Slimmed-Down 'Color Purple' Revival Pushes the Right Buttons
9 / 10
The limited staging (a major difference from the original Broadway production a decade ago) puts the focus on the score, by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray...A trio of supremely talented women all making their Broadway debuts do most of the singing. Cynthia Erivo is outstanding as Celie...Hudson gives us a steamy and satisfying Shug...The 'Dreamgirls' Oscar winner gets out of the way of the story and the other actors, in what is truly a supporting performance...Brooks...and Kyle Scatliffe, as on-again, off-again lovers Sofia and Harpo, deliver particularly strong performances. Their second act duet, 'Any Little Thing,' is a grinding, groovy delight...This production, as buoyant and vital as can be, premiered at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013...Broadway's latest incarnation focuses almost entirely on song, but it's still the same joyous and uplifting journey.
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