The Color Purple

I loved this on Broadway and Heather was sublime.

Holy crap that is amazing casting!

I'm wishy washy about this. Heather, according to by far just about every review I read (both official press reviews and by people on other message boards) brought in a new level of sophistication and depth to the show. Holliday, although immensely talented, is Holliday. She plays herself, more or less, and probably wouldn't be able to add the nuance and depth that Heather applied.

Having said that, she will be my Shug since I'm seeing it in December. It'll be good to see, who is is arguably, a Broadway legend.

When does this close or Cynthia leave? I've just booked to go to NYC next April 12 so want to see this ideally!

Yeah I agree, I would presume Cynthia would leave after her 1 year contract has ended. Now she is known across both America and the UK and is a TONY winner, I think she'll want to try new things and there's no doubt people will want her to be in their shows. As for the show, I think it should be open until April next year - it is selling well, isn't it?

If Jennifer Holliday is a bug draw, it could well last well into 2017 and if they continue this phenomenal casting they have been treating us with, the possibilities are endless haha! I think it will latest run into 2018, but the casting will have to stay at the level it has been so far!

God hekp the poor woman who has to follow Cynthia next though, if she isn't as incredible as her, there is potential they could be butchered in the press, especially as this Broadway season has pretty much revolved around her amd Hamilton, and even with Hamilton, Cynthia's performance is possiblyt he modt acclaimed of the year, if not the past five years!

The show isn't actually selling particularly well, it's been under $700,000 the past three weeks. Not dire, but I don't think it has years left in it, especially when Cynthia leaves.

Can anyone tell me what the buzz was around Cynthia's performance when she did it in London? Was it similar to the buzz she has had on Broadway? I have to say, I am a great admirer of her and think her voice is beyond outstanding but I'm not necessarily convinced she's a brilliant actress yet. A good actress and a brilliant singer? Absolutely. But if you took 'I'm Here' out of The Color Purple, I don't think I would have cared about her performance at all. In fact, I would have been more impressed by Heather Headley. I feel like I need to see her in a completely different role to evaluate better.

On a slightly unrelated note, how I WISH Heather was on the cast recording instead of Jennifer Hudson.

I understand what you mean and I myself am really not a fan of in your face acting (with the exception of a role like Shug Avery which needs to be like that). My favourite performances in theatre, film and elsewhere are those that I consider subtle and nuanced brilliance. I perhaps didn't get that from Cynthia so much. Maybe it would have helped if I'd have been sat in the orchestra.

Interesting to hear about London. Was there ever any word about why it didn't bother transferring to the West End?

I would definitely like to see Cynthia in a play so that I could get a good view on her acting without being biased due to her incredible voice. I just remember not being convinced that Cynthia should get the Tony at all until 'I'm Here' when she won me round and seeing her perform that is one of the best theatre experiences I've had. But that song is almost at the very end, should it be enough? It's an interesting discussion. 

From memory, yes I think there was great buzz about her acting at the Menier. I personally thought she was stunning in it, and I completely shifted my stance on the show altogether, having seen the tour of the original Broadway incarnation and thought it was quite tacky and a Disney-fied telling of a very gritty story.

It's hard to know how it will do in London. It's by far an easier sell in the US than the UK (or elsewhere). The book and the film are very iconic, especially to the African American community (but also mainstream non-AA). Practically every other person in the US would be able to recognize some of the iconic lines from the show. "Miss Celie's Blues", the song in the film is also pretty commonly recognized.

I think that the revival specifically casted its cast very cleverly, though Cynthia was unknown (at least in New York, and still is to a wider extent but the notices are so magnificent), they did compensate with Jennifer Hudson and Danielle Brooks, who is becoming quite recognizable.

The affinity American audiences have with the book and the film simply does not exist in the UK, and I think London might struggle to find commonly well known black leading ladies to headline this. But that is not to say that it can't do well in London.

Something Rotten just posted closing.

Exactly what I was thinking!!

This has just extended its booking period by one month up until January 8th, but with no closing date officially set yet, I fear this may be it. For such a short extension it seems unrealistic that this will continue limping along with four week extensions at a time. I expect this will be this production's last performance on Broadway.