Posted: 1/8/17 at 9:11pm
Now that the show has closed, does anyone have any ideas of who might headline the National Tour starting this fall. Cynthia has already said publicly that she will not reprise the role of Celie. Whoever takes it on has big shoes to fill.
Posted: 1/8/17 at 10:08pm
I think the obvious choice (if she wanted to do it) would be Bre Jackson. I've heard many people praise her performance. I would also love if either Holiday did the tour as Shug, or if Rema Webb was given the chance to do it full time.
Posted: 1/8/17 at 10:15pm
I imagine they will want to get a name in one of the three major roles -- Shug seems like the best bet in that respect.
Posted: 1/8/17 at 10:29pm
Bre Jackson and Holliday were absolutely marvelous together. They would be great for the tour.
Posted: 1/8/17 at 10:59pm
If they could get as many people from the Broadway production to do the tour, they'll be in good hands. The biggest challenge will most likely be casting Celie. For many people, myself included, Cynthia is the definitive Celie. At the same time, I can go on YouTbe and watch videos of Fantasia in the role, or Jeannette Bayardelle, and still be blown away by them. As long as whoever is cast takes the role and really makes it their own, I think magic will be made on the stage.
Also, I'm incredibly proud of Jennifer Holliday and what she has done with Shug. A lot of us doubted her when she was announced, but from the early press clips/photos, seeing her live on November 9th (that was an intense performance, as I'm sure you can all imagine), and listening to audio from tonight's closing show, she has grown so much with the role and really wound up giving a marvelous performance. I would love to see her do this role again. I'm sure Rema Webb would kill it too.
Posted: 1/8/17 at 11:14pm
I don't know why I didn't mention it earlier, but I would love if Carrie Compere took Sofia on the road. I've been a huge fan of hers since seeing her as the Dragon in Shrek on tour. I'm so happy that she has come so far (I sadly only saw her as a Church Lady, but have heard her Sofia is wonderful and unique).
Posted: 1/9/17 at 6:55am
most of the Broadway cast has been with the show for the entire 14 month run. So I'm wondering if that'll limit the number that also goes on tour.
Posted: 1/9/17 at 8:06am
We already know that Erivo isn't doing the tour, and we can safely assume that neither Hudson nor Headley would. Holliday reprising Shug, at least for a limited engagement, seems like it could be a distinct possibility. Carrie Compere was with the show for the entire run, but only played Sofia full time for 2 months; she might like the chance to play the role for a bit longer.
Posted: 1/9/17 at 9:22am
I would love to see Deborah Cox play Shug.
Posted: 9/16/17 at 9:54pm
So I was just on the Broadway in Chicago website and I just noticed this tour will be playing the Auditorium theatre, which is just wrong. I know the Cadillac and oriental are massive hangers, but the Auditorium is like twice the size of both of them...
so I was looking as to why they can't use another theatre, it appears the Cadillac will be occupied by Waitress, but the oriental will be free. In fact, the oriental isn't having a show after Wicked leaves in January... the color purple doesn't get to Chicago until August. Does anyone know why the oriental seems to be going offline?
Posted: 9/17/17 at 4:55pm
Its been almost nineteen years since the Oriental was returned to use, and reopened with Ragtime.
Maybe its due for a little rehab.
Posted: 9/17/17 at 6:21pm
Maybe, but the last few times I've been in there it wasn't in dire conditions. It could be a different story backstage, though. I was thinking there may be an unnanounced out of town tryout coming to Chicago.
Posted: 9/17/17 at 6:28pm
And jorge, the acoustics in the Auditorium are impeccable.
Plus, it's a jewel box of a theatre.
Posted: 5/13/18 at 4:17am
gleek4114 said: "I don't know why I didn't mention it earlier, but I would love if Carrie Compere took Sofia on the road. I've been a huge fan of hers since seeing her as the Dragon in Shrek on tour. I'm so happy that she has come so far (I sadly only saw her as a Church Lady, but have heard her Sofia is wonderful and unique)."
I just saw the San Francisco tour stop of The Color Purple Saturday night, and Carrie Compere stole every scene she was in as Sofia. That was true even though our seats were far back in the orchestra. I didn't love the musical overall, but Compere was terrific.
Posted: 5/13/18 at 6:35am
Posted: 5/24/18 at 8:20pm
Who was playing Celie in San Francisco and how was she? We're considering getting tickets to the LA engagement that starts next week. We have such warm memories of the NY show and hope that even with a B+ Celie, the night would still be worth it.
