Currently playing on Broadway after a stellar run in London is Tina – The Tina Turner Musical with Adrienne Warren reprising the role of Tina she originated in the London production.
Playing the role of Tina’s abusive but talented husband and finally making his debut in a lead role is Daniel J. Watts.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, Tina features choreography by Anthony van Laast, with set and costume designs by Mark Thompson.
Tina follows Tina Turner from her humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into the global queen of rock ‘n’ roll. Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939, 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 11 Grammy Awards.
After appearing as an ensemble member in eight Broadway productions including Hamilton, Motown The Musical, In The Heights, Memphis, and The Color Purple, Watts finally has the opportunity to break out and work alongside Warren, who’s one of his closest friends. On TV, he currently appears as “Felony” in Tracy Morgan’s new comedy series “The Last OG” on TBS and will also be seen in a recurring role on Amazon’s “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
Blackfilm.com had the opportunity to speak with Watts as he discussed his preparation in playing Ike Turner.
How much did you know about Ike and Tina?
Daniel Watts: I hadn’t thought much about Ike and Tina in years. I had seen ‘What’s Love Got With It’ and I know who Tina Turner is, and some of their well known songs but I didn’t do too much digging until the audition came around and then I did a full dive into all of their stuff.
Was this a role that came to you or something that you wanted to do with the audition as you mentioned?
Daniel Watts: Actually, Adrienne (Warren), who plays Tina, is one of my best friends for about 15 years and she was played the role in London and apparently she was asked who she wanted to do the show with in America and she gave in a list of people. I made the cut.
As much as we are learning about Tina, we are also learning about Ike as well. How good of a singer was he before the we started to know about other aspects of his life?
Daniel Watts: It’s relative, depends on how you look at it. Ike brought Tina in to what was called The Kings of Rhythm at the time and he formulated her whole style. He pushed her harder and the way that she sings. He did that. He fashioned the way that she looked and the way that she moved after this woman named Nyoka, who was like a female Tarzan. He was actually going to call the group Ike and Nyoka at one point, but Tina Turner sounded better. He helped make her career. She put the work in but he helped with he moves and the way she sounded.
How much did you work with the director and playwright in showing the good and bad side of Ike?
Daniel Watts: As an African America man in America, I understand certain struggles. I grew up in the South too. Ike’s from Clarksdale, Mississippi. His father was killed by his white mom. I did a lot of research. I went to Clarksdale. I read his autobiography. He had a lot of childhood trauma that never really got resolved. As human beings, we are relatively powerless and a lot of black anger is misguided and the violence he wanted to inflict to someone else ended up going to Tina.
Knowing Adrienne is one thing, but now you are working on stage with her. Can you talk about the relationship on and off the stage?
Daniel Watts: We have all these fight scenes on stage but it’s super safe because we trust each other. We connect. We know each other. We have the chemistry but you don’t see the love between Ike and Tina on stage. We’re actually fighting to show how much we care about each other. On the other side of Ike and Tina, there is a lot of love and a lot of care. I don’t think it was romantic love between Ike and Tina but a mutual respect, artistic respect. They were committed to the idea of being the king and queen of soul and rock and roll. I think they succeeded in that at first. It’s a show where you need Ike to push Tina to the brink to become who she eventually would become. Having that opportunity with Adrienne, who is a warrior to work opposite of, is a game changer.
Can you talk about the makeup process and the many change of Ike throughout those early years?
Daniel Watts: It’s mostly wearing a lot of wigs to go with the 60s to the classic Bob and the mustache gets a little thicker. Then you see him later on and he’s frail looking and his outfits are too big for him. His afro is natural but not the same as it used to be.
Is this the biggest role for you?
Daniel Watts: This is my first big role. This is my first principle contract. This is my 9th Broadway show but I had been part of the ensemble of those shows. It’s crazy to go from ensemble to leading man.
Having being a part of the ensembles on so many shows that been nominated, has that prepared you for this?
Daniel Watts: I think the hardest fight was really the preview process, which is figuring it out day to day in front of 1500 people. I had a wonderful director when I was working non-equity in Atlanta who taught me how to work in an ensemble and know as many characters and age no matter when I was coming on stage and who I was on stage with. For all the various shows I’ve been developing characters in the background in every show I’ve been in. It helped me prepare in playing Ike. With all the research I did and the places I visited, I know a lot about Ike than I ever did.
Do you think Tina’s music will resonate with a younger crowd?
Daniel Watts: Crowds need something fresh and new. If younger kids come see the show, they will love it. It’s just good music. There’s so much good stuff. Ike was a cross between James Brown and Robert Johnson. You don’t need to flip it.
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