Reviews of "The Color Purple"
What Critics are Saying:
"When Celie (portrayed by Felicia Boswell) sings, 'I'm Here,' the thundering solo capping her brutal and buoyant journey through The Color Purple, you're rattled joyously to your marrow — and elevated to an uncharted level of hope. This is much more than a showstopping number. It's a moment of shared grace." - The Oregonian
"When that last burst of energy from Boswell, timed perfectly with Celie’s own transformation, washes over the audience, for a moment we forget we are watching a show. Instead it feels like she’s leading us — the audience, the other actors, the musicians — in a moment of transcendence. And that moment, that rare moment, is what we all chase when we go to theater." - Oregon ArtsWatch
"If a musical can heal the world, that musical is The Color Purple — specifically, the production now playing at Portland Center Stage. You should go see The Color Purple. Even if you haven't read the book and even if you think you don't like musicals. It will challenge you and uplift you and give you hope." - BroadwayWorld.com
"I'd go see the show again just to track the visuals so expertly designed and executed by scenic designer Tony Cisek and lighting designer Peter Maradudin." - Gigi Little
"Timothy Douglas directs an extraordinary cast, each blessed with great talent and each giving 150 percent. This show is the season opener you don’t want to miss! " - Judy Nedry
What Audiences are Saying:
"This will stay with me forever."
"Came home last night after the show and bought two tickets for next week's show! It was absolutely beautiful! The voices were so amazing that my heart couldn’t handle it!"
"ABSOLUTE BEST live theater version I have seen to date!! Barring none. Don't miss it!"
"May well have been one of the very best plays I have ever seen anywhere. MUST SEE."
"Sweet baby Jesus... I ugly cried and had a spiritual experience. Y’all should go."
"I didn't want it to end!"
More about The Color Purple:
Beyond the Production: "The Color Purple"
Explore additional reading materials and get a behind-the-scenes look at the design elements of The Color Purple.
From Page to Stage: "The Color Purple"
Explore Alice Walker's The Color Purple and the transformation from page to stage.
"The Color Purple" in Rehearsal
Check out photos of The Color Purple cast rehearsing the first number of Act II, "African Homeland."
A Snapshot Look at Alice Walker's "The Color Purple"
From a bestselling novel to the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation, explore Alice Walker's The Color Purple.
"The Color Purple" Cast and Creative Team
Meet the incredible cast and creative team behind The Color Purple.
Current & Upcoming
Art Exhibit: ¡Soy Yo! by Mika Martinez
¡Soy Yo!, is a multi-media project, created by Mika Martinez, that examines and celebrates Latinx identity featuring more than 50 portraits of the Hispanic/Latino community in Portland.
Piano Bar with Courtney Freed and David Saffert
Join us for this monthly event with local songstress Courtney Freed and Portland-based pianist David Saffert as they host a good old-fashioned PIANO BAR.
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Nassim
From Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (creator of the Off-Broadway smash hit White Rabbit, Red Rabbit) comes an audacious new theatrical experiment, presented in collaboration with Boom Arts. Each night, a new, unrehearsed local performer joins the playwright on stage, while the script waits, unseen, in a sealed box... Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, NASSIM is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.
Art Exhibit: Garam Garam Chai by Yusra Siddiqui
Portland Center Stage will host Garam Garam Chai, an art exhibit by Portland-based multidisciplinary artist Yusra Siddiqui, featuring a series of hand-sewn teabag printmaking pieces that serve as a contemplation of the communal tea times shared between Desi and British culture.
Coriolanus
Shakespeare’s tragedy about the war hero Coriolanus and the fight between the elite and the deprived masses will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble with a muscular, movement-focused staging.
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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