When The Color Purple opened its short run in Milwaukee, it had two strikes against it on opening night. One: Jeannette Bayardelle, who plays the main character, Celie, was replaced by her understudy. Two: Sound balancing problems made some of the lyrics and dialogue difficult to hear.
With that in mind, The Color Purple made its much-awaited debut in Milwaukee. The show tells the life story of Celie, a poor black girl who endures an existence that goes from bad to worse. As Celie, understudy LaToya Holmes was more than capable. She made a believable transformation from a 14-year-old girl to a 50-year-old woman. Better yet, her voice can clearly handle the music's sometimes awe-inspiring demands.
The music, incidentally, is not one of this musical's strong points. One exception is the duet between Celie and her unlikely heroine, Shug Avery, who sing "What About Love?" In Act II, a clever and funny duet by a husband-wife team, "Any Little Thing," practically brings down the house. Otherwise, nothing really sticks in one's minds after the final curtain comes down.
Performances range from fine to outstanding. In the latter category, Felicia P. Fields is a remarkable presence as Sofia, the oversized woman who won't take any disrespect, regardless of the consequences. The other memorable character is Shug Avery. Angela Robinson gives Shug a heart as well as a body that makes men weak. Even so, all the wind-up to her entrance seems excessive, as we hear the men's lecherous remarks and the women's clucking over her immorality.
Although The Color Purple has its moments, one can't help but wonder if its success is due in large part to the support of TV superstar Oprah Winfrey. However, one cannot dismiss the show's financial success. Any Broadway musical that recoups its investment (in this case, $11 million) in less than one year has something positive going for it.
