Aussie legend Alfie Langer drops by TINA for quick side quest

Jenifer22 Aug 2024

We certainly didn’t have Allan “Alfie” Langer making his stage debut in a Tina Turner musical on our 2024 bingo cards, but we’re certainly not complaining - it’s a cameo that was, to put it simply, the best!

A star is born (again!)

Langer is no stranger to Australian audiences. The Brisbane Broncos and National Rugby League legend has been making waves since the early days of his career in the 80s. Until his retirement in 2002, Langer continued bringing in wins with his leadership before being inducted into the Broncos official Hall of Fame in 2003.

While he continued to lend his expertise to the game, Langer also decided to branch out, becoming a restaurateur in his later years while also spending time with his family. Despite his dabbling in non-sporting arenas, however, a stage debut belting out a Turner classic was certainly not the turn we expected from him.

Better than all the rest

TINA: The Tina Turner Musical opened in Brisbane in June and has earned rave reviews for its tackling of the iconic songstress’ life. It takes audiences on a journey through her struggles and her triumphs, with lead actress Ruva Ngwenya delivering one of the best performances anyone could have asked for.

Following a show in July, Ngwenya introduced Langer on stage, stating, “We’re gonna go back in time, to 1993,” the year the Broncos, captained by the champion himself, took home the Winfield Cup. Amid raucous applause, Ngwenya led the audience and Langer into a refrain of Tuna Turner’s beloved classic, Simply The Best.

The moment will certainly go down in history, both as a brief reminder of one of Australian sports’ finest eras and as an iconic night in Brisbane’s theatrical history.

It certainly gets the ol’ noggin’ churning, wondering what other special moments Tina: The Tina Turner Musical has in store for us - only one way to find out! The show ends its run at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Lyric Theatre today and heads back on the road to take the rest of Australia by storm.