The Color Purple is a musical with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, and book by Marsha Norman. Based on the 1982 novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and its 1985 film adaptation, the musical follows the journey of Celie, an African American woman in the American South from the early to mid-20th century.
The original Broadway production ran from 2005 to 2008, earning eleven Tony Award nominations in 2006. An enthusiastically acclaimed Broadway revival opened in late 2015 and ran through early 2017, winning two 2016 Tony Awards—including Best Revival of a Musical.
A film adaptation of the musical was released on December 25, 2023.
Productions Workshop and world premiere (2004–2005) The Color Purple was originally workshopped by the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, in mid-2004 following Scott Sanders' optioning the work from Alice Walker in 1999 and auditioning various creative team members. The September 9, 2004, world premiere of the musical was produced by the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta by special arrangement with Creative Battery and Scott Sanders Productions.
For the Atlanta run, LaChanze starred as Celie, Felicia P. Fields as Sofia, Saycon Sengbloh as Nettie, Adriane Lenox as Shug and Kingsley Leggs as Mister. Gary Griffin staged the work, with scenic design by John Lee Beatty, lighting by Brian MacDevitt, costumes by Paul Tazewell and sound by Jon Weston."Alice Walker Novel Sings as 'The Color Purple' Musical Starts World Premiere, Sept. 9" playbill.com, September 2004Broadwayworld.com, March 2004 "Alliance Theatre to Premiere 'The Color Purple' A New Musical" broadwayworld.com, 2004
Broadway (2005–2008) The musical opened on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on December 1, 2005. It was directed by Gary Griffin, produced by Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey, with choreography by Donald Byrd and musical direction by Linda Twine. The musical closed on February 24, 2008, after 30 previews and 910 regular performances. The production recouped its $11 million investment within its first year on Broadway, and had grossed over $103 million by the time it closed."Broadway's 'The Color Purple' Will Close Feb. 24" playbill.com, January 24, 2008.
The original Broadway production starred LaChanze as Celie, Brandon Victor Dixon as Harpo, Felicia P. Fields as Sofia, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Nettie, Kingsley Leggs as Mister, Krisha Marcano as Squeak, and Elisabeth Withers-Mendes as Shug Avery.
First national tour (2007–2010) Chicago (2007) The first national tour began on April 17, 2007, starting with an extended run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The company includes LaToya London as Nettie, Michelle Williams as Shug Avery, Felicia P. Fields as Sofia, and Jeannette Bayardelle as Celie, Stephanie St. James as Squeak. Bayardelle and Fields both are reprising their roles from Broadway. The show exceeded expectations, which necessitated a four-week extension of its Chicago engagement until September 30, 2007. The original expectation was that the show would run in Chicago until November. In all, the show produced respectable business results bringing in about $1 million per week for the first half of the engagement, but less during the summer months when the ticket prices were reduced to $39.50 to keep the theater full.
Chicago was notable as a starting point of the national tour because Oprah Winfrey, a 1986 Academy Awards nominee in the film adaptation is a Chicago resident. In addition, Felicia Fields is a Chicago native and resident. It was also a homecoming for Gary Griffin. Both Fields and Griffin made their broadway theatre debuts with this musical. As a result of the Chicago connections the Chicago premiere had a star-studded red carpet with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Jesse Jackson, R. Kelly, and Roger Ebert. Others in attendance included United States Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Christie Hefner. Coverage of the Chicago premiere was prominent in international media.
Tour (2009–2010) The 2009–2010 tour length started at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. on August 9, 2009, and ended at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The direction was by Griffin with John Lee Beatty as set designer, Paul Tazewell as costumer and Jon Weston as sound director. The official cast roles were made by Fantasia Barrino as Celie, Angela Robinson as Shug Avery, Felicia P. Fields as Sofia and LaToya London as Nettie.
Second national tour (2010–2011) A second national tour with a new non-Equity cast opened on March 12, 2010, at the Lyric Opera House and visited numerous US cities, making several return engagements. Tour stops include Omaha, Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, Mobile, Durham, and more."'The Color Purple' tour listing" phoenix-ent.com colorpurple.com In August 2010, Oprah Winfrey announced the traveling company of The Color Purple would be raising funds for the relief organization SBP along with the novel's author, Alice Walker. Due to an overwhelming demand, the tour returned to New Orleans where it played a 5-show limited-engagement at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts from February 11–13, 2011. facebook.com
Third national tour (2012) A third national tour with a non-Equity cast opened January 17, 2012, at the Francis Marion University PAC, in Florence, South Carolina, with previews in New Haven, CT at the Schubert Theater. The role of Celie was played by Washington, D.C., native Ashley L. Ware, and Taprena Augustine reprised her role as Shug Avery alongside Dayna Marie Quincy taking the role of Nettie (later taking the role of Celie at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia). Tour stops included Nevada (Las Vegas & Reno), Alabama (Mobile), Pennsylvania (Williamsport, Reading & Bloomsburg), and more.
