The Color Purple Will Receive Summer Workshop

By: May. 03, 2005
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The musical version of The Color Purple will be put through a summer workshop with a projected Broadway opening next season.

Based upon the Alice Walker novel and the 1985 Speilberg film that starred Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg, the musical's workshop will be held from June 13th to July 12th in New York City. The show was given its world premiere production in fall 2004 at Atlanta's ALLIANCE THEATRE; it received mixed-to-positive notices. The Color Purple had previously been slated to open at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre this fall. No word on whether or not that's since changed, but one assumes that it'll be tied to the success of Sweet Charity.

In its Atlanta incarnation, the show was directed by Gary Griffin. Marsha Norman wrote the book, while the eclectic score was penned by pop tunesmiths Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The Color Purple, which was producted by ALLIANCE THEATRE by special arrangement with Creative Battery and Scott Sanders Productions, starred LaChanze, Felicia P. Fields, Saycon Sengbloh, Adriane Lenox and Kingsley Leggs. LaChanze portrayed Celie, the central character in the musical's story of incest, pain, love and redemption, while Fields was the volatile Sofia.

Avenue Q's Ken Robertson was the choreographer for the Atlanta production, but will be replaced by Donald Byrd, the head of Seattle's Spectrum Dance Theater. The Atlanta production's design team comprised John Lee Beatty (sets), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), and Jon Weston (sound). Linda Twine was responsible for the music direction.

LaChanze, a 1991 Tony nominee for her star-making turn in Once On This Island, is expected to headline The Color Purple again after finishing her Lincoln Center run in the Ahrens and Flaherty musical Dessa Rose. Her other Broadway credits include the 1987 revival of Dreamgirls, Marta in the 1995 Roundabout revival of Company, and Sarah (replacement) in Ragtime. She has also appeared in the 2002 Funny Girl Actor's Fund concert and The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.
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