‘Tina: A Tropical Love Story’ To Take To The Stage For Brisbane Festival

When Ben Graetz, also known as his glittering drag persona Miss Ellaneous, set out to create Tina: A Tropical Love Story, he never expected the deeply personal tribute to Tina Turner to grow beyond a single show. But since its debut at the Darwin Festival, the vibrant celebration has struck a powerful chord, expanding into a cabaret-style variety show that now prepares to dazzle Brisbane audiences at the iconic Brisbane Powerhouse. 

At its core, Tina: A Tropical Love Story is more than a tribute, it’s a deeply emotional homage to the rock ‘n’ roll icon. Graetz goes as far as saying Tina ‘changed his life’ when he was a teenager.

“Basically, when I was 16 years of age, I got to see Tina Turner live in concert in Darwin with 8000 people,” Graetz recalls. “She’s inspired me in so many different ways.”

Written, directed, produced, and performed by Graetz, the show weaves his coming-of-age story with Turner’s fierce legacy. “It tells the journey of me growing up in Darwin, being a young queer First Nations boy, and my journey through adolescence and to my adulthood,” he explains. “But also I get other guest artists from the queer First Nations and drag community to come up and do their interpretation of a Tina song as well.”

While Tina’s music forms the beating heart of the production, it’s not your typical tribute act.

“It’s not just a Tina tribute show,” Graetz says. “It’s storytelling, it’s celebration, it’s a party… it also remembers who she is and how she was so instrumental in so many people’s lives.” 

It’s also, fittingly, a fabulous spectacle. “It’s really a mixture of drag storytelling, live singing and dance,” he says.

As Miss Ellaneous, Graetz channels the icon’s energy with a knowing wink to drag culture, something he believes Turner embodied. “It’s also sharing interesting moments of Tina’s life and the journey that she’s been on in relation to the LGBTQIA+ community. She was also First Nations.

“So there’s a lot of similarities. I say she’s like a drag queen, because she used to do her own wigs, make her own wigs, do her own choreography, make her own costumes, and she used to perform in pubs and clubs. So she is the original drag queen,” he laughs. 

Joining Graetz on stage in Brisbane is a dazzling lineup of performers that have yet to be revealed, however if his other performances are anything to go by, it’s going to be a stellar lineup. Previous performances have included acts such as Crystal Love Johnson, Garrett Lyon, actor, singer and dancer Thomas Bevan, also known as 2Joocee as well as Glory Tuohy-Daniell, Cleopatra Pryce, Prawn Cracker Spice, Sermsah and The Huxleys. 

The show’s upcoming performance at the Brisbane Festival is a thrilling opportunity to showcase drag and First Nations performance at the iconic Brisbane Powerhouse following an incredible performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre earlier this year. 

The versatility of the show means it has been staged indoors and out, with and without catwalks, in all kinds of different environments and with all different audiences, proving its ability to connect anywhere, with anyone. “I just really love that this show is really adaptable,” Graetz shares.

Graetz certainly had audiences talking when he opened the recent official launch party for the Brisbane Festival. He took to the stage in front of the crowded room and brought the audience to life as they sang and danced to his iconic tribute to this legend. 

With whispers of future dates around the country and new shows in development, including one starring his wild alter ego Bogan Villia, Tina: A Tropical Love Story is just one chapter in Ben’s evolving body of work ready for the Brisbane stage this September 18 – 20 at the Brisbane Powerhouse.