The Color Purple (Broadway)

See it if you enjoy great singing (Erivo is a knock out) and spare, effective staging. Charged with emotion, TCP tells of Southern women's plight.

Don't see it if you want redemption to feel real (the villain even improves). The underpinnings are too religious for my taste, but the performances soar.

See it if You're a fan of glorious singing and real human drama. Truly uplifting.

Don't see it if You don't like gospel music.

See it if Just see it. Cynthia Erivo may be the greatest talent on Broadway today. The whole show was brilliant.

Don't see it if Just see it.

See it if only to hear some great singing from Erivo & Headley; you want an example of when Doyle's stripped-down staging improves on the original.

Don't see it if you don't want to be emotionally manipulated; you don't like the show generally. (Tho this is probably the best the musical will ever get.)

See it if you like strong, inspiring voices in a powerful story, gospel and spiritual flavored score, memorable performances, Erivo is tremendous

Don't see it if you are expecting a big production number filled show, don't like gospel or intimate style musicals, don't want to be moved

See it if you don't want to be the dummy who missed Cynthia Erivo. WOW. Her voice is just unbelievable.

Don't see it if you're not a fan of John Doyle.

See it if /for stripped down show that gets to story's emotional core: shift from hopelessness to uplift; EVERY performer/chorus is powerhouse singer

Don't see it if seek innovative show/memorable music/lyrics; still, show has several operatic moments that bring audience to its feet

See it if you're a fan of the book or movie, you enjoy powerhouse singing, or you like stories about female empowerment.

Don't see it if you're considering seeing it based on the hype alone. It doesn't live up to it.

See it if You didn't see the original. It's a tremendously well-written show.

Don't see it if You loved the original. Beyond the megawatt performance of Cynthia Erivo, this revival doesn't live up to the hype.

See it if You liked the book or the film. You like lots of gospel style singing. You like a plot that may make you squirm. You like historic drama.

Don't see it if Overly amped singing and music won't annoy you. . I found the first 20 minutes excruciating with screeching sound ! Blatant abuse within !

See it if you want to see and hear some great actresses belting out a series of gripping songs

Don't see it if you like lavish musicals with fancy sets and lots of chorus girls and boys.

See it if you're ready for a tear jerking knee slapping jump to your feet and holler theater experience. Fantastic performances by the 3 female leads.

Don't see it if you didn't like the movie, you're looking for elaborate sets and costumes or you have a problem with an audience that hollers back.

See it if you want to see the best singing on Broadway. The leads are absolutely exceptional and the entire ensemble is superb. Emotional performances

Don't see it if you don't like soulful singing, are looking for a more classical score (the music here veers more towards gospel than show tunes).

See it if You like great stories, which are very emotional. somewhat funny and include amazing singing.

Don't see it if you do not like very emotional stories.

See it if You like great performances (amongst the best I have seen recently) and interesting staging

Don't see it if You need more than great performances supporting a rather unoriginal, simplistic plot with unsubtle character development.

See it if Love the score but hated the original version. This production reduces the show to a great story with fascinating staging, fab singing.

Don't see it if Minimalist staging confuses you.

See it if you want to see something uplifting and akin to spending the morning in church. It's so spiritual, so powerful.

Don't see it if you want to miss the most beautiful and inspiring performance of the year.

See it if you want to see John Doyle's best minimalist revival to date of an American musical.

Don't see it if if you have weak eardrums. The volume or over amplification is the show's only drawback.

See it if enjoy being taken on an emotional journey; the night I went there was a much deserved standing ovation mid-show

Don't see it if you want light entertainment

See it if you want good singing and you want to see an outstanding performance: cynthia erivo. well staged even if simple set. funny and touching.

Don't see it if you are tired of color purple.

See it if you want to see the powerhouse performances of some top-notch women who will make your heart soar and the audience roar at any given moment.

Don't see it if expecting a complex set, intricate dance numbers, or lavish costuming. This is a thinking musical with beautiful subtlety rather than glitz.

Also I had the pleasure of seeing The Color Purple during one of the final five performances. Run to see this Cynthia Erivo, Heather Headley, and Danielle Brooks-led story that positions the bildungsroman genre against a feminist and upward-mobility story. The audience was riveted and Cynthia got multiple standing ovations after numbers in the middle of the show. While the set is minimal and rather stark, it is a visually-arresting (even in its muted tones) image that sets the scenes of poverty, desperation, abuse, humor, danger, depression, empowerment, joy, and hope well. The variety of feelings in the show are somehow not overwhelming. Like Celie, we can handle it all. Theatregoers who may seek more family-friendly, traditional fair, take note: themes of rape, abuse, affairs, sexuality, near-incest, and the like arise. I found the pacing perfect, although fans of the Alice Walker novel may find that the swiftness of the musical disallows the same kind of splendid musings the book allows.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a great ensemble cast in a moving and surprisingly uplifting version of the show.

Don't see it if you aren't interested in Alice Walker's novel or don't like dramatic musicals

See it if Energetic, soaring musical of Alice Walker's novel; amazing vocals; Cynthia Erivo and Danielle Brooks were standouts; many standing ovations

Don't see it if I loved the minimalist set with clever use of chairs as props, but others may find it sparse; Jennifer Hudson was weakest part of cast.

See it if you enjoyed the book, movie, &/or the original show. They can ALL be loved & cherished, along with THIS version, although ALL are different.

Don't see it if you didn't enjoy any of the aforementioned. This revival is masterful, deeply-touching, staged SIMPLY, w/amazing singing, sprinkled w/humor.

Also BY FAR surpasses the original broadway production. No fluff, no muss. Beautifully staged in its simplicity.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see Cynthia Erivo give a great performance.

Don't see it if you don't like John Doyle's scaled down reinvented musicals