THE COLOR PURPLE Movie Musical - News & Discussion Thread- Page 25

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 12:52pm

If LaChanze, as she admits, did not literally write any of the lyrics, but merely contributed some thoughts and ideas to them, and has never been officially credited as a co-lyricist over the past 18 years, then, no, I don’t think she is technically owed anything. I agree that these “call-outs” are not a great look for her.

[BJR]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 12:57pm

If she felt she should've received points, then that should've been negotiated between Atlanta and Bway.

It's definitely tricky trying to tie authorship to perspective and ideas vs actually writing, but it's def something to be worked out long before this point.

Hell, even Chenowith jokes she should've asked for points on some of the Glinda material/comedy she added. But she didn't, is what that implies. Crying foul now is a little silly. LaChanze wasn't a newbie in 2004/5.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 3:02pm

I don't have the coffee table book from the original Broadway production in front of me, but I believe it indicates that "I'm Here" was not written for the out of town tryout. The writers had conversations with LaChanze where she expressed what the character was feeling at that point in the show. It was only then that they wrote the song.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 3:15pm

defyingravity11 said: "I don't have the coffee table book from the original Broadway production in front of me, but I believe it indicates that "I'm Here" was not written for the out of town tryout. The writers had conversations with LaChanze where she expressed what the character was feeling at that point in the show. It was only then that they wrote the song."

 

In the new coffee table book it says that Brenda Russel spoke with LaChanze about the song. 

 

[DaveyG]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 3:16pm

defyingravity11 said: "I don't have the coffee table book from the original Broadway production in front of me, but I believe it indicates that "I'm Here" was not written for the out of town tryout. The writers had conversations with LaChanze where she expressed what the character was feeling at that point in the show. It was only then that they wrote the song."

And the writers wrote the song, not LaChanze.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 8:18pm

Saw this today and this story will never not break my heart. I know the music, and I saw the most recent revival, but that revival - to me - didn't really explain the story very well. I hadn't realized time had even passed until the very end. So it was nice to see this and see the story being told. My heart broke a few times. I think there are some fantastic performances and I liked a lot of the new music and I'm glad they kept the songs they kept. 

[binau]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 8:35pm

Bernadette told Sondheim that he should write a song that became ‘we do not belong together’ in Sunday and he did. I wonder if she will soon tweet that she should be a Pulitzer Prize winner. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 8:56pm

The direction of this film is often quite messy with no clear vision, but I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon in the movie theatre. Is it great? no. Is it good? Debatable. But its a decent adaptation of a mediocre musical (with room for great casting), so I'll call that a win.

As for LaChanze...well, its no secret that there's a been delusion contagion affecting the Broadway acting community. Doctors have and will continue to say its terminal. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 9:44pm

I, too, saw this today. Liked it very much, shed many tears. There were many moments that were spot on, and some that missed the mark...nothing terribly egregious.  I didn't d feel like the book was a bit weak...but difficult, I suppose to NOT take too much from the stage show or Spielberg's film. I felt it could have taken it's time a bit more and actually been  a little longer. 

I really loved the casting. (Louis Gossert, Jr???!!!) Some lovely surprises there, indeed. 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 11:31am

We thoroughly enjoyed this yesterday. I was a bit frustrated by the dark lighting in many of the scenes. Okay when the lights go out intentionally at the juke scene but many others were so back lit it was hard to see performers.  Maybe I’m just more used to stage lighting.  Anyway I am hoping that Barrino, Brooks and Domingo get award nom love. Unfortunately I saw shades of Miss Hannigan in Henson’s performance and kept gulping down my wish to see Heather Headley instead. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 11:56am

Digital Release Appears To Be Jan 26th

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 3:46pm

Just got out. This was Color Purple Hallmark Movie lite. Everyone was one note and I didn’t care about any characters. Mind, I saw the original five times and the revival once; both were great. The only actor that stood out was Danielle. More important the songs that were cut were so important for the movie. I just wanted to sing Color Purple and Beautiful for Words during the appropriate scenes. What About Love just came out of nowhere and it looked like they were laughing the whole time. Anyway it was missing a spark. LaChanze has nothing to worry about. 

