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| Celie and her sister Nettie |
The musical The Color Purple is based on the 1982 novel
by Alice Walker. It is a story about a woman (Celie) who triumphs over life’s hardships in the American south. As my
blog inspired physiologist Maslow would say, she self-actualized or became her personal best. I was a sap and cried tears of joy on her behalf during most of the play's second act when she triumphed over adversity with the strength and resilience given to her from God.
The Color Purple was
packed with fantastic jazz, soul, gospel and blues musical scores. It opened on a Sunday morning with a
powerful gospel song “Mysterious Ways”,
reminding all to “make a joyful noise” because “the good Lord works in mysterious ways” in all of our lives. The
story exuded so much emotion, and the music was so good, that it did not need much
of a set (a simple backdrop with chairs) to tell Celie's powerful journey.
In the first act, the extreme hardship of Celie’s life was revealed.
She had to give up both of her
children which were fathered by her step father. She sang “Somebody Gonna Love You” to her son as he was taken away from her.
There was a loving bond between two sisters, Celie
(Andrianna Hicks) and Nettie (N’Jameh Camara). We learn about Nettie's dream to become a teacher and explore the world as they
both sang “Our Prayer”. Celie’s love for her sister was so strong that she sacrifices her life by marrying Mister (Gavin Gregory) so that Nettie could fulfill her passion to teach. By doing so,
Celie endured being called ugly, beatings,
neglect and being worked like a dog.
Mister showed his cruelty when he hid all of Nettie's letters and allows Celie to believe that her sister is dead.
Through it all Celie remained kind and loving. She even nursed Mister’s mistress, Sung (Carla R.
Stewart) back to health. Sung, a flamboyant singer, sees Celie’s “heart”
singing that she is "Too Beautiful for Words".
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| Celie triumphs with her own business and independence |
In Act II Celie
evolved and finds the strength needed to leave Mister. I was ready to give her a standing ovation when she left him and the audience burst into applause. We were
all rooting for her. She gained her independence becoming a successful business woman and she triumphed emotionally.
I was in tears when she sang “Here I am”.
We all strive for the confidence
expressed in this song. She belted, “ I don’t need you to love me, I don’t need
you to love. I got my sister, my children, my house, my hands ...I am gonna take a deep breath, hold my head up …I HAVE IT INSIDE OF ME TO LIVE AS I WILL.... am loving who I really am..I’m beautiful and I’m here!"
Celie’s journey was all
about being triumphant in the mist of adversity but remembering that God has equipped us to do
so. The musical ended with the song “Color Purple” that states, “God is inside of me and everyone else. I came into this world with God ..when I finally looked inside I found it.."
I loved this musical that shows resilience and strength to have the victory over
life’s punches which is just what this blog is all about!
life’s punches which is just what this blog is all about!
(Color Purple runs from Nov 14 through 19 at the Benedum. For Ticket go to
Spiritual Source
Through Him all things were made;without Him nothing was made that has been made (John1:3)
Other sources
Cultural Trust https://trustarts.org/production/52181/the-color-purple
Broadway https://colorpurple.com/