I just got back from seeing The Color Purple: The Musical. It returned to Houston for a special engagement because the last run was cut short due to Hurricane Ike. This was my second time seeing the show, and it loved it even more this time.
It doesn't matter how many times I've read the book, seen the movie, or seen the musical I can always get completely lost in the story. I love all three. I think that each different version brings out new things in the characters.
The musical shows a new side of Celie that you don't get to see as much in the movie and book. In the second act of the musical you get to see Celie enjoy life a little more. She's playful, and we get to see her have fun. I feel like the writers were able to bring out this different side of her, but still be inherently Celie.
There are moments in the show that capture the book so well that I just got overwhelmed and cried. One of those moments is when Shug sings "Too Beautiful for Words" to Celie. We had the understudy for Shug Avery, but she knocked it so far out of the park you'd never know she was the understudy. "What About Love" is another of those moments. I feel like the musical was able to capture the tenderness of the relationship between Shug and Celie in a way the movie was only able to hint at.
My favorite moment in the show is Celie's song "I'm Here." The first time she tells Mister, "I may be poor, black, and ugly, but I'm here!" I don't think she really believes it yet. I think she's standing up for herself, but doesn't quite grasp what she's saying. Then, when she stands up to Shug she knows. That song, "I'm Here" is like seeing Celie fully realized. She's finally found her inner strength because she was able to stand up to someone that she loves, not someone she's protecting herself from. That moment gives me chills even when I'm listening to the recording.
One other thing the musical does well, is the relationship with Celie and Mister after she leaves him. The movie glosses over this really important part of the book, so it's nice to see it given the proper treatment in the show.
Now for the few things I don't like about the show. Felicia Fields does a great job playing Sophia. There's no doubt about that, but Sophia comes off a little too cartoonish. Sophia is just a heartbreaking and strong character that it's hard for me to see her used mostly for comedic effect. The other thing that rubs me the wrong way happens towards the end. Right before the picnic, Celie flirts with a handy man. Not really that big a deal, but it comes across as a last ditch effort to let everyone know that she's not really a lesbian.
I don't think Celie is a lesbian. I think Shug Avery was the first person in her life since Nettie to show her any kind of warmth and compassion. Would Celie have slept with a woman had her life been different? Who knows. The label isn't important, but that one scene just comes across as a way to appease anyone in the audience that might have taken issue with some girl on girl action (The first time we saw the show, people behind us groaned at the kiss).
The Color Purple is my favorite book ever. The characters are always with me. There's something about this story that touches me, and it doesn't matter which format it's being told with. Just thinking about how much it touches me made me get choked up on the way home (despite my boyfriend laughing at me in the car).
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