The Color Purple (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (3,068)
See it if you want to see a beautiful, deep, moving musical with an all-star cast with all-star voices.
Don't see it if you want to see a fluffy, light musical.
See it if you like good theatre
Don't see it if you don't want to have an emotional catharsis
See it if You love the best singing on Broadway
Don't see it if You cannot handle a sad story
See it if You want a deep, powerful story that's well-sung, well-acted, incredibly memorable, and ultimately very uplifting. Amazing!
Don't see it if You're sensitive to stories about racism or physical/emotional abuse or don't like gospel/blues/folk-type music. Story/acting so worth it.
See it if no questions, JUST SEE IT!
Don't see it if you're looking for a fluffy, pop musical. It's dark and sad (although absolutely amazing)
See it if you want to be inspired
Don't see it if you don't love musicals
See it if ...want to see a brand new and inspiring production of a recent Broadway production. A stunning cast and production.
Don't see it if ...you are expecting a traditional rendition of the musical.
See it if You are human
Don't see it if You don't like theatre
Critic Reviews (59)
"'The Color Purple' is a story of redemption, and Doyle and his cast do a miraculous job of capturing that essence, down to its spiritual core, without getting preachy or mawkish. There are too many wonderful performances to mention…Doyle allows flashes of caricature; but by the time you leave the theater, wiping tears from your eyes, you won't remember them. Instead, you'll relish the power and grace of this show, and emerge uplifted."
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"I'm usually no fan of director John Doyle's work...But Doyle's revival of 'The Color Purple' knocked me out. And that's almost entirely because he had the good sense to cast Cynthia Erivo as the show's star…Doyle has stripped the show down to its elements and this is a much simpler production than the original…This streamlining places all the weight on the music and the performances…Erivo as Celie is truly sensational."
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"These are direct, accessible songs that are simply structured but not simple-minded. I appreciated the original as a big, old-fashioned, middle-of-the-road show...It is less big and feels newer now, but is still rich with characters adapted by playwright Marsha Norman. Doyle has cut what I count as eight songs from the score, a decision that eliminates some richness from the back-stories and makes Celie the show-stunner she deserves to be."
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"The revival of 'The Color Purple' might be the ideal musical to second-act. You’ll miss some bald exposition and confusing staging, some showboating performers...But you’ll witness an emotional progression and wrap-up that’s extremely satisfying despite the hard-to-swallow turns of plot and character, and you’ll hear the better half of the score. Most of all, you’ll see a star being born."
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"The show still teeters between uplifting and tear-jerking, and is often rescued by its musical numbers...Ultimately, director Doyle properly emphasizes the characters' expressions of themselves through the show's songs, an eclectic mix of gospel, blues and pop numbers. It's in its musical moments that 'The Color Purple' is most alive."
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"The limited staging puts the focus on the score…The intimate relationship between Celie and Shug is handled here both tenderly and directly…Broadway’s latest incarnation focuses almost entirely on song, but it’s still the same joyous and uplifting journey."
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"Director John Doyle’s wondrous redo of 'The Color Purple' may be minimalist, but it’s drenched in emotion. At the same time, he has gloriously amped up this Broadway musical’s power as a feminist battle cry...The moment-by-moment reactions of the talented ensemble to the ups and downs of the story’s major characters, both musically and dramatically, fairly crackle."
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"Director John Doyle has pared things down in that way he has and given it new life with a production that comes to Broadway in very good shape...The show is very heavy on the music, coming off like an American folk opera, while Marsha Norman’s script adaptation is half nightmare, half wish-fulfillment, as Southern woman Celie endures all manner of oppression and abuse before standing up for herself, indulging in lesbian love, and even becoming a designer!"
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