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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 8595
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2007 - 06:37 pm: | 
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Me and my 2 daughters attended the Sunday matinee of "The Color Purple" which just opened in Chicago. It was a sold-out house and the crowd was about 75-percent black and 25-percent white. Black folk were all decked out in their Sunday best while the whites were more casual, with even a scattering of jean-wearers among their numbers. The stragglers who drifted in all during the first act, keeping up the tradition of "CP" time, were quite distracting with even an argument breaking out among late-comers looking for their seats. The show itself was very professional and well-staged. The costumes were authentic, the acting was good, the dancing great, and the singing - OK. The woman playing Sophia pretty much stole the show and was a favorite of the audience which was very animated, breaking out in applause and laughter at ever opportunity. Michelle Williams, the 3rd member of Destiny's child, also gave a good accounting of herself in the role of Suge Avery. The plot was very faithful to the book, and the lesbian overtones of the relationship between Suge and Celie did seem to quell some of the enthusiam of the church-going members of the audience. And I was a little disappointed at how anti-climatic the reunion between Celie and her sister Nettie played out. It wasn't dramatic or emotional enough; too awkward and rushed. This is a musical which could've also benefited from some cutting. It was very long, as if the producers wanted to show case the entire cast in some way. There was an extended interlude that took place in Africa, and I found it peculiar that all of the Africans doing their native dances were light-skinned people, as were Celie's long lost "high-yellow" grown children who bore no resemblance to her. Oh well. That's diversity, I guess. LOL. Other than that, it was a very solid, entertaining show - 3 and a half stars out of a possible 4. On our way out, when I got a cell phone call from my grandson telling me the Bulls avoided a sweep by beating Detroit, my afternoon was complete! |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4758
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2007 - 06:49 pm: |
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Thanks for sharing. I'm glad that you had a great time and a wonderful Mother's Day 
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Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 4385
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:50 am: |
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Cynique:
You need to do theater and movie reviews in your own inimitiable style. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2043
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 11:39 am: |
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Well, this sounds like a wonderful Mothers' Day outting, Cynique! I hope to see this one soon. Hey--I, too, spent my Mama's Day at the theater. Except in my case it was a performance of "Seussical" with my daughters. LOL! |
Msprissy
Regular Poster
Username: Msprissy
Post Number: 61
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 05:10 pm: |
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Cynique, thanks for sharing your review of "The Color Purple." I heard one person say they were disappointed that it was a musical. She saw it NY last year. I think it might have been difficult to give it full credit as a stage play. There were scenes in the movie that surely couldn't have been put on stage. I haven't seen it yet, but hope to soon. I'm also in Chicago.
Minnie e |
Bookgirl
Regular Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 115
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 10:12 am: |
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I saw it in New York and the Broadway edition (before Fantasia took the lead) was exceptional. I've seen it twice, once when it first opened and just recently in March and the second time was even better. Yes; Sofia stole the show on Broadway also. She has always been my favorite character.
The actress who played Celie before Fantasia was very, very good in the role. And the musical more fully shows the lesbian relationship between Celie and Shug Avery than either the book or the movie, I think.
The dancing, the costumes, the music and the voices; especially the quality of the voices, I thought were excellent. Because I love musicals; I think that is why it worked for me. It was one of the best theatrical experiences that I have ever had.
Ticket prices are sky-high but I felt that the cast earned every dime. LOL
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 8613
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 01:57 pm: |
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Hi Ladies. The Color Purple was, indeed, worth seeing, and I agree that a musical was the next best venue for this story. It was a book, a movie, and turning it into a play wouldn't have done it any more justice. |
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