The Color Purple (Broadway)
Closed 2h 20m
The Color Purple (Broadway)
94

The Color Purple (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

94%
(3067 Ratings)
Positive
99%
Mixed
1%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Great singing, Absorbing, Must see, Entertaining

About the Show

This stripped-down revival of the musical based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel won two 2016 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. Directed by John Doyle and starring Tony winner Cynthia Erivo.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (3,067)

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68 Reviews | 10 Followers
100
Must see, Masterful, Epic, Exquisite, Enchanting

See it if you have a soul

Don't see it if you have no soul

88 Reviews | 14 Followers
100
Must see, Great staging, Great writing, Great singing, Great acting

See it if you want to be taken to a world of wonderful voices...

Don't see it if you can't handle a tough story...

84 Reviews | 1 Follower
100
Absorbing, Delightful, Entertaining, Clever

See it if You want to go in an emotional rollercoaster

Don't see it if If you don’t like deep material

59 Reviews | 10 Followers
100
Must see, Great staging, Exquisite, Enchanting, Absorbing

See it if You’re a fan of the book or movie to see an incredible performance by Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.

Don't see it if You’re a racist.

53 Reviews | 16 Followers
100
Absorbing, Great acting, Great singing, Must see, Riveting

See it if you are able to. It was amazing with a stellar cast and riveting story.

Don't see it if you are a racist

87 Reviews | 31 Followers
100
Absorbing, Great singing, Must see, Resonant, Profound

See it if You want to see some amazing singing.

Don't see it if You don't like strong women.

95 Reviews | 11 Followers
100
Absorbing, Entertaining, Great singing, Great acting, Great writing

See it if you want to hear some great, inspring and moving voices, songs and acting. The message is conveyed with perfection.

Don't see it if you are just a buster looking to find something wrong

127 Reviews | 27 Followers
100
Absorbing, Entertaining, Great singing, Great writing, Intense

See it if you've read the book, watched the movie and/or love Broadway shows in general. One of the top 5 shows I've seen. Entertaining until the end

Don't see it if want something light. This was a fabulous show, must see.

Critic Reviews (59)

The New York Times
December 10th, 2015

"'The Color Purple' has been born again, and its conversion is a glory to behold…The current version is a slim, fleet-footed beauty...There’s a deep wealth of power within its restraint…It takes hard work, ruthless editing and a spark of genius to make a miracle on Broadway. That’s certainly true of this 'Color Purple'...Celie may have started off cowed, but we’ve always sensed that there’s a rare spirit inside. That about sums up Mr. Doyle’s relationship, too, to this vitally reincarnated musical."
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Time Out New York
December 10th, 2015

"Doyle’s production intensifies 'The Color Purple' and brings out its deeper hues. The musical blossoms into a classic…Doyle’s elegantly minimal production keeps Celie in sharp central focus throughout…Celie’s journey has a clearer sense of direction than before...Erivo is supported by a mighty sisterhood of performers…This 'Color Purple' is a celebration of black women, and it fills you with appreciation for the musical’s return. It’s here, and it’s beautiful."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
December 10th, 2015

"A kind of theatrical CPR, restarting the heart of a show that, in its original production, seemed to die before your eyes…'The Color Purple' does still have its awkward elements: When the second act steps away from Celie, it loses focus and momentum…Doyle gets everything out of 'The Color Purple' that anyone could have thought to put in it...One of the best revivals ever."
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The Wall Street Journal
December 10th, 2015

"The musical version of the film version of Alice Walker’s novel is an exercise in treacly feel-good sentimentality, but Mr. Doyle’s scaled-down, ruthlessly cut version makes the best possible case for 'The Color Purple'...for all its own virtues, looks and feels like an off-Broadway show that made a wrong turn at 42nd Street."
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Deadline
December 10th, 2015

"A revival of 'The Color Purple' that lifts an already formidable musical into greatness…Marsha Norman’s book cunningly trims the story to essentials, and the songs get the job done…'The Color Purple' is more than the sum of its considerable parts. It’s a fine old-fashioned celebration of endurance, grace and goodness, given a powerful African-American depth. If you can’t cherish those you have an impervious heart indeed."
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New York Daily News
December 10th, 2015

"Gospel-inspired songs get the show off to a slow start...The musical finds its stride when it lets down its hair with sexed-up songs...British director John Doyle shows his warm side. While his use of chairs as a visual statement feels a bit gimmicky, Doyle gets something very right with a bolt of fabric that subtly underscores the story of Celie’s rebirth. The show itself has had its own new start. 'The Color Purple' is bolder, brighter and deeper than ever."
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Variety
December 10th, 2015

"The ladies wear the pants in John Doyle’s ravishing revival of 'The Color Purple...' In a feat of reverse magic, Doyle’s minimalist production maximizes the strength and beauty of Marsha Norman’s book… The score has a sweeping populist appeal, sensitive to each character’s specific lyric mood…Both the beauty and the brains of the score are evident in the fact that each character’s signature song belongs only to that character."
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The Hollywood Reporter
December 10th, 2015

"This revelatory overhaul is characterized by its grace, restraint and soaring spirituality, peeling back the excess to expose the life-affirming material's molten emotional core. It remakes a patchy musical as a thrilling one…This production's manifold acts of renewal go far beyond its remarkable performances…The quality of the singing throughout, and the beauty of the harmonies, cannot be overpraised…This very fine revival is not to be missed."
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