Review: The Color Purple (New Broadway Cast Recording)
February 1, 2021
| The New Broadway Cast Recording of The Color Purple meets and may even exceed the high expectations left by the 2006 Original Broadway Cast. With the revival coming to stage a mere decade after the original, some may deem it hasty, but I guarantee it lives up to standard. Of course the telling of the story wouldn’t be changed, so the songs were under much scrutiny. The revival isn’t as full as the original. The orchestra itself is smaller and the main voice of the show, Celie (Cynthia Erivo), is softer, smoother, and her tone brings along with the changed musicality brings a more modern feeling to the show. However, more comparisons are to be drawn with vocal powerhouse, Jennifer Hudson, stepping into the role of Shug Avery. Despite Hudson being known for her spectacular voice, I found her performance as Shug to be lacking, leaving me to ask the question: Was she best for the part or was she cast to fill seats? Regardless of the answer, the show is undeniably amazing. The authenticity of the music is something we didn’t see in the original. The music takes a more soulful turn and dives into deeper African-American roots making the whole soundtrack more dynamic. As far as revivals go, this one most certainly lives up to the original’s hype. |
