THE COLOR PURPLE = AMAZING

ALRIGHT, up until about 10:40 pm tonight I would have told anybody that asked me what my favorite musical was that it was without a doubt WICKED... but after seeing THE COLOR PURPLE that it no longer the case. This show has to be the most beautiful, touching, amazing story. Perfectly sung and acted by all involved. HOWEVER, if LaChanze doesn't win the Tony Award, there is something wrong with the world. Her performance was the most touching performances I have ever seen on a Broadway stage. She was the most perfect thing I've ever seen. Anyway that's my two cents.

Thats great. I don't know if she was exactly tony worthy but she did a damn good job. I have a feeling this years best actress race will be just like in 2004. I hadn't seen a group of such fine actresses compiled like that in a long time. Donna, Tonya, Idina, Kristin, and Stephanie? Thats a really great race right there.
Dying for the noms to be announced this year

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Having seen Kenita (who was great!) and LaChanze, I have to say LaChanze deserves the Tony.

Her performance may not seem like much - but compared to Kenita's it is quite brilliant.

Her change is just amazing.

Maria has a good chance due to her illness, etc.

Then there's Patti.

Excellent show, excellent performance.

As for the Tony, I'd be willing to put money on either LaChanze or Patti - both deserve it.

Woow...I just saw the show tonight...was just about to start a thread saying almost the exact same title, I think I was going to use fabulous instead of amazing but anyway...

I didn't know anything about the story, never saw the movie or book so I was going in not knowing what to expect but it was just brilliant. The story itself obviously is wonderful, I love the use of dynamic characters, and Celie's journey, and it's just so moving and, yeah. I want to buy the CD already, the music was also great--well written, beautifully sung, great sound to it, especially the company--wonderful harmonies. And I didn't expect to see some absolutely brilliant dancing--in addition to wonderfully choreographed ensemble dances, there's just amazing splits and flips, I mean, this show seems to have everything.

And the acting...my instinct was to say the same thing, it would be tragic for La Chanze not to win, but then I remembered there's Patti being Patti, doing a good job and the instruments, and Maria giving her performance considering her off stage battle. I saw all 3 and loved all their performances, but I just think La Chanze deserves it. The way she went from playing a 14-year old to an old woman(which she is great at, as I saw in Dessa Rose) and truly making so many little things change that the aging seems right on. She has an amazing voice with some hard songs to sing, but especially her two breakthrough moments--she moved me to tears, she acted that part phenomenally and I really felt what the character was feeling, it was wonderful. And again, not just w/ the aging, but also little by little showing how she has changed through the years. And then I think to go through this journey every night...you're 14, then you're old, then tomorrow you're 14 again...I just think it's an amazing performance.

And the rest of the cast is just as wonderful. Felicia was fabulous, so wonderful, and definitely having so much fun on that stage. But when appropriate, she handled the dramatic moments so perfect it was scary--and the make-up applied to her, from the front row it looked really disturbing, and I barely wanted to look. Elisabeth was Sugar, and captured the character perfectly. Kingsley like La Chanze did a great job of showing the changes, and was pretty scary for a while. I mean everyone really...just worked so well together, had such energy in their performances that was demonstrated in acting, singing, and dancing, and I sensed a true sense of everyone loves what they are doing.

In short, it was just a wonderful night in theatre and I left this show thinking: THIS is why I love theatre so much.

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Ugh. People - see the movie and read the book. Only then will you realize what potential this story has.

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I saw the movie.

And almost finished the book.

The movie is another interpretation of the book. They explain things a lot more, but I enjoyed the musical more, I think.

The show isn't perfect - but it is still enjoyable.

