A new staging of the musical "The Color Purple" has arrived on Broadway. NY1's Roma Torre filed the following review.
"The Color Purple" first opened on Broadway almost exactly 10 years ago, and I was enthralled by its emotional power. But as I've come to discover in the current revival, a story this strong featuring an ensemble this commanding doesn't need much dressing up. Director John Doyle, who's built a reputation stripping shows down to their essence, has scored a directorial coup once again.
Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is prime material for the stage. Her protagonist: a 14-year-old girl, raped by her stepfather, twice pregnant, forced to give up her babies, cruelly abused by her husband, and separated from her loving sister. Celie is regarded as the lowest of the low in early 20th-century Georgia - a poor black woman, and ugly to boot.
So much misery, it's hard to take. But Marsha Norman's libretto, and period-inflected music by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis and Stephen Bray strike just the right note of pathos and hope, and by Act 2, it becomes a stirring ode to female empowerment.
That's thanks in large part to the four women at the heart of this tale. Joaquina Kalukango as Celie's sister Nettie is a strikingly warm presence with a glorious voice. Danielle Brooks is the defiant Sofia, supplying equal doses of pluck, humor and sexuality. Jennifer Hudson sends the blues packing as the glam free-spirited Shug Avery. She sets the wheels in motion for Celie's liberation, and their scenes together are especially touching. And best of all, Cynthia Erivo - an incomparable powerhouse in a small package. Her transformation from victim to victor is incredibly moving, and in song, she brings down the house.
It's refreshing to revisit this show packed with so much raw energy and vocal talent. Gone are the big sets, costumes and choreography. In their place - a simple yet profound telling of a complex work that cuts right to the bone.