When you think of musicals, you probably don’t think of rape, discrimination, incest and abuse – and you probably wouldn’t expect to laugh a lot during a show with these themes so prominent. The Color Purple brings just the right mix of dark drama and heavy hilarity to keep anyone engaged.
The Color Purple follows several black women facing discrimination in Georgia from 1901 to 1949. The main character, a homely black woman named Celie, triumphs over repeated abuse from her father and husband and the seeming loss of her sister to discover the beauty of the world and herself.
A friend told me “the key to a good ‘The Color Purple‘ is a good Celie. If Celie makes you cry, it’s a wrap.” Well then, it’s a wrap, cause I was weepin’ like a baby a few times during this show (I played it off well) in addition to some LOLz. And there are no bad or even subpar actors in the rest of the cast – everyone seems made for the role they play.
From the opening number “Huckleberry Pie/Mysterious Ways” and on, the cast’s vocals sent shivers down my spine. I had never seen the 1985 film adaption of the book, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, so I had no idea what to expect. If the movie is half as good as this show was, I’m buying it.
The national tour of The Color Purple will be playing at the Ohio Theatre through Sunday, May 10.
You can purchase tickets here.
If you’re looking for an intense theatre experience with plenty of laughter and tears, check this show out.
