THE COLOR PURPLE DIGITAL CONCERT (Leicester Curve)*****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTjfb7fTLP4

Available until: Monday 19^th October 11am

This isn’t the full musical, but it’s a great introduction to it. It introduces you to the story, some of the music and some of the characters. I haven’t seen anything like this before but it’s a really great idea. In 32 minutes, the Leicester Curve shows you enough of The Color Purple to whet your appetite. But not so much that it won’t be worth paying money to go to see it, whether that’s in a theatre in the future, in a cinema when the film of the musical comes out or perhaps online if they decide to share a full production of it. I would certainly pay for it.

It’s something more theatres might like to consider. Free content which does enough to get you interested without telling you anything like the full story. Then the full musical, in exchange for money, with the theatres benefitting. We’ve been given a lot of free theatre and we’re very lucky but perhaps this could be a way forward. Just till we get those theatres opened again.

Leicester Curve have previously produced the full musical and it sounds like they’ve managed to reunite their original cast for this concert. They had to film it on Zoom so it would have felt different but they’re very familiar with the music, the story and with each other and (although I’m certainly not knocking Zoom productions where the performers don’t know each other, you’ve only got to look at what The Show Must Go Online has achieved) that knowledge and experience can only help them to give a good performance. They’re going back to a show and to people they know.

The result is a really great performance. The cast look and sound really comfortable. The challenging harmonies are no trouble – they’ve done this before. Their voices are perfectly suited to the style of the music and although it’s not a complete performance of the musical, they still go full throttle with the emotions. T’Shan Williams and Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah were the ones who most stood out to me but everyone is good and I’m sure all these performers will be a stand-out to somebody). Getting people to sing at the same time is extremely difficult on Zoom, but the Leicester Curve have managed it. It really does sound incredible.

In between the musical numbers they shared with us, we heard from people connected with the show, including the director (Tinuke Craig), the musical director (Alex Parker) and several members of the cast. They tell us about the story of The Color Purple and also what the story means to them, both personally and the ways in which it inspires them to help others. It’s a story which seems particularly relevant at the moment. We’re all aware of the Black Lives Matter movement but also pertinent are the concerns that people in lockdown could be more vulnerable to abuse because they have nowhere else to go. That has some relevance to this story too. There’s a lot to think about– though if you’re just in the mood for some great music without too much thinking, there’s lots to enjoy as well.

I haven’t seen the musical before but I’ve read the novel and it’s a remarkable story. As far as I can make out, Marsha Norman (book) and Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray (all music and lyrics) have brought the story to the stage in a powerful and authentic way. They, the performers and the crew really believe in this production. I think their audiences will too.