"The Color Purple" the novel,movie, and musical

Since I was younger The Color Purple captured my heart. The story Celie and the woman she becomes to know very well really touched me and taught me how strong black women are even back in the time when they didn’t have many privelges. I loved the book, movie, and especially the play on Broadway. I enjoyed the scenery with the dramatic colors and big trees and the musical was no different from the movie but I enjoyed how I was there and I actually felt like I was part of the performance.
The Color Purple began as a novel by Alice Walker in 1982 .The book won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. In 1985 critcally acclaimed director Steven Speilburg turned the novel in to a movie. The film was nominated for eleven academy awards but did not walk away with any and Spielberg was awarded the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Motion Picture Director. On December 1, 2005 the musical opened on Broadway. It was directed by Gary Griffin and was produced by Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey .The Broadway production earned 11 Tony Award nominations in 2006. The show closed on February 24, 2008, after 30 previews and 910 regular performances. The Broadway production recouped its $11 million investment within its first year on Broadway, and has grossed over $103 million to date.
Taking place in the Southern United States during the early- to mid-1900s, this story tells the life of a poor Black girl, Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg), whose abuse begins when she is young. By the time she is fourteen, she has already had two children by her father (Leonard Jackson) (later discovered to be her stepfather), who takes them away from her at childbirth and forces Celie to marry a local widower Albert (Danny Glover), who treats Celie like a slave. Albert makes her clean up his disorderly household and take care of his unruly children. Albert beats her often, intimidating Celie into near silence and submission. Nettie comes to live with them, and there is a brief period of happiness as the sisters spend time together and Nettie begins to teach Celie how to read. This is short-lived, however; after Nettie refuses Albert's predatory affections once too often, he kicks her out.
Albert's old flame, the jazz singer Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), for whom Albert has carried a torch for many years, comes to live with him and Celie. Delirious with sickness, Shug initially insults Celie by saying "you sure is ugly" on their first meeting, but they eventually become close friends and Shug helps Celie begin to see her worth as a human being. Shug and Celie also entertain a lesbian affair (this was more pronounced in the book, and is only hinted at in the film). Celie also finds strength in Sofia (Oprah Winfrey), who marries Albert's son Harpo (Willard E. Pugh). Sofia has also suffered abuse from the men in her family, but unlike Celie, she refuses to tolerate it. This high-spiritedness proves to be her downfall, however, as a rude remark to the town mayor's wife and a punch to the mayor himself ends with Sofia in jail.
Nettie, meanwhile, has been living with missionaries in Africa and writing to Celie often. Unbeknownst to Celie, Albert confiscates Nettie's letters, telling Celie that she will never hear from her sister again. During a visit from Shug and her new husband, Grady, Celie and Shug discover many years' worth of Nettie's correspondence. Reconnecting with her sister and the assurance that she is still alive helps give Celie the strength to stand up to Albert. She almost slits his throat while giving him a shave, and is only to be stopped by Shug. During a family dinner Sofia is shown to be prematurely aged and permanently disfigured due to the severe beatings she received in jail, and demoralized into an almost catatonic state. During this dinner, Celie finally asserts herself, excoriating Albert and his father. Shug informs Albert that they are leaving, and that Celie is coming with them, despite Albert's attempts to verbally abuse Celie into submission, Celie stands up to Albert and leaves permanently. This also snaps Sofia out of her funk as she laughs hysterically at a dumbfounded and embarrassed Albert and is back to normal.
Celie opens up a haberdashery selling "one size fits all" slacks. Upon the death of her father, she learns that he was, in fact, her stepfather, and that she has inherited a house and shop from her real father. Meanwhile, Albert's fields and home languish into almost nonexistence as he slips into alcohol-fueled idleness, spending most of his time at Harpo's speakeasy. Years of guilt finally catch up to Albert, knowing he has been a horrible person most of his life, especially to Celie. In a sudden act of kindness unknown to Celie, Albert takes all the money he has saved over the years, goes down to the immigration office, and arranges for a family reunion for Celie. Nettie and Celie's children, Adam and Olivia, who were raised in Africa, are reunited with Celie. Albert looks on from a distance, smiling at seeing Celie finally happy.

