Playbill of The Week: The Color Purple

24/53

Let me just start this post by saying spelling color the American way for this entire article is extremely painful for this Canadian girl. But for Cynthia Erivo I will persevere, because who wouldn't do anything for Cynthia's voice? I have to say I didn't know The Color Purple very well, I'd seen the movie but the musical I was unfamiliar with. But I knew I had to see it.

Let's just start with the woman who stole all our hearts and blew our brains wide open, Miss Cynthia Erivo. I can honestly say I have never experienced a performance like the one that she gave. It was so emotional and tender, Celie was a beautifully tortured soul who Cynthia played perfectly. She took your heart and stomped it to pieces in the best way possible. I'm not a religious person but watching Cynthia sing is the most spiritual thing I've ever experienced. I don't know how her vocal chords accomplished singing "I'm here" every single night but I thank them for their work. Her entire body is a part of her performance. She just gives everything she possibly has to Celie and changes you. What she has you cannot teach, you simply have that gift or you don't.

Now I like the rest of the world has come to love a Netflix show called "Orange Is The New Black" and like everyone else have fallen in love with Taystee played by the amazing Danielle Brooks. Again I didn't know much about Danielle before Orange, so I didn't have much of an opinion on her, and since I didn't know much about The Color Purple I had no opinion on her being cast. But I am so glad she was. Her comedy was such a gift to this production. Her voice was deep and full, and she owned the stage whenever she was on it. Her "Hell No" is one of the strongest performances, and I mean strong in personality. She carries herself and her characters story so expertly. I would stand behind her in anything she wanted to do. Female empowerment, that is Danielle Brooks as Sofia.

Now, when people think musical theatre a few things are bound to pop into their head. Cats, Phantom of The Opera, Wicked, Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone and Jennifer Holliday as Effie White. And to some twist of fate Jennifer Holliday had joined the cast of The Color Purple as Shug Avery when I saw it. And let me tell you watching a legend like that perform on stage is such a treat. An absolute icon in the theatre world. Almost everyone knows Jennifer's signature belt, and watching her on stage with this cast and this material was just joyous. I felt like I was watching something I wasn't supposed to. Like it was a secret performance and somehow I was lucky enough to be invited. I'm sure watching Jennifer Hudson would have been marvelous, but honestly I wouldn't have traded in my Jennifer Holliday ticket for anything else.

Carrie Compere , Rema Webb and Phoenix Best who played the Church Ladies were some of my favourite performances of the show. They were exactly what you wanted from characters called The Church lady. Gossipy and judgemental, and damn can they sing. And even though he plays a dreadful human being Isaiah Johnson who plays Mister gives a brilliant performance of making you truly hate someone. He was so wonderful on stage and his voice was just glorious.

This show was filled with brilliant, masterful performances. Getting to experience The Color Purple is something I will never forget or take for granted. Seeing performers shine while telling such a beautifully heartbreaking story is always a joy. Sitting in my box surrounded by strangers, we all cried and laughed together and felt something truly wonderful. We got a lesson on how to be a human being and how we should treat others. It's a joyous, beautiful, magical performance that was simple and heartfelt. Every person made you feel something and made you appreciate life. I look back on this show with tears in my eyes and hoping that I'll have just a fraction of Cynthia Erivos talent.