THE COLOR PURPLE = AMAZING

[WickedBoy1011]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 11:18pm

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.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 11:22pm

Glad you enjoyed it!

[C is for Company]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 11:25pm

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

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 11:30pm

slight threadjack/ Tony speculation: ditto that LaChanze should win the Tony, but who will her main competition probably be- will it be LaChanze v Patti?

I am so glad that you loved this show!! It's in my top three favs (they keep changing places as to which one is #1, 2, 3) right now, and I was out with two friends tonight and the three of us just randomly went by the theatre to pick up the cast recording during intermission tonight, since you can't buy it in stores yet...
I think the security guy was laughing at us, but hey, that's three more cds than they would have sold tonight. :)

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 11:39pm

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.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 11:40pm

i think the show is very good.
Not Amazing and La Chanze is giving the best Female performance in a Musical so far,
when she shows up.

Updated On: 1/20/06 at 11:40 PM

[timote316]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 12:37am

Excellent show, excellent performance.

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

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 1:36am

I absolutely love and adore this show. I can't wait to see it again, hopefully in March. I haven't seen Sweeny yet, and I know Patti is an amazing performer, but by going on what I've seen LaChanze is just riviting as Celie. Definitly should be the winner of the TONY this year.

I agree with you WICKEDBOY, for the longest time and pretty much until I saw TCP I was deadset on GYPSY being my favorite show of all time. However, The Color Purple just has too much going for it, including; A STRONG VOCAL CAST, awesome simplistic sets, GORGEOUS LIGHTING, excellent acting, and amazing direction (pretty fly fo a white guy!) haha.

I want Color Purple to play The Producers this year at the TONYS! If they can't, they should at least take these home!:

Best Actress-LaChanze
Best Supporting Actress-Felica P. Fields
Best Lighting
Best Seneic Design
Best Book
Best Score

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:43am

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.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 12:47pm

Glad you enjoyed it!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:14pm

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

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:21pm

I finally saw TCP on Tuesday and thought it was okay. I liked everyone in it and LaChanze does shine here, but s

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:21pm

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.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:29pm

I finally saw TCP on Tuesday and thought it was okay. I liked everyone in it and LaChanze does shine here, but she did not really blow me away. I would not be angry if she won, but think Patti does deserve it this year. As good as Maria is in WIW, the role is not deserving of a Tony, IMHO and wouldnt want her to win it because of her illness. So I'd vote for Patti.

The rest of the cast is wonderful especially Mendez, Leggs and Fields, and the guy who played Harpo.

I was not that impressed by the score, save 2-3 songs. I liked the overall design and direction of the piece.

I do think this deserves many nominations, but not sure it deserves many wins.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:29pm

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.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:36pm

I agree, Munk, it was a shame that the story was so rushed that much of the emotion of the novel and movie were missed, particularly those scenes.
I do admire that they stayed with the book's ending (her relationship w/ Shug and Mr.) more than the film did, but would've liked to see the sisters bond more developed in the beginning.
It seemed in the seperation scene that Nettie arrived at the house, asked to stay, went to school, fought off Mr. and was kicked out in the same day!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 3:00pm

"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.

____

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

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 3:55pm

"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..."

I don't know why I forgot to mention this, in my initial post I meant to say the show is not perfect, as I think this was a major flaw. Being totally unfamiliar w/ the story, this confused me a lot. Honestly, I kinda...did thing...Nettie was came, went to school, was kicked out in a day. There were times that not unitl for a while they mentioned blank years have gone by that time had actually passed. I did like the greying of the hair, but still I wish I knew more exactly how old everyone was at each part of the show. Actually, while we're on the topic, could those of you more familiar w/ the story tell me about how old at least Celie was supposed to be for each part?

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 3:57pm

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!

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

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 4:51pm

Same, NYC.

"horse****!"

I mean, the musical reduced the scene to the two things that are needed: 1) Celie growing a spine and 2) Sofia is back.

I mean, Celie just goes off on Mister (and a lot of the dialogue in the movie is in that scene).

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 8:59pm

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.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:25am

Just saw it tonight--and wept and cheered.

That the musical is extremely moving is a fact, borne out by the reaction of the audience. Yes, the book is a perfect thing, and yes, the movie a nearly perfect thing, but their qualities don't detract from the experience of the story as acted by this cast.

And it's the acting that carries the show, not the libretto or the score. (The arrangements and orchestrations and musical direction are brilliantly accomplished, but they're making silk purses of of sows' ears.)

LaChanze's performance is world-class, as filled with humanity and pain and joy as were Oprah's an Whoopi's and Danny Glover's. All of the others rise to the occasion, especially Felicia Fields.

I have loved LaChanze since her glorious debut in Once on this Island. My heart went out to her after her loss on 9/11. I loved her in Dessa Rose.

But this performance has her whole life in it. It deserves a Tony.

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 7:35am

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. :)

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 8:36am

Got to agree with Munk on this one. I think the musical is a well-intentioned botch job.

[Danitriniqueen]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 5:32pm

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