See it on Broadway through January 8th only. The Color Purple is the 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival. Best Actress Tony Award winner CYNTHIA ERIVO ("an incandescent new star" says The New York Times) leads a powerhouse cast in this epic story of a young woman’s journey to love and joy in the American South. Joining her is Tony and Grammy-winning Broadway legend JENNIFER HOLLIDAY (Dreamgirls). Tony winner JOHN DOYLE directs.
Don't miss two of Broadway's most powerful performers together on one stage in this Tony-winning triumph that New York Magazine calls "one of the greatest revivals ever."
Experience the exhilarating power of this Tony-winning triumph that New York Magazine calls "one of the greatest revivals ever."
You won't find much actual purple in The Color Purple, John Doyle's simplified restaging of the formerly florid Broadway musical. At one point the nightclub singer Shug (Jennifer Hudson, making her Broadway debut) steps onstage in a periwinkle suit, but that's the closest the production comes to flamboyance. A restrained expansion of the production Doyle debuted at theMenier Chocolate Factory in London in 2013; this version is streamlined and stripped down. Doyle's strategy allows the fine performances, particularlyCynthia Erivo as the downtrodden Celie, to brighten it up.
While actors doubling as the orchestra, the concept Doyle is best known for, is eschewed here, his other frequently used techniques - staging that limits personal connections between characters and production values that don't clearly communicate locations - are out in full force. Granted, this production originated at London's modestly-sized Menier Chocolate Factory, so a bit of scaling down is to be expected, but the orchestrations could at least be restored to their original 18 pieces instead of remaining at six.
2004 | New York |
Reading New York |
2004 |
World Premiere |
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2005 | New York |
Workshop New York |
2005 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2007 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2015 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
2017 | US Tour |
Revival National Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Cynthia Erivo |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | John Doyle |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Danielle Brooks |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical | Jane Cox |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Catherine Jayes |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Joseph Joubert |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | The Color Purple |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Cynthia Erivo |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jennifer Hudson |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | The Color Purple |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Cynthia Erivo |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Danielle Brooks |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or off-Broadway) | The Color Purple |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | John Doyle |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Danielle Brooks |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Cynthia Erivo |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The Color Purple |
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