July 18th 2023.
Roderick Lawrence was recently cast in the role of Ike Turner for the musical ‘Tina’ which celebrates the life of music legend Tina Turner. His portrayal of Ike in the musical is meant to humanize the traditionally perceived villain. When Lawrence spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE about the role, he said that “the things we do know that were terrible were also true”.
The renowned actor and producer co-founder of Black Man Films also believes that this role is more than just a story, but instead a representation of the “broken Black man”. He wanted to explore the “why” of Ike’s life and felt that society often forgets to do this for black men.
Lawrence’s portrayal of Ike also highlights some lesser-known facts about the musician’s life. He witnessed his father’s death at the hands of an angry mob and he believed that rock and roll was stolen from him and given to white performers. It is also unknown that Jimi Hendrix was a backup guitar player for Ike’s band before he was fired.
Lawrence is proud to be able to showcase Ike’s musical genius on stage and said that “it’s crazy because it’s the history of our people and our culture”.
The musical ‘Tina’ will continue to tour the United States until 2024. Tickets and tour dates can be found online.
Roderick Lawrence is an incredible actor who is using his talent to tell the story of the “broken Black man” and bring awareness to the history of black culture.
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