Broadway

Broadway

Broadway is the the longest street in New York City.It begins in downtown Manhattan and runs through town and across the Broadway Bridge, connecting Manhattan with the Bronx, and through the Bronx. When one refers to the "Great White Way", one is referring to the 36 theaters located between West 41st and 53rd Streets and 6th and 8th Avenues in New York. This small area in the center of the hub of Manhattan has been host to some of the most famous stage productions in the world.Broadway is where some of todays most talented actors and actress’ started their careers. As of today there are 39 shows playing on Broadway.
The hottest plays showing today on Broadway are The Phantom of the Opera; this is one of Broadways longest shows playing to date.The Phantom of the Opera first was introduced to Broadway in 1988 and is still playing today.It’s a story based on the 1910 horror novel from Gaston Leroux has become a breath taking play with its both scary and romantic plot. It is a story about seduction and despair. The play is set at a Paris Opera house where a disfigured musical genius becomes obsessed with a beautiful soprano.This play has won seven Tony Awards. The play is directed by Hal Prince and is composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The stars of this spectaular play are John Cudi, Patricia Phillips, Ryan Silverman, Jennifer Hope Wills, George Lee Andrews, David Cryer, Heather McFadden, and Evan Harrington.
Wicked is a different spin on the 1939 film the Wizard of Oz. This Tony Award winnging play imainly focuses on Elphaba or as we know her as the Wicked Witch of the West from birth to college through the life experiences which labeled her as the Wicked Witch. It is a touching play and its engaging characters make this play a must see. The play is directed by Joe Mantello and the music and lyrics were composed by Stephen Schwartz. This play stars Katie Rose Clarke, Andy Karl, Rondi Reed, P.J. Benjamin, Alex Brightman, Timothy Britten Parker, Jenny Fellner, and Mandy Gonzalez.
Chicago is a total must see with its tale of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery. This Tony Award winning play will have you out of your seat. The story is set during the time of the roaring 20’s when jazz was big in Chicago. The play tells the story of a nightclub star Velma Kelly and a driven chorus girl Roxie Hart rivals in the Cook County Jail both serving time for murder. The famous lawyer Billy Flynn turned Velma Kelly’s case into a murder of the week media frenzy which makes her famous even in jail but when Roxy gets there she has some tricks up her sleeve to get Velma knocked of the map and her name be the next big thing in lights. Chicago is directed by Walter Bobbie, and is composed by John Kander. The play stars the famous Destiny Child singer Michelle Williams, also Terra C. MacLeod, Brent Barrett, Raymond Bokhour, Roz Ryan, R. Lowe.
The 1994 Academy Award-winning movie The Lion King is a major hit that man, woman, and child would love. The store is about a young lion cub Simba who is born into a royal family who is suddenly struck with the unthinkable tragedy of his uncle Scar taking his father Mufasa’s life. Luckily Simba makes two unlikely friends who raise him and later on he faces his Uncle Scar to take back the thrown and become king of the pride. The play won six Tony Award in 1998. The play is directed by Julie Taymor and the music is composed by the award winning artist Elton John.
These are some of the thirty-nine that are currently playing today. I choose these four because they are plays that first caught my eye and that I personally would love to see. Due to our current economie Broadway shows are not seen as often. In November of 2008 U.S Today posted a article called Economy acting out on Broadway attendance. According to the Broadway League data analyzed by U.S TODAY says that attendance to Broadway show slipped about 30,000 from mid-October to the beginning of November in 2008. Due to the recession show like Spamalot, Hairspray and Spring Awakening all closed. We as Americans are what keep Broadway thriving and without us and a change in out economy it might not be the same for future generations.