LaCageFan's: THE COLOR PURPLE Review

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 5:44pm

THE COLOR PURPLE Review

Paint the town Purple! Broadway has a new hit on its hands! Alice Walker’s famed novel “The Color Purple”, which in turn became a 1985 film staring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey is now a full fledged, four stared, pitch perfect Broadway musical extravaganza produced by the entertainment mogul and latter star of the movie.

Marsha Norman, who won a Pulitzer Prize in for “’night Mother” and a Tony award for her book of “The Secret Garden” has penned the book for this retelling. A difficult task to make appealing a story so detailed and intricate on a much broader and larger scale! She not only succeeds on every accord, but makes the uniquely compelling story universally appealing with ease and aplomb. Hand in hand with Norman’s book is the treasure chest of goodies by song writing and album recording trio Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Their sound is not only uniquely different but also collectively engaging across the gambit for a wide array of audience members. From gospel rhythms, to jazz blues, African chants, and pop ballads…every sound while uniquely different, they are also connected through a string of heart wrenching harmonies.

And who else can sing the harmonies better than the fresh faced cast director Gary Griffin has in place? The answer is quite simple: Nobody else! The on stage talent, full of Broadway newcomers is by far one of the most rewarding and hard working ensembles assembled today.

LaChanze, encompasses the role of Celie like no one else ever can. We see Celie, a young black girl growing up in the early 1900's, at the age of 14. She is pregnant - by her father and we stay with her for the next thirty years of her tough life. As she encounters friends, lovers, and long forgotten family members along the way, LaChanze’s Celie is a frail inner force who is determined through her extraordinary personal struggles.

The first of those struggles coming from her husband, Mister (Kingsley Leggs.) As a domineering, wife-abusing conflicted man; Leggs undergoes a fierce transformation during Act II with the song “With These Hands.” Broadway newcomers Felicia P. Fields and Elisabeth Withers-Mendes as Sophia and Shug Avery are the true blue highlights of this already rewarding evening, and each deserve accolades to the highest degree, not to mention Featured Actress Tony nominations all in due time! Fields as Sophia, a voice of reason to Celie, not only has her own personal battles to conquer, but also takes on the role Ms. Winfrey herself made a classic. Fields brings her own unique buoyancy to Sophia as she is beat, thrown in jail, and comes back swinging. And Withers-Mendes, is undoubtedly the epitome of a Jazz age Sugar Shock! As Shug Avery bounces from one popular affair to the next, getting caught up in Celie’s life, while unexpected, changes each of their lives forever. And Withers-Mendes performance will change every theatre-goers life for the better as well.

And better than ever is the entire technical aspect of “The Color Purple”! John Lee Beatty, king set director of this Broadway season, scores here and big with his moveable “Les Mis”-esque stage. Brian MacDevitt’s lighting is also mysterious and mystifying in its own right. Donald Byrd, who has his own contemporary New York dance company, choreographs on his first Broadway stage with inimitable style.

Style, elegance, grandeur, and stylishness are only four adjectives to describe to the next best thing to hit the Great White Way! After a slow start to the season, with the arrival of “Sweeney Todd,” “Jersey Boys,” and the anticipation of “The Woman in White,” the season is much, much brighter. But, it is because of “The Color Purple” that this season’s rainbow is complete.

[danaonotlater]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 9:02pm

Thanks for the review! There hasn't been much talk on here about the show, which was making me sad because I am totally psyched for this show!!! I can't wait to see it when I get back in December...and after that I am expecting to go over and over and over again! :)

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 9:07pm

wow, u are very talented in review writing... :)
nice review! i like the "this season's rainbow complete part..." :)

sounds like a good show!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 9:11pm

sounds awesome!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 9:18pm

Excellent review!! Im so excited to see this.

[ellenoshalom]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 9:37pm

What a great review. *hand claps*

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/10/05 at 11:46pm

Thank you all so much for your kind words. Seriously I was as surprised as the next guy that I took to this show the way I did, but it certainly has the power behind it to sell out one of the largest Bway houses for a very long time. Such a tramendous work and a must see for young, old, black, white, and everyone alike. Great, Great Show.

I hate to give a show a complete and utter Rave(being accused of loving something too much can be just as dangerous as hating it), and haven't since last seasons LA CAGE...but this one certainly deserves it. Hard hitting, telling, and beautiful all at the same time!

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 6:44am

I guess I didn't get it because I found it to be a poorly written bore. But, the people next to me said it changed their lives.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 9:20am

It's a great musical to let yourself go and get lost in. I can't say it changed my life, but I certainly see how it could.

[musicnmath]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 2:24pm

Just watched the clips on oprah. Where have I been?! I can't wait to see this.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 2:43pm

I'm not a huge Oprah watcher...but I made sure to set the DVR today. I can't wait to go watch them again. It made me smile inside not long after seeing the wonderful new SWEENY TODD, to see ANOTHER wonderful show finally hit the boards after so much mediocre to gawd awful theatre.
Updated On: 11/11/05 at 02:43 PM

[musicnmath]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 2:50pm

I'm not sure if there will be more clips on Oprah, but you can see them at:
Clips at oprah.com

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 2:51pm

God, somebody told me they are calling this show "Oprahoma!" around the city.

I just fell out of my chair laughing. That's right up there with "Marat/Todd."

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 3:02pm

LOL! Thats funny...cause actually, (and youre all going to think im nuts) to me it had a certain Oklahoma! style flair to it. Just as the way the show is structred and laid out - it has a certain old old musical feel to it. With some lesbian liplocking :)

[Madame X]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 7:22pm

Are, uhm, the nipples still in the show? Or did they finally muster up some more capital so those gals could cover up.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 8:22pm

This s a GREAT review !!! I am really interested about this show now !

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 2:04am

Thanks again! I cant sing the praises of this glorious show enough. It really leaves theatregoers with a warmth and sense of self betterment upon exiting the theatre that stays with you for quite sometime.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 7:00pm

We just got back, and LOVED it !!! Was a tad bit underwhelmed with the score, but overall, we thought it was great. Would definitely like to see the first act shaved a bit (too long), but other than that, I think this show is gonna be a huge hit.

Matinee today was packed, and all we heard were raves leaving the theater... and not a dry eye to be found !!!

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 11/19/05 at 10:09am

Hope everyone is having a great time and The Color Purple...I want to go back and see it before it opens and its hard to grab a seat...such a phenomanal show. Id reccomend to anyone who hasnt seen it yet, take advantage of the Day Of General Rush for the front 2 rows when the box office opens at Noon!

Enjoy!

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/19/05 at 1:04pm

I saw it on Wednesday the 16th of Nov. Here is the link to my thread with the review of this show and the 3 others I saw.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=875780#1599821

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 11/19/05 at 2:16pm

glad the show's good...i thought itd turn into another little women! glad it hasnt! :)