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The Color Purple Reviews

Broadway ShowsMusicalsSocial CommentaryClassicBreakthrough

Average customer review: 3.5 star rating (3.5 Stars)

Number of reviews: 19

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5.0 star rating from San Francisco, California

BEST SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN!

I did not have any expectations before I saw this show. I was in San Francisco for work and the timing was good as it was opening night. I have never laughed and cried so much during a show. The performers were AMAZING! So many talented voices. Don’t wast your time watching reality TV, go and see what life was really like for African American women and men 100 years ago. Very moving and something I will be talking about for years to come. Might even try to see it again tomorrow before I head home to Australia.

5.0 star rating Eileen A. from Las Vegas, Nevada

BEST TOURING SHOW THIS SEASON!!

We have the Broadway Series subscription at The Smith Center and this is far the best show we've seen this season. All the actors were amazingly great. Adrianna Hicks as Celie was phenomenal! Even with their improvisational use of the stage and props, the cast was able to maximize their individual voices, harmonies, and movements to express the emotional struggles of that era. Definitely recommend for any one who still has a chance to watch it.

5.0 star rating Ellen R. from Las Vegas, Nevada

ENARGY & PATHOS

Phenomenal peoduction at Las Vegas Smth Center. Loved the energy and talent, balancing the difficult emotions. Great front row seats, tho no seat is bad at Smith Center. Dinner at Casa Don Juan's capped a lovely afternoon

5.0 star rating C Andrews from Boston, Massachusetts

ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE SEEN

One of the best shows I have seen in quite a while! Story stayed true to the movie but had an unexpected enjoyable twist of laughter added to it!

5.0 star rating Don Royal from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

AMAZING SINGERS

Singers were amazing.The show stayed close to the movie and book with some slight twists towards the end that were definitely interesting. Overall the wife and I really enjoyed it and as I mentioned the singers were amazing.

5.0 star rating Gwendolyne Lovett from Boston, Massachusetts

THE COLOR PURPLE

My daughter, took me on Mother's Day. I read the book, years before the movie came out. Jennifer Houston and the whole cast was excellent. I am going to Boston, to see it, I can look at the play over 20 times and never get sick of it. I first went and seen it, on Broadway in New York. Please go see it, you will be glad. We were seated in the 2nd row. It's worth it, no disappointments, I talked about it for months. For dinner before the play, we want to Sylvia's, the famous Soul Food, restaurant, in New York. I can't thank you enough, my daughter, Alisha, for my Mother's Day, I will never forget it. Love you.

5.0 star rating Monica Willis from Houston, Texas

WONDERFUL NIGHT

Saw the traveling show in Charlotte North Carolina and was so impressed. My mother loved it. It was so great that I am looking forward to seeing it again in Houston.

5.0 star rating Heather from Sacramento, California

RIVETING PERFORMANCES!

I saw this performance in Sacramento at Music Circus this afternoon. It was INCREDIBLE! Angela Wildflower as Celie was absolutely riveting: real, vulnerable, engaging. Our whole audience was sucked in from the first lines until the encore. The story was told with gentleness, but still had dark undertones. Sofia (played by Amma Osei) was a delightful break from the seriousness and has the most beautiful, deep, belting alto. When Celie realizes at the end that she is worth something and sings that she is beautiful just the way she is, she brought down the house! There wasn't a dry eye in the room! It reminded me about the power of musical theater to tell a story and make people feel transported. BRAVO TO THE CAST, every last one!

4.0 star rating Denise from Los Angeles, California

OTHER THAN THAT I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS SAID OR SUNG

The sound was atrocious. I couldn’t understand much of the dialogue or lyrics. The audience in front of us would respond up to a certain row and after that, crickets. I was already a fan of the book and movie so I was familiar with the story line although I did go to Wikipedia during intermission. I loved the minimalist set and how the chairs were integrated into the staging, which I absolutely loved. I wish I’d seen this revival on Broadway. I would say Don’t Waste Your Money but I got enough out of it to be glad I went. And I want to see the performers and production personnel supported. And the notion that, as spoken by the usher as related in another post, audience members should secure assisted listening devices? C'mon! That’s bogus!

4.0 star rating M. Pierce from New Brunswick, New Jersey

COLOR PURPLE

Great Show! Wonderful acting, singing and music. Unfortunately, we had difficulty understanding the dialogue and lyrics and at times the music drowned out the singing. In spite of that, it was very enjoyable.

3.0 star rating Jai from Los Angeles, California

THE COLOR PURPLE

Singing was great but that was expected. No props just wooden chairs on a wall...really. Actors going in and out of accents couldn't tell who was who. I want my $400 back!

