When one walks into the Jacobs Theatre, they can already tell they are in for a treat. The stage has sky high wooden walls, adorned with rustic looking chairs. The musical not only lives up to the standards set forth by the set, but exceeds them exponentially.
The play itself is an emotional roller coaster. While some parts of the play make you laugh, others make you want to cry and comfort the actors onstage. The musical is about Celie, played by Cynthia Erivo, a young women in the South who is repeatedly raped by her step-father, played by . Celie’s only source of comfort comes from her sister, Nettie, played by Joaquina Kalukango. Their step-father makes sure that Nettie gets a college education, leaving Celie with the housework. One day, a man played by , known only as “Mister”, comes and takes Celie to be his wife. It is here that Celie meets Shug Avery, played by Jennifer Hudson, a jazz singer who befriends Celie and helps her gain confidence in pursuing her own life.
The strongest member of the cast was a young British actress named Cynthia Erivo who played Celie. Ms. Erivo has a powerful voice that can sing everything from soulful ballads to lively melodies. However, in an effort to replace her British accent with a thick Southern accent, she fumbles her lines. In the beginning, she seems a tad scared to do so, but as the play goes on, she gains confidence and provides the audience with a truly mesmerizing performance.
However, while the vocals of the ensemble are strong, the songs they sing are not. While they will getting you tapping your feet, you’ll find yourself not being able to remember any of them once you leave the theatre. This does not mean that the song are banal in anyway. Rather, they are too lively. All the songs have a similar blues and upbeat jazz feels, that blend them all together. The kind of music the one would expect to hear in a setting like this.
All in all, The Color Purple is a brilliant musical that offers a unique insight to America’s past and present.