It's a shame - it really could have been something. The scene where Nettie is separated from Celie is supposed to be so important, monumental, and heartbreaking. In the film and book it is made clear the extent to which Mr. ___ threatens Nettie and Celie and that, really, they can never see each other again. In the play, it's kind of like "Oh, you won't have sex with me? Okay, get off my land." And I sat there, as an audience member knowing the story saying "Well, why don't you just sneak back?" The stakes are never high enough and because of that, the story doesn't live up to it's potential. The air is supposed to be SO THICK during the final dinner scene that you can literally cut it with a knife. Will he beat Celie? Will Celie kill Mr. ___? In the play, it's just half-assed. I'm sorry, my rant is over.

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"In the film and book it is made clear the extent to which Mr. ___ threatens Nettie and Celie and that, really, they can never see each other again. In the play, it's kind of like "Oh, you won't have sex with me? Okay, get off my land." And I sat there, as an audience member knowing the story saying "Well, why don't you just sneak back?" "

I have to completely agree with you. That is one scene I had a lot of trouble with - both times I saw it. They never really fixed it. And same for when Nettie returns.

Though while I was watching the movie - I was thinking - just hop the fence and come back...

But I agree that scene lost a lot of the drama it should have. I also (depending on what you want from the piece) thought the Shug/father story was interesting.

In the movie they made it into a whole subplot...in the musical it was like "hughug...'Hi Celie, I'm back!" I thought it was interesting that they down played it so much - it really turned the show into Celie's story. But during "Shug Avery Comin' to Town" and when Celie is fixing Shug's hair, they make a big stink about Shug's relation with her father.

They should have done something more at the end...maybe not necessarily a song.

I really didn't like the dinner scene in the movie. I think it's because we so much of Sofia before it - and she talks during the dinner scene - that it seems like she is different - but not completely gone. The whole, "I'm back" works better in the show, I think.


My biggest problem with the show, that makes it so rushed, is the timing. I wish, even though it isn't creative, they used projections of dates...instead of having the actor say, "You and Sofia been married 3 years now..."

It's also funny - the scene where she holds up the knife...when I saw it with Kenita I was thinking, "yeah...uh huh" When I saw it with LaChanze I thought, "damn, that's scary." I HATED Whoopi in that scene - especially the curse. She seemed to have lost control of the character.

I agree, doodle, that the Nettie coming to Mister's farm seemed like a day...I think maybe they should have had a reprise of "Our Prayer" to pass some time on Mister's farm.

I also feel like adult Celie (LaChanze) comes in too early. In the movie, she stayed younger for a while.

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While I loved THE LION KING scene (I mean AFRICAN HOMELAND), I thought it would never end. In Atlanta, however, they actually had the whole scene with Sofia getting beat up.

I'm glad they took it out and did it more abstractly.

Updated On: 1/20/06 at 03:00 PM

I would love for The Color Purple to be like a 3 act opera! It has enough backbone and a thick enough plot that this could easily be done! (Time wise I mean)

I do agree with the comment above about the separation scene between nettie and celie, but I STRONGLY disagree about the tension in the dinner scene. It seriously seemd like to me that the actors had such a problem with each other offstage and they were letting each other just HAVE IT, ONSTAGE. That's how strong it was for me. *Spoiler* When Celie says she's gonna get her kids and "whoop yo azz", the audience went WILD! that was the knife cutter for the tension of the scene, and the audience the night i went ate it up!

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Updated On: 1/20/06 at 03:57 PM

The Sofia is back part is far more moving and dramatic in the film, are you kidding me?

THE COLOR PURPLE is one of my favorite films - and it will continue to be, atleast in my eyes, the single film MOST jipped by the Oscars. It should have won best actress (Whoopi), best supporting (Oprah), best supporting actor (Danny Glover), best screenplay, best song, best direction, and best picture. I was ASTOUNDED after first viewing the film and looking it up that it didn't win a single award. I'm still livid about it.

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Thanks for the review PalJoey.
I can't wait to see The Color Purple.
Also can't wait to tell the choreographer how much you loved the show. :)

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That's GREAT! I saw a preview on Oprah, and the songs sung were FANTASTIC!!