Updated On: 12/28/23 at 03:46 PM

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 4:34pm

I very much enjoyed it, but there were several choices made that left me scratching my head.

SPOILERS AHEAD

As is typical with movie musicals, the new songs written weren’t as good as the songs in the musical. “She Be Mine” was my favorite of the new songs, yet I couldn’t help but wish they’d gone with “Somebody Gonna Love You” instead. “Our Prayer” would’ve been much better than “Keep It Movin’” and still would’ve served approximately the same purpose. “Workin’” was so short, it almost felt pointless, and “Brown Betty” would’ve been better, and would’ve allowed Squeak to sing a bit. Also, that moment where Harpo and friends were posting flyers for Shug’s performance felt like it was leading into a song, then abruptly stopped. It was quite odd.

A few other changes caused some song lyrics to make no sense. Having Celie see a picture of Shug Avery before she meets her makes her verse in “Shug Avery’s Comin’ to Town” not work. “What she wear? How’s her hair? Is she skinny? Is she stout?”…….as she’s holding a picture of exactly what she looks like. I guess you could be generous and say Celie is wondering what she looks like now rather than when the picture was taken, but still, it was odd. In “What About Love” she sings “Is that me who’s floating away, lifted up to the clouds by a kiss,” yet in this version,  Celie and Shug don’t kiss until after the song. And cutting half of the song really irked me as well. In fact, was there a single song from the musical that’s sung in its entirety in the movie?

But all of that I could’ve forgiven, if they hadn’t screwed up “I’m Here” so badly. It’s as if they didn’t want Shug to look bad, so they decided to cut the moment when she breaks Celie’s heart, which is normally what leads into the song. I have a feeling that that scene actually was filmed and just got taken out. We know that Fantasia recorded the opening lines of the song that got cut, as they’re still on the soundtrack. Also, Celie is wearing a different dress in the song than she was wearing in the scene right before it. Plus, there’s a time jump from day to night. And when the song starts, it’s clear that Celie is walking away from something (likely Shug), and is quite emotional, which doesn’t make sense with the scene that precedes the song. Cutting that scene between Celie and Shug really robs the song of its full power. Then again, they hardly show any of Celie and Shug’s relationship after Shug helps Celie find Nettie’s letters. Shug is a complex character in the book and musical, but they took out those complexities for this film, and that’s such a shame, as Taraji P Henson is more than capable of showing those complexities. I felt the same about the IN THE HEIGHTS film, which seemed to take out any unsavory elements of any characters like Nina’s father, making the film feel overly sanitized.

Despite all of this, I really did enjoy the film. Is it one of the best movie musicals ever made? Nah. But it is quite unique, and features great performances all around, and some moments of beautiful cinematography. So glad it’s doing well at the box office!

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 7:33pm

I just got back from seeing it with family and I loved it. I appreciated that the director didn't totally water down the musical numbers and didn't overdo them either. The way that he worked the old Broadway and Hollywood musical glamour into What About Love? was brilliant and I didn't expect that. Despite the dinner scene being written almost exactly the same as the film it was played totally different and Fantasia was amazing playing out Celie's burst of fury. With so many musical adaptations missing the mark since Chicago was successfully done I'm happy that one has actually been done right again.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 8:27pm

I thought this was a mixed bag. Fantasia is very good and Brooks is a scene stealer. I so appreciated the live singing. This story is so moving I can’t imagine not being touched by any version of it. I shed tears several times despite being disappointed with this adaptation.

The newly written songs should be cut immediately, they bring the momentum to a grinding stop. Quite perplexing.

I found the direction and tone to be all over the place. I really loved the revival and saw it three times but I actually found myself a bit annoyed when a song would start in this movie because I just wanted them to get on with the damn story. The majority of the songs just didn’t seem to fit in the style, tone, and pacing of the story on screen.

