‘The Color Purple’ @ Casa Mañana
Photos by Nicki Behm
—Jan Farrington
Lively choreography and strong lead performances energize Casa Mañana’s production of The Color Purple, the 2005 musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s hard-hitting ‘80s book. (In more recent times, a hit Broadway revival spent several years on Broadway, with Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo as central character of Celie and Jennifer Hudson as Shug.)
Walker’s book—told mostly in letters from Celie to her sister Nettie, and even to God—is crammed with so many story lines that it’s no surprise the musical whizzes by in one “well, that happened” after another (a colorful zig into Lion King territory was a surprise!) and with Walker’s toughest storytelling given a quick once-over.
But this is a musical, and its creative team in New York (songs are by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, and book by playwright Marsha Norman) knew it would need a lighter, more upbeat touch. The show’s inspirational account of poor Celie’s journey from abused girl and crushed wife to strong, independent woman (over a time span of about 30=40 years in the early 20th century) is, in the end, a triumphal march.
Plus, having the excellent Gerry McIntyre as both director and choreographer—putting story and movement together all the way through—is a great way to “show and tell” at the same time. (As just one example, a delightful trio/quartet of performers from the ensemble—Church Ladies, to be specific—come prancing across the stage every few minutes to drop bits of gossip, background, humor, and good advice.
The Color Purple is also and always the story of a whole community, and a culture.
The show opens with sisters Celie (Ciara Alyse Harris) and Nettie (Anne-Sophie Hill) singing and clapping to a musical game. The soul-deep love between the girls keeps them going through their troubles, as their Pa (J.D. Webster) is hard at best and brutally abusive at worst. A local farmer comes to call: Mister (Nathaniel Stampley) needs a wife—and while he wants Nettie, Pa throws in a cow to persuade him to take Celie instead. “You ugly,” says Mister—but the deal’s too good, it seems.
The sisters are separated, and Mister angrily tells Celie he’ll kill her if she touches the mailbox—looking for Nettie’s promised letters. Over time, Celie believes Nettie must be dead.
Other people are Celie’s salvation: Mister’s grown son Harpo (Braxton O. Johnson), his fierce girlfriend (and wife, eventually) Sofia (Nyla Watson), and sensual jazz/blues singer Shug Avery (Valisia LeKae). They all show Celie different ways to be brave: Harpo, in spite of his father, opens a juke joint to follow his dreams. Sophia’s wonderful number “Hell No” (Watson has us grinning and cheering from the first lines) is a hymn to fighting for yourself: Why you so scared I'll never know / But if a man raise his hand...Hell no!” And Shug shows Celie what a treasure she is—and how worthy of love—in “Too Beautiful for Words”:
You not ugly.
You the grace of God if us ever see it….
The grace you bring into this world’s
Too beautiful for words.
The lead performers (Lekae, Watson, Harris, Stampley, Hill, Johnson, and Webster) are fine singers (Watson’s Sofia and Lekae’s Shug are terrific) and compelling actors. Music director Ilana Atkins leads a tight, just-right small orchestral group that adds electricity to the great dancing—and never overwhelms the voices onstage. Tammy Spencer’s pinafore-and-apron costume for Celie (she wears it though most of the show) is nicely period, as are the work clothes for Mister’s field hands, who have some fierce moves And there’s a very effective use of spotlights from designer Samuel Rushen, who’s an old hand at creating drama on a simple stage set. (The rustic wood multi-platform design is by Mike Sabourin.)
Celie leaves us with a message that feels like a way to think about our lives:
And I'm thankful for every day that I'm given
Both the easy and hard ones I'm livin'
But most of all, I'm thankful for
Lovin' who I really am
I’m beautiful
Yes, I’m beautiful
And I’m here….
WHEN: March 1-9, 2025
WHERE: 3101 W. Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth
WEB: casamanana.org
