It's time for my review of The Color Purple.Ever since seeing The Color Purple's performance at the Tony's I have been wanting to see this show so badly. For my last day in New York, I thought this would be a good show to end on. The show had a lot to live up to, having won two Tony Awards and a lot of people I've met raving about it. The show stars English actress and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo as Celie, who I saw over two years ago in a show called I Can't Sing: The X Factor Musical. I Can't Sing closed after 6 weeks, but it's so great to see how far Cynthia has come since that show. I'm not even sure if words can describe how good her performance is. Her voice is extraordinary, I don't think I have heard one similar. I have been listening to the cast album non stop, she is amazing on it! She is definitely one of the best singers on Broadway at the moment. Her solo 'I'm Here' brought the house down and she actually received a standing ovation after the song (which is quite rare). The show follows such a heartbreaking and moving story, I loved every second of it. It was very well written, I was transfixed and I even shed a tear or two. A new addition to the cast is Heather Headley as Shug Avery, who also has such a stunning voice. Heather and Cynthia do a duet during act one called 'What About Love' which is beautiful. Their voices work so well with each other, that song was perfection. Heather was also stunning during her number 'Push Da Button' which is another song that amazes the audience. I also loved Danielle Brooks in the role of Sofia, she was perfectly cast in that role, she was hilarious! The score is wonderful, each number is written perfectly. As I said, I have been listening to the cast album non-stop and have decided that my favourite songs are 'Big Dog', 'Push Da Button' and 'I'm Here', but that was a really tough choice. The orchestra were also amazing and I thought the lighting design was great. I'd also like to say a few words about Isaiah Johnson as Mister, because I thought he was also excellent. Even though the character does some really horrible things, you can't help but feel sorry for him during 'Celie's Curse' and this is due to Isaiah's great performance. The only criticism for the show I have, it it's set design, which I really was not a fan of. I think I may be missing something with it, I wondered if it might have some hidden meaning, but I just didn't get it and felt it could've been more creative.
The featured star of The Color Purple is, drum roll please... CYNTHIA ERIVO!
Cynthia's voice is out of this world, her performance is spectacular. I cannot stop raving about her, she gives such a powerful performance and one that the audience can really connect with. I can't wait to see what Cynthia has planned for her next role!
Now for my final verdict on The Color Purple. I give The Color Purple...
I give this rating because the show has such amazing performance and not ones I will be forgetting anytime soon. This is a must see and I hope that you will be as moved as I was.
Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Sadly that is the end of my New York reviews. I have been back in London for a week now, but I cannot wait to get back to the Big Apple as I think the shows there are spectacular! Join me next time when I will be reviewing The Bodyguard.
Thanks for reading!
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