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Powerful ‘Color Purple’ at Alliance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
EDITOR’S NOTE: This review appeared Sept. 21, 2004, after the world premiere of ‘The Color Purple’ in Atlanta.
Whether at first or 14th glance, Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” hardly seems the stuff of musical theater.
For a good part of the story, Celie, a poor Southern black woman who’s so lugubrious as to be almost invisible, spends her time fighting off violence and abuse and pining for her lost sister and children.
Yet at the core of Celie’s archetypal journey of initiation is a love triangle that’s as much about hot passion as horrendous pain. And it’s from these vivid emotions that the Alliance Theatre’s new musical based on Walker’s novel has been imaginatively and innovatively coined.
The Broadway-bound “Color Purple,” which had its world premiere Friday night at a celebrity-studded gala, is a visually mesmerizing, vocally soaring gospel-jazz-and-blues pastiche that honors the shape of Walker’s epistolary novel.
As far as works-in-progress go, this one is well on its way to success, thanks to an often lovely, fresh and heartfelt score by Brenda Russell, Stephen Bray and Allee Willis.
But there are flaws, too.
The direction is not always as fluid as it should be. Lyrics can be mushy. Walker’s narrative suffers from an absurdly convoluted plot and tonal ambiguities that librettist Marsha Norman can’t seem to fix.
Sad one minute and happy the next, it’s as if the play itself is having mood swings. And, more often than not, a story that’s essentially about Celie’s awakening becomes overshadowed by strong secondary characters.
The passage set in Africa is superfluous, even ludicrous, as if the creators were stretching for their “Lion King” moment, while a telephone conversation in which Celie zips through numerous plot twists feels hasty and contrived.
But to their credit, director Gary Griffin and choreographer Ken Roberson have a penchant for playful dance numbers. (Watch for the honkytonk strut “Push Da Button,” the jazzy “In Miss Celie’s Pants” and the sexy “Brown Betty”). Taking a cue from the lyrics, they create more than a few references to the attitude and movement of birds.
After a somber funeral blues in which the young Celie (Tatiana McConnico) cries over her mother’s coffin, it’s a welcome relief to see pregnant-goose Sofia (Felicia P. Fields) waddling in with hen-pecked husband-in-waiting Harpo (Brando Victor Dixon).
Also delightful is the gaggle of town gossips: Darlene (Virginia Ann Woodruff), Jarene (Maia Nkenge Wilson) and Doris (Kimberly Ann Harris). Celie (LaChanze), a frightened and skittish dove, is courted by preening peacock Shug (Adriane Lenox), who is exceptionally fond of feathers.
Going from blues to ballads, from young girl to old lady, LaChanze inbues Celie with remarkable grace. Lenox’s Shug, often dolled up in shades of red and purple, is the proverbial hooker with the heart of gold; you see why Celie is drawn to her. Though these two must utter some of the most saccharine lyrics (“Too Beautiful for Words,” “What About Love?”), their romance is haunting.
Fields captures the sass, and later the pain, of the buxom Sofia. The underused Saycon Sengbloh makes a wonderful Nettie.
Among the male players, Leggs (as Mister) uses his wildly expressive eyes to excite fear and panic in Celie. Beginning as a cocky rooster, he mellows into an almost likable old fool. As the good-looking Harpo, Dixon gives a nuanced performance as a man who eventually forgoes chauvinism in favor of love.
One thing this “Purple” gets absolutely right is the design. Brian MacDevitt’s lighting is luminous and poetic. Costume designer Paul Tazewell’s gloriously detailed handiwork is pure eye candy. John Lee Beatty’s scenery recalls everything from a slave ship’s hull to the ecstatic visions of Nellie Mae Rowe.
In sum, ”The Color Purple” is a mixture of marvelous moments and rough edges. One can only surmise that it will get better as its journey toward Broadway continues.
The verdict: Promising but uneven.
8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 17, 2004. $25-$50. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, www.alliancetheatre.org.
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By Ann-Carol
October 7, 2004 4:26 PM | Link to this
In the early 90’s, I saw the perfect theatre piece. I bought half-price tickets at the TKTS booth for a show I had barely even heard of but once in the theatre, I was entranced from beginning to end. Once On This Island became my all time favorite show. The simplicity of the story combined with a flawless cast made me go back 6 more times. Well – Atlanta audiences now have a rare opportunity to experience theatrical gold. Her name is LaChanze. Her voice is flawless, her eyes powerfully haunting and, as Celie, she aged from young girl to old woman right before my eyes. Every actor’s performance is commanding from beginning to end and last night’s crowd stood still until the last AMEN. We did not want to leave. I always believed that Alice Walker’s words sang. I now have proof. The songs fill the Alliance Theatre to overflowing every night. Please Atlanta – all too often we miss the great endeavors. Atlanta is doing world premieres. Is it okay to grab takeout, rent the movie and head home to watch the COLOR PURPLE on television? I love Whoopi Goldberg’s individuality, I have a crush on Danny Glover and Oprah is my idol. But would I have missed an opportunity to see LaChanze perform? To quote Sofia – Hell No!!!!