There’s no denying that Roz White – who plays the role of Tina Turner’s mother Zelma Bullock in Tina — The Tina Turner Musical! – has to prepare every night for her dramatic and demanding portrayal on stage.
“Any role that is this layered is fun to play,” says the Washington, D.C. native who will appear on stage with the touring production April 2 through 7 at The Altria Theater.
The role came to her as a blessing, she adds. “My mother had passed away in 2021 and it came to me as a gift to help me heal.”
Anyone familiar with the story of Tina Turner (also known as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll) and her rise to fame knows that her life was filled with challenges and obstacles. She grew up in Nutbush, Tennessee. Her father oversaw sharecroppers and Tina, whose real name was Anna Mae, picked cotton at an early age.
When Tina was young, her mother left the family home, leaving behind her husband and family.
“Zelma was unhappy and depressed. She wanted to stop fighting with her husband,” White says. “Tina felt abandoned by her mother.”
Tina’s relationship with her mother was tumultuous. Her mom never understood Tina. When she was young, Tina loved to sing and dance. “Zelma wanted to keep her calm, safe, and controlled,” White says. “She wanted her to be ladylike.”
Tina moved in with her mother around the age of seventeen and quickly met Ike Turner who later became her musical partner and husband.
“In a few months, she was on the road with him,” White says.
Bullock didn’t think that there was such a thing as a “Black female rockstar,” says White about the character she plays, who was never able to comprehend her daughter’s success and superstardom. “She never evolved,” White says. “At seventeen, Tina was an uneducated woman who went out into this world and she learned on the road. Her mother didn’t believe this little girl could do this.”
One of White’s most emotional scenes in the show is between Tina and her mother when Bullock is in the hospital dying. Tina Tuner helped construct the scene because she didn’t have the experience in real life.
“Tina Turner helped craft the hospital scene (from the musical) so she could get some closure. Tina was on the road when her mother passed, and she didn’t get to say what she wanted to say to her but in the play we get to work it out,” White says.
After Bullock died, “Tina was free from the judgmental relationship. She didn’t have to look for approval from her mother anymore. Her career took flight,” White says. “Later she moved to Switzerland to live with (and later marry) German music executive, Edwin Bach.”
One of White’s favorite parts in the show is seeing how Tina changes on stage to become a musical icon. She also enjoys the finale where everyone on stage is dancing. “It’s such a communal feeling. My role is such a hard role to play. It’s an emotional rollercoaster,” she says. “This is when we can say we did it. We got together and told this story.”
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical runs April 2 through April 7 at Altria Theater. For showtimes and tickets, visit BroadwayinRichmond.com.
