Fantasia received rave reviews last week from the local press. The Washington Post called her a "revelation": "Fantasia not only carries off the whole stage-acting thing in 'The Color Purple,' but also practically carries the entire lumbering musical on two solid shoulders. She is, in other words, a wonder -- a natural -- and ample reason to go and find the joy in the more satiny moments of a sometimes syrupy evening in the Kennedy Center Opera House.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070203992.html The Washington Times: "Fantasia "shines in winning cast:"
"The Great White Way is littered with the sorry carcasses of celebrities -- Usher, Debbie Gibson, Rosie O'Donnell come to mind -- who've attempted to star in a Broadway show. So, does an "American Idol" winner have the chops to pull off a major role in an emotionally complex musical? The answer is a resounding 'yes.'
Fantasia, the 2004 "Idol" winner, has the voice -- powerful and tremulous with feeling -- and the presence to make an indelible Celie in the musical version of Alice Walker's 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'The Color Purple.'"
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/purple-reigns-supreme-at-kencen/ The Baltimore Sun didn't re-review Fantasia at the Kennedy Center, but gave her a rave review two years ago when she was on Broadway.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/am-purplereview0518,0,7133146.story. Instead of a new review, they did a feature story and interview.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal-ae.li.fantasia02jul02,0,5728358.story I would suggest seeing her, if you haven't already had a chance to do so. President Obama will likely be there at some point, although I don't know when. I also expect the movie to be announced before her final show in LA.
Updated On: 7/5/09 at 05:18 PM