The DuPont Theatre opens its season with “The Color Purple,” which runs through September 19.
“The Color Purple” hits Delaware after a great run at the Lexington Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky. Its national tour, so far, has sold well, and Delaware should be no exception.
The musical is based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The plot, as you may recall from seeing the movie version by Steven Spielberg, follows Celie, an abused Southern woman who finds her voice in the world. Singer-songwriter Brenda Russell added the relationship between Celie and Shug Avery for the musical, since Walker felt it was neglected in the film. In the book, Shug, Albert’s old flame, comes to live with him and Celie. Shug initially insults Celie, but the two become close friends. It is actually Shug who helps Celie see her worth as a human being.
“The musical does a better job than the 1985 film of capturing the joyful heart of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel about a woman’s triumph over a life of abuse and tragedy,” writes critic Sue Merrell of the Grand Rapids Press. “The horror is still there, but off-stage. On stage, meanwhile, is some of the snappiest, most original choreography on tour today, and this ensemble kept it hopping from Sunday morning gospel to Saturday night swing at the juke joint.”
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, The Color Purple features a joyous Grammy-nominated score that blends jazz, gospel and blues.
Contact info: duponttheatre.com, or 656-4401