It doesn’t hold up to the original film or the stage productions and while I’m very happy this is making a lot of money, I don’t see it winning any Oscars. It’s just not good enough. But take the family and enjoy it for the great vocals and the always moving arc of Celie’s unforgettable character.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 12/30/23 at 3:13pm

"Why Fantasia Barrino ‘Hated’ Being in The Color Purple on Broadway but Loved Doing the Film Version"

https://people.com/why-fantasia-barrino-hated-being-in-the-color-purple-on-broadway-but-loved-doing-the-film-version-exclusive-8420794

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 12/31/23 at 8:28pm

I enjoyed it. The story always lands and the three main ladies deliver-especially Danielle Brooks. I think cutting the Dear God device really hurts our ability to connect with Celie early on. I think cutting Our Prayer was probably they're biggest downfall. Those added songs in the beginning did nothing Our Prayer doesn't do and Our Prayer is a better song-establishing the world, the love of the sisters, their desires, etc.

I think the creatives lacked some inspiration for how to film the musical numbers. I'm Here most of all-without the Shug scene it has less impact and they clearly didn't know what to do with the camera during it. I thought the staging of the finale was awkward. A youtuber I watched described it as like the end of the Grinch which is accurate IMO. The acting leading up to the song was more powerful than the song.

Seeing the revival is one of my favorite theatrical experiences. This didn't live up to it but I still enjoyed it overall. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 12/31/23 at 11:46pm

I saw this today. Also thought it was very moving, with a few missteps. Most notably, I thought cutting down the Celie and Shug relationship diminished the resonance of “I’m Here.” Celie needs that heartbreak with Shug to propel the song. Her singing it after being given a box of possessions was much less effective. Celie and Shug at the movies with the fantasy sequence was a waste if they weren’t going to highlight the relationship. “What About Love” being placed there made no sense. 
 

Also “Too Beautiful For Words” being cut was a huge error. It’s the song that conveys Shugs empathy for Celie and cements their bond. It would have been a great moment for Taraji. 
 

I thought the entire cast did great work with Brooks and Fantasia being the standouts. Fantasia looks very young and by the end I think they could have aged her more. She looked younger than her daughter. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/1/24 at 11:02pm

There’s more good than bad, but overall this is a pretty middling film adaptation that exposes the flaws of a middling stage musical with some great songs (some which have been cut).

There is no subtlety or nuance: everything is 110%. Hated the production design, cinematography (why so much haze inside??) and frantic choreo. Every interior space felt bigger than it needed to be; I know some of that is practical for musical numbers and cameras, but there is value in economy. Celie never felt trapped or closed in because of the production design and locations: the visits to the beach, the large houses and rooms, sweeping lawns with no clear boundary, etc. The above problems all fall on the director, and I do not think Blitz Bazawule is a good feature filmmaker –– though he certainly brought a lot of interesting ideas to the film.

My problem with the story in general is it feels endless. You think it’s climaxing when Shug takes Celie away (and she says I’M HERE but doesn’t sing it).....Then it feels like the climax is coming when dad dies & she gets the store.....And then there’s STILL 20 minutes left, and an attempted redemption for Mister, and I’m Here, and the return of Sofia.

I’m Here left me cold. I don’t know if it’s the placement or Fantasia’s performance or what, but if that song doesn’t move me, it’s a serious problem. (It got applause so maybe I'm alone)

The cast was generally strong but not exceptional. I long to see how it would have been with Erivo in the film. I found Taraji to be competent. If they’re lucky, Danielle Brooks will be the film’s sole Oscar nominee. I don’t know if I buy Halle Bailey as an actress after this and Mermaid; she sings well and has big, expressive eyes, but those Nettie scenes don’t really land (which could be for a number of reasons including the direction). I didn’t feel it was necessary to have an older & younger Nettie and Celie, especially when we are asked to buy that Taraji (53) is daughter to David Alan Grier (67). It takes some of the power of a reunion away when these are 2 actors who have never interacted (which is also a flaw of Spielberg's original). They could have used a little makeup and CG and we’d fully buy it.

