LaChanze Wins Tony for Color Purple
By Keith Boykin, in theater
Monday, June 12 2006, 11:24AM
Despite 11 Tony nominations including best musical, the hit Broadway musical "The Color Purple" picked up just one award at last night's Tony Awards presentation. Lead actress LaChanze surprised some insiders by winning the award for best actress in a musical. "Oh, my God, I won it, I really won it!" LaChanze said. "I didn't rehearse the speech clearly." The New York Times even described the actress as "looking genuinely shocked."
LaChanze beat out the favorite, Patti LuPone of "Sweeney Todd," and also won over Sutton Foster of "Drowsy," Kelli O'Hara of "The Pajama Game" and Chita Rivera of "Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life." In her acceptance speech, she thanked the show's most famous producer. "I want to thank Oprah Winfrey for bringing this story not only to the country but to the world," she said.
Congratulations to LaChanze, and also to the entire cast of The Color Purple. As some of you know, The Color Purple is the best musical I've seen in years, and I loved the music so much that I bought the cast recording. I ran into an associate at the gym a few weeks ago and he told me his parents were in town and he wanted to take them to sent "Rent." "No, no, no," I screamed. "Take them to see 'The Color Purple' instead. I assume your parents are a black couple, so they'll hate you for taking them to see 'Rent,' instead of 'The Color Purple,'" I said. (Sorry to all my friends in 'Rent.') But my gym friend had heard negative reviews about the Oprah Winfrey production.
"Forget the reviews," I told him. "Go see 'The Color Purple.' If you don't like it, I'll personally give you your money back." That was the last I heard from him. I hope he went to see it, and I assume he liked it. I've seen it three times already and I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good show on Broadway. It's not based on the movie; it's based on the original Alice Walker novel. In fact, most of the dialogue comes directly from Walker's words. So if you liked the book, you'll love the Broadway show.
Comments conceal
Regan DuCasse
June 12 2006, 12:05PM
Love the book, liked the movie.
As soon as I saw the cast recording, I bought it.
Love, it, LOVE IT!!
This is the only time I hate being on the West Coast, is not seeing the Broadway shows.
I'm with Keith, all the way....forget the reviews and judge for yourself.
BTW...when they flashed on the creative team for the music and lyrics...is it just me, or is Brenda Russell NOT AGING whatsoever?
Troy
June 12 2006, 1:36PM
to Regan and all interested others; the play is going on a national tour this summer, so stay tuned for dates, cities, theatres and times.
That cast is powerful!
Darrell Diggins
June 12 2006, 2:39PM
Thank God for Miss Celie. I, too, enjoyed the incarnation of Ms. Walker's blazing and trailblazing novel, The Color Purple, as musical theater. (Though I sometimes wonder what it would have felt like as a play.)
And a well-deserved and -earned congrats to LaChanze for her Tony win. That woman "turned" the portrayal of Celie...Ooh. Boy, can she sing! And Felicia P. Fields (Sofia), too. And the gods know that Elisabeth Withers-Mendes (Shug Avery) pushed all the right buttons with her sensual, heated performance. More, Black women turned "The Color Purple"--book, movie and musical!--out. Theatre critics, be damned!
Further, if it had not been for LaChanze's "Halle Berry-ish (Shocked! Effusive! Appreciative.)" impromptu acceptance speech, the rousing performance of the cast of "The Color Purple," James Earl Jones's mini monologue from August Wilson's "Fences," and the clip of Jennifer Holliday's inimitable roar from "Dreamgirls," one could have just as well turned the television off.
P.S. Kudos to Cynthia Nixon and Richard Griffiths for their endearing acceptance speeches.
Kareem
June 12 2006, 2:55PM
Its such a shame that musicals like this do not make its way to Cincinnati. I was fortunate enough to have tickets to "Margaret Garner" when it was here, but thats as good as it gets here.
ALLEGRO
June 12 2006, 3:57PM
I congratulate LECHANZE on her win. She is very deserving CAREER-WISE which is why I think she actually won...because I do not believe The Color Purlple was the best that I've seen her. I fell out of my chair when I saw that she won as well.
It didn't surpise me that the COLOR PURPLE did not win but one award after all of those nominations. I saw it a couple of months ago, and while it had some GREAT MOMENTS....overall I left a little disappointed. The CHURCH LADY background singers they used throughout were by far the best feature of the musical for me. Also, I give the DANCERS high marks as well. however, I thought the acting was a little audience pandering at times... SCHTICKish if you will.
I have no doubts it will do very very well on tour. It will be of much better quality than the Tyler Perry type plays that run through many of these cities. However, as a regular BROADWAY theatre goer....I've seen better. And I'm not the only one I know who felt that way.
Chay
June 13 2006, 4:33PM
I saw the Color Purple for New Years and as a long time fan of the novel and the movie... life would have not been complete without seeing it on Broadway.
I agree with Keith, while I had my own issues with the storyline, I feel any fan of the work should definitely see it and judge for themselves.
I look forward to the tour because I will definitely see it again when it returns to Atlanta.
Damon Evans
June 13 2006, 6:04PM
13 June 2006
It was as if Joe Louis had won another heavy weight fight on Sunday evening 11 June 2006. When LaChanze's name was called instead of the Broadway industry's favorite Patti LuPone everyone at Lawrence Evans' party (National Black Theater administrator) burst into cheers. It was a well deserved win and victory! LaChanze has proven that talent, perseverance, professionalism, and the ability to treat your co-workers with respect does pay off. (Patti LuPone is known as one of the super bitches of Broadway, and I wonder if her "Diva-like' reputation didn't cost her the award?) Still, LaChanze done excellent work throughout the years and was also left a widow when her husband was killed in the WTC 9/11 aircraft attack, when she was carrying her second child. Celie is not any easy role to portray, and the character really does not come into her own until the end of the show. But, Lachanze pulled it off brilliantly. Bravo and Congragulations to the sister!!!!!!!!!