The Color Purple
First off, the show isn’t about racism as I thought it was going into the theater. If you have not seen the film by the same title, you don’t know much about the story line. As I did. So after Act I I was a little confused to find myself viewing a show with incest, child abuse, spousal abuse and lesbianism. But once intermission came and I was able to understand more about the plot, I began to understand the meaning behind Oprah’s first endeavor into producing a musical. The show, which opens shortly at the Broadway Theatre, is a musical staging of the hit movie and novel of the same title. Starring LaChanze as the protagonist of the story (set in the deep south over a period of many years), the musical takes you on a journey of one woman’s life and struggles as she grows up and grows old.
The sets were fantastic and the lighting complimented them very nicely. The score, albeit stereotypical and predictable at times, was very enjoyable. And show stopping numbers like the title song, bring down the house with their power house gospel harmonies and soulful riffing down pay many of the singers. The all African American cast does a fantastic job with the material they are given and the dance numbers are good (but not good enough). In watching this show, I couldn’t help but compare it to others. The character of Shug is much like the black character in Thoroughly Modern Millie. The three women who are the town gossipers reminded me very much of the Pick-a-little ladies in Music Man and the sets and setting was very Big River.
All in all, the production of The Color Purple is going to be a commercial success (not sure how critics will take it). I left the theater in tears and humming the catchy tunes of the show, so it did its job of entertaining.
The sets were fantastic and the lighting complimented them very nicely. The score, albeit stereotypical and predictable at times, was very enjoyable. And show stopping numbers like the title song, bring down the house with their power house gospel harmonies and soulful riffing down pay many of the singers. The all African American cast does a fantastic job with the material they are given and the dance numbers are good (but not good enough). In watching this show, I couldn’t help but compare it to others. The character of Shug is much like the black character in Thoroughly Modern Millie. The three women who are the town gossipers reminded me very much of the Pick-a-little ladies in Music Man and the sets and setting was very Big River.
All in all, the production of The Color Purple is going to be a commercial success (not sure how critics will take it). I left the theater in tears and humming the catchy tunes of the show, so it did its job of entertaining.