Posted: 5/24/18 at 8:36pm
Posted: 5/24/18 at 10:37pm
We saw it last week, She was excellent, as was the rest of the cast - including Amar Atkins who was on as "Mister." The crowd ate it up. A friend missed out on the rush yesterday and I checked StubHub for him for yesterday and today (Fri). Very few tickets and not cheap ($170 rear mezz). Quite an accomplishment for a 4 week run in these 2200 seat houses in a non-Hamilton season.
Posted: 5/31/18 at 12:53pm
I saw the tour last night in Los Angeles and the cast was wonderful I enjoyed Adrianna Hicks as Celie. She may not be Cynthia Erivo - but "I'm Here" still gave me chills when she sang it. And I agree with others, Carrie Compere was fantastic as Sophia. Gavin Gregory as Mister was also a standout. There were some sound balance/mic issues that distracted a bit from the show, but that seems pretty common at the Pantages.
Posted: 5/31/18 at 2:39pm
We were there last night as well (me, my wise husband, and 2 theater friends). The show is still a powerhouse to behold-- great score, superb staging, devout commitment by every single performer on that stage. Our general consensus was that the two standout performers in the cast were Carrie Compere's firecracker of a Sophia and Carla Stewart's absolute heartbreaker of a Shug Avery. She can sing the hell out of the score, sure, but her acting of this complex and conflicted lady is what really made the night shine (and anyone who saw Jennifer Hudson's perfunctory take on the role on Broadway can appreciate what I'm saying here.)
We were divided on Adrianna Hicks as Celie. The lady blossoms into an amazing performer in Act II who wrings every drop of pain and joy out of her anthem "I'm Here". But much of the rest of the show left Hicks in a catatonic state, where some of her best lines were inaudible, even to those of us seated in the 7th row center. Some of us bought her approach as a fair character choice given her history of abuse; some of us wished she had come alive for more of the evening.
Which reminds me of the sound issues, always a challenge at the Pantages. The fabulous opening "Sunday Morning" was just about ruined with constant mic issues that subsided over time. But diction was muddy throughout the night, and I swear the problem lay not with the performers but with the speakerstacks delivering the canned sound so poorly, and always from places nowhere near where the actors were standing.
That one technical issue aside, the show is still magnificent, and this superb cast matches all my memories of that wondrous night on Broadway 3 years ago.
Posted: 5/31/18 at 2:45pm
Yes - those sound issues during "Sunday Morning" were a mess. As some points, people were completely off mic. We were in the front of the mezzanine and I really had to concentrate to understand some of the lines.
Posted: 6/1/18 at 1:51am
I got lucky to have gotten 2nd row b from a reseller and it was way better than watching from mezzanine (rush) as i can hear and understand the conversations better.
Erica Durham was on as Celie that day and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I gotta see it again to see Ms. Hicks.
Updated On: 6/1/18 at 01:51 AM
Posted: 6/1/18 at 10:41am
I agree with the sound issues. Was horrible from 2nd row Mezz as well but that is to take nothing from the performers who all gave top notch performances. Pity, it really did make a huge difference in comparison to my other Color Purple experiences.
Updated On: 6/1/18 at 10:41 AM
Posted: 7/1/18 at 8:55am
Went down to Seattle yesteday for matinee performance of tour. Sound very good at massive Paramount theatre.
Never seen this show before, & only listened to cast recording for 1st time last week. Interesting to read previews thread from few year's ago & see most of mu impressions are in line with how most felt at the time ie: weak show, but best performance possble of material.
Understudy was on for Celie for matinee (left program behind, & forget name) but she seemed very good - as good as cast recording performance. Shug very good, & I can't imagine Jennifer Hudson ever played role as well.
Hard to believe though that such a lousy show has had two broadway productions & full tours.
Posted: 7/1/18 at 8:46pm
Someone in a Tree2 said:
Which reminds me of the sound issues, always a challenge at the Pantages. The fabulous opening "Sunday Morning" was just about ruinedwith constant mic issues that subsided over time. But diction was muddy throughout the night, and I swear the problem lay not withthe performers but with the speakerstacks delivering the canned sound so poorly, and always from places nowhere near where the actors were standing."
I saw the tour in San Francisco and there were some sound issues there too. Some of it was definitely an issue of diction and enunciation (the group of four sitting right in front of me complained about it at length during intermission) but there were some technical sound issues too. I saw the show back in May so I don't remember exactly went wrong, but I do remember discussing it with my husband when we were leaving the theater after the show. I've seen a lot of shows at the Orpheum (and sat in seats all over the theater) and that was the first time I remember having a problem hearing things so badly.
