

so we always like to end with a library type question.

So is there a title that you'd recommend that you're either reading, watching

or listening to? It can be for recreation.

It can be for you as a performer or you as a DJ.

Just something that you'd recommend that

our listeners should either read, watch, or listen to, huh?

Okay, I actually.

Okay, maybe I can give to as a

as a as a deejay, I listen to a lot of different sort of

radio shows.

And there is a radio show called Soulection.

It is an eclectic group

of deejays who are playing producers.

All they do is a different deejays, last producer that showcases their set,

their music, what they produce.

And it's very eclectic music.

So for anybody who is, you know, an aspiring,

you know, producer, deejay artist that want to get different

sounds from different people, I think it's a great radio to listen to.

It is on.

I think you can listen to it on Apple Music, Spotify

and SoundCloud for sure.

And just look up selection

books that I've been reading.

Ayana I love fantasy sci fi.

I love. In. Person.

I'm trying to get back to the book Children of Blood and Bone.

It is very interesting, especially if you are into the sort of

African folklore

when it comes to the Orishas, and that mythology

is actually kind of cool and we don't really get it a lot.

We normally get a lot more of a Eurocentric type thing.

Mordred rings, you know,

a line which in wardrobe.

But I think the children of Blood and Bone is in

that entire series is a good book to read if you are interested in

anything like that.

I know those are two great recommendations.

I love it because we don't get a lot of music recommendations as well.

People can ask that question.

So I knew we were going to get one from a deejay.

So yes, yes, yes.

Those are. Great.

And Ari, thank you so much for taking time for joining us today on CADL CAST.

It was really great to to talk to you about your upcoming performance here

at the Wharton Center as Tina Turner.

So thank you so much for joining us today.

Oh, no, thank you for having me.

This is wonderful.

Check out TINAplaying at the Wharton Center from April 18th to 23rd.

A link for tickets is provided in our show notes.

Thank you so much for joining us.

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