The Color Purple

6.5/10

From the novel by Alice Walker to the Oscar-winning film with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, to the 2007 Broadway show and the revival in 2015, and finally the 2023 movie musical, The Color Purple has reached all manner of  audiences across the decades through various mediums to tell the story of Celie. 

Now the Star Center has taken up the challenge to tell this beautiful and heart-breaking tale. 

The show opens with a rousing gospel number, utilizing the whole cast and filling the theater with song. Sebrenah Phillips, playing a Church Lady, sings her solo in this opening so convincingly and with such emotion that the audience is transported to a Sunday morning church pew. The atmosphere is joyful and upbeat and the urge to clap along with the choir is real, promising an engaging night of theater.

The cast is stacked with tremendous actors and singers, wonderfully showcased in every song. Riley Brack uses his show-stopping vocal talent to bring a new level of menace to Mister, especially as he towers over the two terrorized sisters.  Mary McKire's voice carries the audience through Celie’s journey with her evocative solos in such a way that her hope, loss, strength, and love are all deeply felt. The singing talent of this production is unmatched by most community theater standards and ultimately creates high expectations for the remaining elements of the show.

Unfortunately, the musical numbers consisting of 1-3 people often fall short of that high bar, as they have little choreography and the actors either face each other in full profile or stand front and center staring into the middle distance. This dulls the dramatic impact of the story during those moments and creates more of a concert atmosphere.

Juxtaposed with those static scenes, every ensemble piece throughout the show brings the audience back to the dynamic state of the church from the opening, complete with high energy and sharp choreography. The song “Big Dog,” in particular, is interesting with the male ensemble acting as farmhands doing hard labor. The choreographer utilizes pantomime to create energy and

convey the difficulty of working the land under oppressive conditions.

While the Star Center often pushes its audiences to consider unique perspectives and sensitive topics, many of the controversial themes in The Color Purple feel watered down, including the trauma of abuse suffered by Celie at the hands of the men in her life. Perhaps the most obvious instance of this is the treatment of the sapphic relationship between Celie and Shug Avery, played by Jet Carter. This bond is crucial to showing how the characters find renewed hope in life through self-discovery and acceptance. The source material provides opportunity to explore this romance, but on stage it seems as if Celie and Shug simply love each other like sisters.

Overall, this production leans heavily on the cast’s exquisite vocal performances and name recognition, providing the audience with something truly beautiful to hear. The Color Purple is playing at the Star Center Theatre through September 28th. Tickets can be purchased at starcentertheatre.org/tickets.