For every complaint that the Fox stage is too big, here comes a show like "The Color Purple," which needs every inch it. The broad, tuneful, well-sung musical version of Alice Walker's novel opened last night and will run through Sunday.
With queen-sized Felicia P. Fields, owner of a wicked right cross, reprising the Broadway role of Sofia she originated in the rollicking style that earned her a Tony nomination; sexy Angela Robinson as Shug Avery, who performs equally well in the spotlight or in the night-light; and Kenita R. Miller as Celie, earnest and sincere and overflowing with love that rarely earns a proper response, the show is a delight from start to finish.
As it covers most of the first half (1911-45) of the 20th century, "Purple" deals with racial and gender inequality, supports the myth of achieving ultimate success by using the same bootstrap mentality and activity that filled the works of Horatio Alger, Jr., and his admirers. The novel, which earned a Pulitzer Prize, is more balanced than many. There are villains on the black side of the tracks in a small Georgia community. Celie's father impregnates her twice, then takes the infants away and, in all probability, sells the infants. Mister, the man she marries, is looking for a cook and nanny, but wants someone better looking than the plain, rather dumpy girl who refutes the stereotype by even lacking an ability to dance. He accepts when Pa sweetens the deal by throwing in a cow.
The three leads are exciting singers, and Rufus Bonds, Jr., as Mister, who exemplifies cruelty, adds a soaring voice. The dancing, choreographed by Donald Byrd, was highly physical. I also was charmed by the use of three Church Ladies, two of whom were replacements last night, and trio was simply superb as kind of a Greek chorus, a counterpoint to the other singers and actors, always in perfect harmony both vocally and physically. Virginia Ann Woodruff was the regular performer in the role of Darlene, Reva Rice and Phyre Hawkins the delightful fill-ins as Doris and Jarene, respectively. Meredith Willson used a similar device in "The Music Man," also to excellent effect.
Watching Robinson and Fields, who symbolize the change in 20th-century women, is impressive, and so is Miller, though it takes her a little longer to get there.
Marsha Norman, a fine playwright on her own merits, did a nice job with the book, but might have spent a little too much time on the African dream sequence. Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray combined on the score and Gary Griffin directed.
John Lee Beatty (set), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lights) and Jon Weston (sound) reprised their Broadway roles for the tour with slick, effective results.
At the Fox Theatre, through Sunday
–Joe