Note: Again you guys know I'm terrible at organizing my thoughts, but this is my best and most heartfelt review.
"I rarely use the word perfect, but The Color Purple was perfect!"
Christmas morning I wake up and I have an envelope from TicketMaster in my stocking. I thought "If this is
Hamilton I swear to God. Mama will not be happy." I then fell to the floor because they were tickets to
The Color Purple on Broadway! I cried because this show changed my life. I discovered this show about January of 2016. I didn't start actually listening to it until about April of 2016, because I wanted to read the book and watch the movie first. (I'm about 2/3 into the book and I did watch the movie, amazing.) I was at rock bottom when I discovered this show and while
Miss Saigon connected with me and stabilized me,
The Color Purple is what rocketed me to being the person I am today. I probably would not be here without
The Color
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| Jennifer Holliday and Ensemble |
Purple. I can't even express to words how much this show has helped me. I want to thank the entire cast and crew of the 2015 Broadway Revival of
The Color Purple. Okay so before I start to cry and get all emotional in this post let's get on with the review. As soon as the final note played in the show I was so disappointed. I was disappointed because I knew there would never be a show that would have this much raw impact and raw beauty.
John Doyle, the director, took a show that had been overdone with sets and costumes and choreography and he completely stripped it down. In doing this Doyle created the most beautiful production I have ever seen of a show. The simplicity in the blocking, sets, costumes and everything is what makes this show a knock out because it makes the show about the actors and the story they have to tell. I was shocked that
John Doyle did not win the Best Director Tony Award. The intimacy that he created between the actors and the audience was thrilling. The fourth wall was shattered in the best way possible.
John Doyle is a genius in every sense of the word. I rarely use the word perfect, but
The Color Purple was perfect! Mr. Doyle's blocking was so simple and yet so inventive and unique. Having Shug and Celie be on two sides of the stage in "What About Love?" somehow made it so much more intimate then if they were right next to each other.
John Doyle worked magic on that stage. If there was a Tony Award for Best Trio then
Bre Jackson,
Carla R. Stewart and
Rema Webb would wins hand down. They were perfection as the Church Ladies they pulled out all the stops for their comedic moments and were brilliant. Their vocal talents were off the charts as soon as they first uttered "It's Sunday morning" my heart leaped out of my chest and I was so choked up by the intensity and beauty of their voices. This next actress probably could break glass with how high she made her voice to portray the role of Squeak.
Patrice Covington was a perfect Squeak she belted to the rafters in "Mysterious Ways" It takes true talent to be able to speak that high without damaging your voice let alone sing that high. Next we have the actress who gave the most heart breaking line in the show "My people"
Jennie Harney, who was a beautiful Nettie. Harney sang with such grace that it was
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| Jennie Harney |
heartbreaking to hear her sing the end of "African Homeland" I can't believe how perfect that number was.
Jennie Harney,
Brit West and
J. Daughtry actually had tears running down their face. I have never seen actors on stage be that in depth and that emotionally lucid with a show before. The next man makes me question how he is just an understudy
Grasan Kingsberry delivered one hell of a performance as Harpo (Which is Oprah spelled backwards so... This can't be a coincidence can it? We'll find out in another post.) At the end of the performance I thought Kyle who? Mr. Kingsberry delivered a heart touching performance as Sofia's husband. You felt every drop of emotion he went through. Kingsberry made Harpo such a lovable character, even though he beat Sofia he knew what a huge mistake he made and the shift in character from when Sofia was around to when Sofia wasn't around made Kingsberry a truly lovable Harpo. Next we have the most hated character in the show Mister portrayed by the talented
Nathaniel Stampley whose Mister sent chills down my spine. I was actually terrified of him during "Our Prayer" and "Big Dog" and his hatred and anger filled the theatre. The amount of emotion he then displayed in his revealing back story in "Mister's Song - Celie's Curse" was truly incredible. Mister is a role that requires a lot of personal strength to come off as threatening and Stampley went above and beyond. Next we have the curvaceous. strong, fierce belting Sofia
Carrie Compere. I just have one word to say about
Carrie Compere that is WHAT?! I went to the theatre with the thought in the back of my mind "How is she gonna compare to Danielle?" Honey she don't have to be compared to Danielle, Miss Compere was on a whole different playing field! Compere played the role of Sofia so vastly different from Danielle Brooks. While Miss Brooks went for the angry "I don't want to deal with this anymore!" attitude Compere went for the "I am a strong, proud woman, but I am tired of dealing with this!" My heart broke during her jaw dropping rendition of "Hell No!" Compere not only showed the powerful ferocity of Sofia, but she also showed the touching, heartfelt, and emotional side of Sofia. The one man whom she loved dearly ended up trying to beat her and that broke her heart. I just can't understand how Compere can show so much emotion and character development in a single song. If their was a Tony for Best Replacement there would be no competition at all
Carrie Compere would win hands down. Next we have the woman who finally came back to town and graced the boards of Broadway again
Jennifer Holliday (Fun Fact: She is following me on twitter and I still can't believe it.) Miss Holliday's voice was powerful enough to cause the roof of the Bernard B. Jacobs to collapse and she practically did with her powerful belting rendition of "Push Da' Button." Holliday is such a humble human being in an interview on Show People she said "My own acting skills are nowhere near their yet" she could have fooled me. Holliday's body language alone had so much acting inside of it she proved that she has the right to place the word "Actor" on her resume. To me what made her performance even more sensationable was the fact that she has Multiple sclerosis is just even more powerful.
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| Adrianna Hicks |
This woman is so powerful to be living with MS as well as doing an 8 show week for about 4 months. That takes sheer strength and my hat goes off to her. (Special Tony Award? I think it will be between Holliday and Kristin Chenoweth. I'll talk about that in another post) Next we have the main lady of the night. The woman who plays such a demanding emotional role of Celie
Adrianna Hicks. Miss Hicks is the understudy to Cynthia Erivo who was unfortunately off that matinee. However Miss Hicks brought the house down. Just like
Grasan Kingsberry it was so difficult to believe that Hicks was only the understudy. Hicks had a slightly different approach to the role of Celie. Erivo portrayed her as a woman who is holding back her strength and it sometimes escapes in little drips like you're trying to get that last bit of shampoo out of the bottle. Hicks portrayed her as a volcano waiting to explode. The pressure just keeps building and building until finally "I'm Here" and the stage turns into Pompeii in Georgia. Hicks gave a powerful rendition of the showstopping number "I'm Here" as well as soulful "The Color Purple (Reprise)" I was completely floored by Hicks especially her touching rendition of "Somebody Gonna Love You."
Adrianna Hicks has many wonderful opportunities coming her way I can tell. Who knows maybe she'll lead the North American Tour (Let's get Shanice Williams as Nettie and Queen Latifah or Stephanie Mills as Shug Avery.) I still can't believe that I got to witness this beautiful, breath taking production of
The Color Purple. For anyone that didn't get to see the show you missed out on a masterpiece and for anyone who did see the show we witnessed history! I really don't think their are enough words to describe this production other than perfection.
"I don't think us feel old at all. I think this is the youngest us ever felt. Amen."