London production (2013) A first international production, directed by John Doyle, opened in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory on July 17, 2013. The limited run ended on September 14, 2013. The cast included Cynthia Erivo (Celie), Nicola Hughes (Shug) and Christopher Colquhoun (Mister/Albert).Fisher, Phillip. The Color Purple - The Musical britishtheatreguide.info, retrieved January 27, 2018
Broadway revival (2015–2017) On January 9, 2015, producers Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, and Oprah Winfrey announced that the Menier Chocolate Factory production would be mounted on Broadway. Jennifer Hudson would make her Broadway debut in the role of Shug, Danielle Brooks would play the role of Sofia, and Cynthia Erivo would reprise her role as Celie. Kyle Jean-Baptiste was slated to be in it as well, but he died in a fall on August 29, 2015. Previews began November 10, 2015, with the official opening being December 10 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.Hetrick, Adam and Viagas, Robert. "Broadway 'Color Purple' Revival With Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo Sets Full Cast" Playbill, October 6, 2015Playbill Staff. "The Verdict: Read Reviews for Broadway 'Color Purple' Revival, With Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo" playbill.com, December 11, 2015 Erivo won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, with the production taking home the 2016 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The production closed on January 8, 2017, after 33 previews and 449 performances.Viagas, Robert. "Broadway 'Color Purple' Posts Closing Notice", Playbill, October 30, 2016
South Africa (2018) The first major international staging of the musical since the Broadway revival opened in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 4, 2018.
Netherlands (2018) The first translated production of The Color Purple opened on April 16 in Amsterdam at the NDSM wharf visited by the Queen of the Netherlands. This production was produced by Opus One and translated and directed by Koen van Dijk. The limited engagement will be followed by a tour in the autumn through several theatres in the Netherlands. It opened to positive reviews and starred newcomer Naomi van der Linden as Celie, as Shug Avery, Jeannine de la Rose as Sofia, Edwin Jonker as Mister and Carlos de Vries as Harpo.
Leicester and Birmingham (2019) A new co-production between Curve, Leicester and Birmingham Hippodrome opened in Leicester on June 28, 2019, before transferring to Birmingham on July 16, 2019. The production was directed by Tinuke Craig with T'Shan Williams as Celie, Karen Mavundukure as Sofia, Joanna Francis as Shug and Ako Mitchell as Mister.
Canada (2019) The Canadian premiere of The Color Purple opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia Neptune Theatre (Halifax) on April 9, 2019. The production is directed by Kimberley Rampersad, the first African-Canadian and woman to helm the show.
Brazil (2019) The Brazilian production of the musical opened in Rio de Janeiro from September 6 to November 3, 2019, before transferring to São Paulo from December 6, 2019, to February 16, 2020. The production was directed by Tadeu Aguiar.
Synopsis Act I On a Sunday morning in 1909, fourteen-year-old Celie – who has had one child by her father Alphonso and is now pregnant with her second – plays a clapping game with her younger sister Nettie ("Huckleberry Pie"). While attending services with the other members of their rural Georgia community, Celie goes into labor and is dragged out of the church as the congregation quietly looks on ("Mysterious Ways"). After Celie gives birth to a son, her father takes the child away and bluntly tells her he is going to get rid of it like the last one. Celie quietly says goodbye to her newborn and asks God for a sign ("Somebody Gonna Love You").
Four years later, local farmer and widower Albert "Mister" Johnson approaches Alphonso and asks permission to marry one of his daughters. Alphonso agrees, offering him Celie, instead of Nettie, and throwing a cow into the bargain. Although the girls promise never to be separated, Celie goes with Mister to save Nettie's dreams of becoming a teacher ("Our Prayer"). The local Church Ladies cluck their approval ("That Fine Mister") while Mister's field hands introduce Celie to a life of hard work ("Big Dog").
One day, Nettie arrives, explaining that she is tired of Alphonso's lecherous attentions and asking if she can stay. Mister agrees, but later attacks Nettie while she is walking to school. She fights back, prompting Mister to kick her out ("Mister / Nettie"). Celie protests, but Mister swears they will never see each other again. As she leaves Mister's property, Nettie promises to write to Celie. But when she goes to the mailbox the next day, Mister slams the mailbox shut, threatening to kill her if he ever sees her touch it ("Lily of the Field").
In 1920, Mister's son Harpo brings home Sofia, a strong-willed woman whom he later marries ("Dear God - Sofia"). When he complains that he is tired of Sofia bossing him around, Mister and Celie tell him the only way to get her to listen is to beat her. Harpo attempts to do so but ends up being beaten by Sofia ("A Tree Named Sofia"). After confronting Celie, Sofia learns the extent of Mister's cruelty and tells Celie to stand up for herself before leaving home to spend time with her sisters ("Hell No!").
Harpo decides to turn his house into a juke joint and engages in an affair with a waitress named Squeak, who moves in with him ("Brown Betty"). Sometime later, the community prepares for the arrival of jazz singer Shug Avery, who is revealed to be Mister's longtime lover ("Shug Avery Comin' to Town"). But when Shug arrives with her band, she is in such bad shape that Celie nurses her back to health despite local disapproval ("All We've Got to Say").
While tailoring a dress for Shug's debut, Celie experiences feelings of warmth and tenderness for the first time ("Dear God - Shug"). Shug, meanwhile, learns more about Celie's relationship with Mister and encourages her to find her inner strength ("Too Beautiful for Words"').