Updated On: 1/1/24 at 11:02 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/2/24 at 8:00am

I saw the movie yesterday in DC.  Only 5 people in the theatre.  I agree with most of what has been posted here.  I thought it was just ok.  I didn't like the new songs.  The songs that were cut should have remained.  The story felt somewhat disjointed.  There were times that I felt the focus was on the other characters as opposed to Celie.  She really didn't say much for the first half of the film.  The stage version didn't feel like this.  The film's director missed the mark and didn't trust the original material.

I felt there was no lead up to Miss Celie's Pants.  I'm Here didn't work for me at all.  I was also disappointed that The Color Purple at the end didn't include the men singing a counter melody in the final chorus.

I saw the original production which I didn't like at all.  I loved the revival, and thought Cynthia Erivo's performance was a revelation.  The tour Celie didn't have the same impact.

Updated On: 1/2/24 at 08:00 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/2/24 at 10:44am

DottieD'Luscia said: "The tour Celie didn't have the same impact."

If you saw the revival tour, the Celie was Adrianna Hicks of SOME LIKE IT HOT and SIX! I didn't see her Celie, but a number of us have felt her acting was surface-level in SLIH and other projects.

[QueenTwinnied]

Posted: 1/2/24 at 6:57pm

As someone who saw both Cynthia on Broadway and Adrianna on tour, I enjoyed both immensely but Cynthia is a hard act to follow. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/2/24 at 7:10pm

Just got home from seeing this. Overall, I thought it was done very well. The new songs did nothing. Fantasia & Danielle Brooks were fantastic. Taraji was solid but she didn't sell the role of Shug 100% for me. Still better than J-Hud, but lacked the charisma for the role of Shug. The biggest misstep was the lead-up to "I'm Here". It almost felt like the song came out of nowhere without any dramatic lead-in. However, it's definitely worth seeing, but it's a letdown compared to the stage version.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/2/24 at 9:04pm

Saw It Christmas Day. It’s obviously not perfect but it is such a well told story that it has currently been relayed by a novel, two Broadway musical productions and two motion picture adaptations. That said, I loved every minute of the new film. They rushed a few moments/scenes, especially at the end, but ultimately, unless you lack a beating heart, it is virtually impossible not to be moved by this material.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/2/24 at 9:37pm

I was never a fan of the Broadway Color Purple or the revival. I never got what the fuss was about.  I never liked the musical and it cut so much of the story. I found myself yearning for the realism of the movie. 

 So unlike the musiclas of the 60's, where i may have been a purist and got pissed when Sweet Charity cut Baby Dream Your Dream and took Charity's Soliloquy and swapped it with My Personal Property. No such attachment has I to the musical the Color Purple just like some purists on  here. 

That being said, I think the movie musical version is excellent. And somehow they made those songs "sing" unlike I never heard them before. And the choreography by Fatima Robinson (hope I got that named spelled right) was the best movie choreography since  Michaal Kidd. of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers fame.

They took what was great about the original Speilberg movie which were the relationships and sentiment , the realistic seetings which helped so much; mixed it with some heaertfelt songs filled with the joy of life accompanied by marvelous wonders of  naturalistic choregraphy going into fantasy choreography by  a very skilled Fatima Robinson.   This movie was a team of players at its best.. they improved the music... opened the movie up to naturalist stunning settings-- location scouting gets kudos here; had a . As the dinner scene around the magnolia tree is  just magnificent. It encompasses spirit, a sense of God wrapping his/her arms around us asa we age.   The director has protected us. The Art Director  and location scots have outdone themself, the cinematography blends from idyllic reealism to fanatasy; the music has been transformed from the lackluster  music from the Broadway Version.

Brava to all.... I could nick pick about a few things but WTF. its a new year.! Kudos to all.