On Tour with 'Tina,' Parris Lewis Finds Joy in Superstar's Life

On her Instagram page, Parris Lewis describes herself as "The Renaissance Woman w/out a bit of sense," a self-effacing moniker to be sure, but one that expresses her breadth of talent. Lewis is currently focusing on performing in "Tina," the jukebox musical based on the life of Tina Turner. In the show she plays Alline, one of Ike and Tina Turner's backup singers known as the Ikettes. She also, though, is an understudy for the lead, which led her to immerse herself in all things Tina Turner in preparing for her dual roles in the touring production, which comes to Boston's Opera House on September 20. (For more information about "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" and to purchase tickets visit, the Broadway in Boston website.)

Trained in opera, Lewis has appeared in such musicals as "The Color Purple" and "Hairspray," as well as the opera "STONEWALL" at the New York City Opera. EDGE spoke with Lewis about Tina Turner, her advocacy work and being a queer actress.

EDGE: Please tell us a little about yourself.

Parris Lewis: I am a native of Brooklyn, New York. I am a singer, performer, an educator. I have a background in classical training. I've trained to be an opera singer for most of my studies. I kind of found my way to musical theater and that's kind of landed me in this opportunity professionally. When I'm not performing, I teach songwriting, choir classes throughout the New York City Department of Education. I also teach songwriting to incarcerated teens for Carnegie Hall.

EDGE: Tell me about teaching incarcerated teens.

Parris Lewis: I've been involved in this program since 2017 and I love it! Mainly because I get to work closely with some of the city's most special people – the youth. And yes, they happen to fall into some trouble, which is just a momentary thing and that's kind of how I look at. This is an incentive program that Carnegie Hall was able to do with the Department of Justice in which artists, music educators, and performing professional are able to come in and conduct song writing classes and other performing arts classes. I enjoy it because it's time for the kids to just be kids and remember that life can be fun even when it's tough.

EDGE: How familiar were you with the story of Ike and Tina Turner?

Parris Lewis: I was very familiar with it. Like a lot of people, especially within the black communities, grew up watching "What's Love Got To Do with It" on repeat. I've always known of the triumphant journey that Tina had. Although she went through such a sensitive and pivotal time in her life with Ike, it really is how we got to know who she was. We also see how she was able to find the qualities of her life that brought her to Buddhism, and I believe that saved her. Not only familiar with her story but with her music, which I have always loved.

EDGE: How different is the stage version from the film?

Parris Lewis: I'll say we have a little bit more time than the movie. I believe the movie'ss about 2 hours and our show runs for 2-hours-and-45-minutes. So, we have a bit more time to flesh out the story. One way that the stage production is different is that the domestic violence is not as graphic as the movie. Some of those fight scenes were really gut-wrenching and hard to watch. There are some fight scenes, but they are not heightened to the film level. We also have a bit more singing. The music carries you throughout her life and it really showcases her career. We also shed light on some of her personal relationships that are not depicted in the movie with her oldest son Craig, and with her relationship with one of the band members, Raymond.

EDGE: As someone who is not a dancer, how did you conquer the dance moves?

Parris Lewis: Honestly, it was a journey. It started in the audition process and my final call back. I knew some of the people in the room were great dancers, but I also knew that I was a solid performer. I just kind of took a moment to myself and said, "Don't let anything take you out of your space. You came here to show these people who you are and what you can do." I just danced to the best of my ability. Since I got the call to be in the show I showed up and worked hard at learning the choreography. I think that I was able to conquer it by practicing in rehearsals and even when we've had downtime. I'm always outside of rehearsal cleaning up my dance moves and making sure that I'm keeping up with everyone else. For me, its also mind over matter. I am not letting myself get in the way. I am here to do it and I know I can.

EDGE: What's the greatest lesson you've learned from Tina Turner's life?

Parris Lewis: Tina seems like a very instinctual person. Although we may not have felt like she left Ike early enough, she did it when she was ready. That has been something that stands out for me and my journey a lot right now. I'm learning more and more and paying attention and rethinking about things that I've seen and witnessed in my life. Life happens for us and to us sometimes it's ok to just get up and leave when things are not right. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with you, but knowing who you are and staying true to yourself is really what's the most important thing.

EDGE: What do you want the audience to feel after they've seen the show?

Parris Lewis: I want them to feel joy. I want them to feel the love throughout the story, even when love didn't look like it was kind. I want them to feel Tina's triumph when conquering difficult moments in her life. I also want people to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even when things feel really dark. I think there's so many emotions you can take away from the show by the end of it. There's a lot of love and there's a lot of light and there's a lot of joy and I hope that the audience will feel those throughout the shows journey.

EDGE: How do other queer women of color inspire you?

Parris Lewis: The more that I see queer women of color show up as themselves, that inspires me to do the same. It's really hard to do that in this industry because oftentimes we feel we have to present whom they want for the roles. I'm finding that queer people show up as themselves and that encourages me to just be more of myself even if that doesn't make sense to other people. I'm inspired by queer people's perseverance and their willingness to put themselves at the forefront so that others can follow suit. am someone who's really outspoken and will put myself out there, but I don't feel very supported because I know that some people see that as a risk. The more queer women of color that I see put themselves out there I then know I am not alone. They may not be in my proximity, but when I see it, I applaud it and hope that we will see continued change.

EDGE: Tell us about your Instagram handle @renaissancewoman_.

Parris Lewis: My high school voice teacher, Christian, really helped me when I was growing into myself and growing into my sexuality. In high school, like most, I was finding myself, but still showing up to school every day. He encouraged my journey more than I would know. He often would make jokes about how I was going to be a little Renaissance woman – someone who does everything. As I got older, I found that to be true. I didn't make an Instagram account until I was in college, but that statement and his influence on my journey stuck with me. When I didn't feel safe to be who I was or when I didn't feel supported, this man that I saw every day gave me little hints that like it's ok to be who I am and I don't have to be apologetic about that.

"Tina: The Tina Turner Musical opens on September 20th at the Citizens Bank Opera House.
For more information about "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" and to purchase tickets visit, the Broadway in Boston website.