The Color Purple in L.A. – “Wow!”

We saw the stage production of The Color Purple at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles last night. Wow!! It was an incredible performance; well acted, well sung, beautifully staged. I am not one to easily give standing ovations but I leapt to my feet at the close in recognition of a wonderful, moving job by the entire cast, from the stars to the ensemble.

I know it really isn't fair to single out any performers but my favorites were Jeanette Bayardelle (Ciely), Felicia Fields (Sophia), Stu James (Harpo), and the threesome of Kimberly Ann Harris, Virginia Ann Woodruff and Lynette Dupree (as the Church Ladies). Bayardelle had a powerful voice and tremendous range and she brought down the house at the end with her powerful rendition of I'm Here.

While I was not familiar with most of the songs, as a fan of jazz and blues, I felt the music was great as was the orchestra. The set was impressive and was greatly enhanced by outstanding lighting. It was simply a wonderful performance.

There is simply nothing that quite compares with well-done, live musical theatre. Bravo!