Michelle Williams as Shug and Jeanette Bayardelle as Celie in "The Color Purple"
(Credit: Paul Kolnik)
We had no idea going to the theatre could involve an absurd need for tissues, an ab workout and a downright dance party ... until we hit "The Color Purple" at the Ahmanson. Purple—backed by, yes, Oprah Winfrey and Quincey Jones—delivers some serious cheer in the form of good, 'ol gospel. But instead of priests, it's got a member of Destiny's Child. Hello!
The well-known story, based on Alice Walker's bestseller, is told primarily through the eyes of Celie (Jeannette Bayardelle)—a fourteen-year-old girl who's pregnant with her second child and living in the hard world of rural Tennessee. Yes, we know it sounds like a bummer, but it's a musical, people. Let’s just say an intermission glass of Cabernet and keeping time with the grooves of the ridiculously lively and upbeat musical numbers is enough to pep up any Grinch.
Shug Avery, the traveling singer who's the first to rattle a smile out of Celie and who captures the hearts (and loins) of every man in town, is deliciously portrayed by Michelle Williams—once 33% of Destiny’s Child. Shug is brash and sexy, with an independence that both frightens and bewitches the town (most notably, Celie’s husband).
Despite the hard narrative, there's no lack of humor in this production: jokes roll easily through the scenes and from the characters' humanity. Bayardelle, in particular, handles Celie's journey from victim to victor with grace. Lighting designer Brian MacDevitt’s ability to use color and intensity to capture the warm aesthetic of the south—from swampy greens to vivid country sunsets to the terror of an African storm—is truly awesome.
So, you say it feels like I’m laying Kraft singles on your heart? Well, it's not every day that you can get gospel, booze and church lady hats in one fell swoop. Can I get a witness?
Where: Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Centre in Downtown Los Angeles, 135 North Grand Avenue at Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When: Dec.13-Mar. 9—Nightly shows are at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Saturday matinees are at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday has a 1:00 p.m. matinée and a 6:30 p.m. show.
How: Click here for ticket information.
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