3.0 star rating Josian from Miami, Florida

COLOR PURPLE LEFT ME BLACK N BLUE

Singers were awesome, It was like watching some bits and pieces of the movie in fast forward. There was no props per say, chairs and sheets? Not recommended. 3/01/2018

3.0 star rating Michel from Houston from Houston, Texas

LOST FOR WORDS

We love theater, knew the story line & have seen amazing productions (e.g. Aladdin & the Lion King) that create a wow experience, so the first thing we noticed was the set. The set was nice but remained the same throughout the production -- no scene changes not even after intermission so lost for words -- which is unfortunate because digital projection for scene changes would have allowed this production to live up to its name. That being said, the cast was talented and enjoyable, but felt the cast had to work extra hard to carry the to make up for the limited set. While I was also lost for words when I first heard the profanity or noticed the suggestive bumping and grinding on stage, the production conveyed the meaning (spiritually) of the color "purple" and not so subtle messages from the book including themes of sexism, sexuality, liberation and freedom. An optimized set could create a wow experience, right now - lost for words!

2.0 star rating Jan from Chicago, Illinois

COLOR PURPLE WAS FADED AND WASHED OUT

I love the movie I have seen the play in New York and Chicago 4 times. Last night was my 5th and last I had highly recommended this play to my friend. I was so disappointed I will never recommend this play or go to see it again. This was a low budget disappointing version of the original plays. No props no costume changes till the end. Singing was great but you couldn't understand the words. The prices of the tickets should have been reduced. Not recommended

2.0 star rating Deba from Chicago, Illinois

COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WORDS

I had excellent seats in Dress rehearsal center. However, It was very hard to understand a lot of the words. The sound was poor. There were no scene or costume changes and for the amount of money I spent on the tickets, you would think the scenes would have better or at least changed ONCE. There were only chairs on the wall, baskets on the floor and a few sheets used as props. The actors remained in the same clothing up until the second Act when they moved to colorful pants- Subsequently, their financial situation changes but the scene still does not change to express that. The singing was good but could have been better. The songs seemed all the same.

2.0 star rating Mary Hough from Chicago, Illinois

HORRIBLE SOUND

Sadly the orchestra was too loud and the performers mic's too high. They had such strong voices that you didn't need that much help. Could not understand the words and I am a music professional so I can only imaging the frustration from a typical theater goer. if they fix the sound it would have been a 5 star production. That theater is so big it just eats sound.

2.0 star rating Sondra from St. Louis, Missouri

I LOVE THE COLOR PURPLE, BUT NOT THIS PLAY

I saw this movie years ago so I was aware of the storyline. As a season ticket holder for years at the Fabulous Fox, I have to say that I was very disappointed in this play. The stage decorations were boring. The characters move chairs around on the wooden wall. Really, this is the best they could do. No scene changes either. The singers were quite good although there were times when the volume of screaming the music was ear splitting. The mood of the audience was very positive when Celie defies her husband and moves on with her life. So that part was uplifting with so many women’s issues being discussed lately. The music did not even have one single standout song that I could take away as memorable. In general I would never recommend this play and will never waste money seeing it again.

1.0 star rating from Los Angeles, California

MEH, I’VE SEEN BETTER MIDDLE SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS

The stage design was done on a shoestring budget; the lighting design was less nuanced than a high- school senior showcase, and the audio design and operation was abysmal. Repeated missed audio cues meant whole lines were said in utter silence. Even when the mics were on, you could barely hear. Actors didn’t pause for laugh lines, but barreled through with nary a consideration. There are no props to speak of, other than chairs which double as mountains and jails and dining room tables and a host of other things, two bedsheets, and a single seashell. They didn’t change makeup as characters aged over 60 years, they didn’t change wigs, even! The only saving grace of this production is the cast, in that they were probably tricked into believing this would be a full budget union tour, and they’re doing their best to move the chairs around while trying to stay in character. Honestly, it’s an affront to theatre.

1.0 star rating Karen from Los Angeles, California

GREAT SHOW BUT COULDN’T HEAR!- A WORD OF ADVICE!

We were sitting in the mezzanine and could not understand a word of the show. I’ve been to the Pantages and never had this problem. It sounded like gibberish. I chatted with the ushers at intermission and they said a lot of people were having this problem and I should go get the assisted hearing head phones from the lobby. This definitely helped with act 2. However, it kind of destroyed the magic of live performance to have to listen through headphones. After the show, the house manager said the intelligibility of sound for this show has been a problem. For the price of tickets it really should be perfect. That being said, the talent in this show is incredible, and the story super moving. Great female forward story. I loved the minimalist design. The spectacle of the production is the voices and story, but if you can’t hear... My Advice: If you are going, anticipate the sound issue, and get those earphones at the top of the show.

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What we thought

EMPOWERING Beautiful moving!

The music and lyrics are beautiful and we felt the shifts and changes of Celie's journey!

The book leaves the audience feeling empowered and hopeful for change. The music and lyrics are beautiful and we felt the shifts and changes of Celie's journey!

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Nicola Quinn

Nicola Quinn

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