Inspiration Abounds in 'The Color Purple'




Melissa Victor, Kelli Blackwell, Tierra Stickland, Samantha McEwen, Crystal Freeman, Olivia Ashley Reed  Photo: Chris Christianson

The Color Purple, the heralded Broadway musical adapted from Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitizer Prize-winning novel and the tear-inducing film by Steven Spielberg of the same title that starred Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg, plays out handsomely at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia.  The music and lyrics, penned by Brenda Russel, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, and the book by Marsha Norman provided the incredibly talented cast with toe-tapping and moving gospel, blues, jazz and pop songs to showcase their amazing vocal, dancing and acting skills.

Billed as a “musical about love,” The Color Purple is really about power: the power men held over women in early 20^th century, impoverished rural Georgia; the power of faith; the power of family; the power of friendship; the power of positive role models; the power of self-discovery; the power of self-esteem; and yes, the power of love. 

To read full review, visit MD Theatre Guide.