Purple reign

York – Tell me something: What can’t Oprah do? She has a "Book Club." She has her yearly "Favorite Things" episode, which makes viewers salivate at the prospect of being at the receiving end of her generous gift-giving spree. I still can’t get over the fact that she gave away cars to her audience just like that. She has a hit talk show that has thrived over the years. She has a magazine that mothers like my own read from cover to cover. And what do you know? She produced a musical, too. And it’s no run-on-the-mill venture into the world of musical theater (which is more than I can say for Donald Trump and his rumored Apprentice: The Musical – God forbid!). The Color Purple is a surefire sensation that’s tearing across the nation. And it will surely alter the landscape of the Broadway musical as we know it today!

Adapted from the movie that starred Oprah Winfrey herself as the feisty Sofia, The Color Purple carries a special intensity that no musical has ever shown before. It draws strength and potency from the powerful conflicts that confound our society today – racial discrimination, domestic violence and gender prejudice – these are some of the many issues and themes illuminating the world of The Color Purple.

Told from the point of view of Celie (Jeanette Bayardelle, Rent), a young African-American woman who was twice impregnated by her father and was coerced into giving away her children out of shame and poverty, the musical explores the unforgettable struggle of a woman in a male-dominated society and her triumph over life’s overwhelming adversities.

The unwanted pregnancies brought about by her father were only the least of her worries. In defense of her sister and best friend Nettie (Darlesia Cearcy), and in light of their father’s will to marry her off to a guy referred to as Mister (Alton Fitzgerald White, The Lion King), Celie takes her sister’s place so that the latter may finish her schooling. Subsequently, she marries into a life of subservience and domestic abuse, with a bitter husband constantly telling her that she’s undeserving of his love and that she’s ugly.

Celie’s lack of self-worth only fuels the egotistic and reprehensible Mister – that is, until Shug Avery (Elisabeth Withers-Mendes), Mister’s savvy mistress, comes into both their lives. Celie develops a strong friendship with Shug and an attraction that is fortunately reciprocated.

While Mister is away, the two eventually uncover the mystery behind Nettie’s presumed "death" as a consequence of not having written to Celie for many years since their separation – a discovery that transports us to the African wilderness where Nettie and Celie’s two children have been living all along.

Along the way, Celie is also acquainted with Sofia (Felicia Fields), a strong-willed woman who condemns the very thought of male domination. She falls in love with Mister’s son Harpo (Brandon Victor Dixon, The Lion King) with whom she exercises her strong stance on how women should be rightfully treated by their men. Sofia’s story provides a substantial subplot to The Color Purple, among many others, and is a starting point towards Celie’s self-awakening and empowerment.

The musical also features an intoxicating score that elucidates the amazing experience of The Color Purple. Among my personal favorites were the duet between Celie and Shug entitled What about Love?; Sofia’s Hell No! which provided a stark contrast to Celie’s docile acceptance of her fate as a battered wife; and I’m Here, which marked Celie’s triumph over everything that she had been through. It was that one special moment in the play when she sang of being beautiful, accepting who she is, and being "here" despite all the hardships that came her way.

The acting was of a supreme caliber that is lost nowadays amidst the razzle-dazzle of Broadway. In fact, there were countless pivotal moments during the show that exacted hollers from the audience and meaty applause during the non-singing bits, something that is unheard of or unusual in musical theater. You just really get involved with all the actors – their triumph becomes your triumph as well. And even if I didn’t get to see La Chanze who won Best Actress in this year’s Tony Awards, Jeanette Bayardelle was just as crisp, determined, and utterly brilliant in portraying the lead.

The Color Purple provides an astute exposition on the life and times of an individual against all odds. The songs transcend the usual notion of a show-stopping number as each tune magnificently furthers the story, showcasing the incomparably powerful African-American voice through an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, gospel funk, and ragtime. Overall, it was a hell of a good show, which was more than I could say for The Lion King and Drowsy Chaperone, which bored the buh-Jesus out of me. Maybe it was an off day for all the actors (although I remember Tita Baby saying that an actor is only as good as his or her last performance). Or maybe it’s ‘cause The Color Purple set the bar so high that even Yao Ming the Musical can’t possibly surpass it. One thing’s for sure. The Color Purple soars and makes for an unforgettable experience in the Big Apple.

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Catch your breath and let me know what you think at chasingtoff@yahoo.com.