On & Off Broadway

‘The Color Purple’

Review by Elyse Trevers

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There is nothing like the spectacle and pomp of theater with lavish settings and costumes; think Phantom’s chandelier. Sometimes more exciting, though, is spare theater with the show pared down to a minimum. Director John Doyle has become an expert of the adage that sometimes less is more. The successful 2005 musical The Color Purple, made from the 1983 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker, has been revived and, thanks to Doyle, streamlined, giving it exciting new life.

Starring three remarkable actresses, all of whom are making their Broadway debuts, the show deals with the role of Black women in the South in the 1930’s. In the hierarchy of power, Celie (the incredible Cynthia Erivo) is at the lowest rung, for she is “poor, Black and ugly.” As a young girl, she is raped repeatedly by the man she thinks is her father and bears two children who he gives away. Later he forces her to marry a cruel, nasty Black man she calls “Mister” so she can take care of his unruly children. She is totally subservient to “Mister” and is stunned when she observes other women who are strong and who stand up for themselves. Sofia (Danielle Brooks,) married to Mister’s son, Harpo, refuses to be pushed around. Jennifer Hudson from American Idol portrays Shug Avery, a nightclub singer who lives by her own rules. Both women teach Celie that she can be strong and self-reliant. Along the way, there’s a lot of tragedy and pain, especially at the hands of the White men in the South, but the women’s strong spirit prevails.

Erivo is naturally diminutive, making her seem powerless. Yet later, when she leaves Mister and realizes that she can survive on her own, she stands straight and ‘becomes’ tall. Erivo has a naturally dulcet strong speaking voice and a magnificent singing voice. In a credible performance, Hudson plays the sexy and sultry Avery. She’s a better singer than she is an actress and gets to show off her voice when she performs in Harpo’s club. Brooks makes Sofia both comic and likable. When she is beaten for talking back to White folks, the audience becomes distressed. When she awakens with her own feisty spirit, there are cheers. Her song “Hell No” could easily be the anthem for the show as it proclaims the woman’s refusal to take orders and be merely obedient. The Church Ladies, a trio of fine singers/actresses provide both comic relief and narration. They serve as a Greek chorus, filling us in on characters’ backgrounds.

The show is uplifting, powerful and inspiring. At the performance I reviewed, I observed The Color Purple as a woman’s show about the bonds of friendship, sisterhood, and even lesbian love. The audience at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre reflected that mix and was comprised predominantly of women. And why not? By the end, despite much hardship and pain, Celie prevails and becomes a dominant personality. But she couldn’t have done it without the help of her sisters.