The Color Purple

The Broadway Theater

I can't say my expectations were terribly high for this musical. I was terribly misguided in my mind, because I honestly expected one long Gospel concert with a terrible reduction of what I had found to be a great book and a terrible movie (the movie won big awards, didn't it?--all the same I didn't like it, sorry). I was wrong. I was dead wrong. The Color Purple is a tremendous addition to the canon of American musical theater. It had definitive elements of the formula of a traditional Broadway musical: the big dance number after the opening of the second act, the comic relief song halfway through the second act, dance numbers appropriately placed in the first act, etc. It also had something which I have missed in musicals recently--heartfelt, heartbreaking human conflict and sorrow. It reminded me of some of the best moments in Oklahoma. Is that wrong? I even shed a tear or two at the end. The musical was effective, at the very least, and also a very reasonable piece of art.

So, let's talk about what worked. The book worked. The lyrics were great and well geared to the music. They also more than adequately appropriately continued to move the story along. The music was great. I believe I had a tune or two stuck in my head as I left the theater. Kudos to the casting company. The casting was brilliant. Having read and loved the book, I was offended by no one and readers like me tend to get whiny when they see words brought to life. The sets were Broadway quality.

It was a perfect time for me to see it because I had just been reading Jonathan Franzen's essays about writing novels where individual conflicts are set in a specific cultural setting, where they interact. The Color Purple is a perfect example of this. The first act was about the individual and the second set the individual in the social context. The individuals were trapped in cycles and systems that were dead set against them from the start. The second act helped you sympathize with all of the characters, even the antagonists.

Additionally, while reading the book--I had missed the way the main character gave up on God at the same time that she functioned as God in the world. The irony was rich and wonderful, and 15 years away from the book had allowed me to either forget that part or I just missed it when I was younger.

This is a rich musical. If you had limited time in the city or a limited budget, I would definitely put this at the top of your list of possibilities. If you can handle the subject matter, if you loved the book (or, I guess, the movie), heck if you even like Oprah, you will definitely walk away with a memorable evening and a high quality Broadway experience. I'll stop gushing, but this has some real bang for the buck.