I may be poor. I may be black. I may be ugly. But I'm Here!

Has there been a more joyous lyric or line of dialogue than the above this entire season?



I went back to The Color Purple last night to see Heather Headley, who is giving a knockout performance, and found myself in tears once again because of Erivo's performance. I have rarely seen an audience collectively so root for a character to succeed and find some happiness in life. The Easter dinner scene feels like a dam bursting on stage, with the water rushing over the audience in jubilant relief. Doyle has staged that scene so well with Celie standing on that chair upstage, towering over Albert and the other guests. Then we are treated to the bright colors of Miss Celie's Pants and Erivo flashes that big old smile at the audience and you can feel the tremors start shaking as we build to Shug and Celie's confrontation and I'm Here. It was my third time seeing the show and all three times there was a standing ovation after I'm Here.



The Tonys will probably be remembered this year for Hamilton's big sweep, but for me it will all be about watching Erivo win for one of my favorite performances I've EVER seen.

I'm glad you're going back and will get to see Headley. What Doyle did for this production is truly a revelation and it's a shame that this came in the same year as Hamilton or he would be picking up another Tony for direction.



I couldn't help but get choked up again last night too.



Also, it must be noted that Danielle Brooks is killing it as Sofia. Her entrance during Miss Celie's Pants gets one of the biggest hands of the night.

Thanks for the update.

I'm so glad this show just goes from strength to strength!

I'm going back in a few weeks to see Heather. But Good God, I hate this show. From the first preview in 2006, I've known it's a bad show. But it's also a WEIRD show, since a great performer can elevate the material and make you forget about the insane number of flaws that it has. I've said many times I consider the film to be one of the finest American films ever made and the book one of the greatest ever published. But so so so so so so so much of what makes those great is abandoned in this musical or adjusted until it no longer resembles what it "should" feel like.

But again, it's a musical where the performances can make you totally forget you're watching a DEEPLY flawed show.

Jordan Catalano said: "I'm going back in a few weeks to see Heather. But Good God, I hate this show. From the first preview in 2006, I've known it's a bad show. But it's also a WEIRD show, since a great performer can elevate the material and make you forget about the insane number of flaws that it has. I've said many times I consider the film to be one of the finest American films ever made and the book one of the greatest ever published. But so so so so so so so much of what makes those great is abandoned in this musical or adjusted until it no longer resembles what it "should" feel like.

But again, it's a musical where the performances can make you totally forget you're watching a DEEPLY flawed show."



Can you expand upon the flaws you're talking about? While I don't think it's a perfect show by any means, I think this revival is truly remarkable! I'd love to hear your criticisms as it's hard for me to find many...

I've seen it twice. I'm sure I'll go back again.

Little Sally, I went with TDF and was in the rear orchestra.

I saw it from the rear mezz the first two times and enjoyed the stage pictures from up there a lot, but it was nice to have a different perspective last night in the orchestra. I hope you enjoy the show tonight!

Very much agreed, Jordan. The skeleton of the story is basically indestructable, which is what the performers are bringing out in this production, but what a terribly weak adaptation.