Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...Chicago loves Celie, Sofia and Shug Avery, and has embraced "The Color Purple," the 2005 Broadway musical based on both the beloved Alice Walker novel of strife, resilience and triumph in rural Georgia and the romantically hued Steven Spielberg movie for more than 20 years. So its warmly received return at the Goodman Theatre on Monday night felt very much like a well-fitting pair of Miss Celie's pants."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Set in the early 1900s, "The Color Purple" follows Celie, a poor, young, Black girl as she comes of age while enduring inhumane treatment. After being married off to a cruel older man and separated from her family, she embarks upon a raw and inspiring journey of self-discovery. Set designer Arnel Sancianco creates the world with a scaffolding of wooden beams, evoking a modest, respectable church. Upon closer inspection, the walls contain eerie textured sections that resemble scarred skin, a silent and sobering commentary on America's history."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...If Brittney Mack receives a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for her intensely moving performance as Celie in Goodman Theatre’s “The Color Purple,” it will likely be for her anguished response early in the first act to her spiteful husband forcing Celie’s beloved sister from their home."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...I don't think I've ever seen an audience so thoroughly wrapped up in a sense of communal joy as I saw at the Goodman opening night. That's a tribute to Brown and the cast, who carry us through the 30 years of the onstage story with a commitment to narrative clarity. Norman's book remains largely faithful to the original, and the end of the first act pays a stirring tribute to the epistolary nature of Walker's book."
Talkin Broadway
- Recommended
"...For the closing production of its ninety-ninth season, the Goodman Theatre is presenting The Color Purple, based on the novel by Alice Walker (and the Warner Bros./Amblin Entertainment Motion Picture) with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. The production, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with music direction by Jermaine Hill and choreography by Breon Arzell, is excellent, but it cannot entirely overcome the weaknesses of the adaptation."
Stage and Cinema
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Instead of grounding the story in the emotional weight of Celie's world, the show kicks off with a revivalist-style Greek chorus of Church Ladies who chirp, sass, and undercut any sense of gravity. It feels more Ain't Misbehavin' than Alice Walker."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...Under the masterful direction of Lili-Anne Brown, the Theatre Goodman vividly brought to life Alice Walker's acclaimed 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Color Purple." The narrative unfolds through a series of letters and events that illuminate Celie's tumultuous journey. The musical highlights her profound struggles and triumphs as she navigates the harsh realities of oppression and hardship."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Spectacularly directed by Lili-Anne Brown and smartly choreographed by Breon Arzell, "The Color Purple: The Musical" is a marvel, having won two Tony Awards in 2016 for best revival of a musical production. Featuring energetic gospel singing and a variety of lively dance numbers, this colorful show tells a very dark story having to do with physical violence, domestic abuse, and lives of misery and desperation within an African-American family in the rural South."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...This is another breathtaking production by, what Time Magazine called "America's Best Regional Theatre." Goodman's new musical production of THE COLOR PURPLE is faithful to Alice Walker's novel, while still bringing a fresh approach and a new perspective to the story. With the combined talent and effusive chemistry of this brilliant cast, the Summer will be tinted violet by this gorgeous, regal presentation that's quite simply, Too Beautiful for Words."
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...In the Goodman Theatre's stirring new production of The Color Purple, director Lili-Anne Brown delivers a version of Alice Walker's landmark novel that feels both stripped down and soulfully expansive. Forgoing spectacle in favor of raw emotional clarity, Brown places the story's heart-female resilience and love-center stage, and the result is a deeply moving, musically rich, and spiritually resonant experience."
The Fourth Walsh
- Highly Recommended
"...Celie endures assault from her father, torture from her husband and a forced separation from her sister and children. Her grasp on hope is slipping away. She is trapped in a prison of her own unworthiness. The strength of other women ignite her spirit to fight for love and life's possibilities. Author Alice Walker's story won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Oscar nominations for the 1985 film, Tony nominations for the 2005 musical and Tony Awards for the 2016 musical revival. Now, it's the Goodman's storytelling turn. And their new production boasting Chicago superstar talent is this summer's big prize!"
Third Coast Review
- Not Recommended
"...One answer, perhaps, is that when every song, every emotion, every reaction and every bit of staging is dialed up to 11, it is hard to notice, let alone appreciate, a true bit of storytelling or effective theater when it occurs on stage. There was talented singing, athletic dancing, and enough ups and downs and not-quite-surprises to fuel more than one miniseries, but, when the dramaturgy is this melodramatic, who's to be surprised when all you get is melodrama?"
Chicago Theater and Arts
- Highly Recommended
"...Tragic, hilarious, loud, energetic, fun and heartwarming, “The Color Purple-The Musical” at Goodman Theatre is nearly three hours of nonstop entertainment featuring an outrageously talented cast directed by Lili-Anne Brown with choreography by Breon Arzell."
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...Brown's sensitive, astute direction, paired with music director Jermaine Hill's inspired work, makes the show seamless. As "The Color Purple" winds up toward its roof-raising finale, Celie leans into a climactic vocal moment "I'm Here" with a belt of galvanic force. Mack makes the number feel like a battle cry. "The Color Purple" was revolutionary way back in '82. It remains so at the Goodman, where Brown captures struggle and triumph with the fire of a preacher at a revival."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...At the heart of this production is Brittney Mack's portrayal of Celie, a role she embodies with both vulnerability and towering strength. Her vocal performance is nothing short of masterful, each note resonating with the raw emotion of Celie's journey from oppression to empowerment. Mack's Celie is a beacon of resilience, and her performance is one that lingers long after the final curtain call."
Allie and the After Party
- Highly Recommended
"...Brittney Mack alongside the featured leads and ensemble are worth every penny to see Goodman's production of The Color Purple as their talent comes through in the acting and delivering the gorgeous score with their singing. Though simply staged, the story pops with emotions."
BroadwayWorld
- Recommended
"...THE COLOR PURPLE THE MUSICAL is a portrait of Celie, a young Black woman living in a small Georgia town, as she goes on a journey of pain, resilience, and self-discovery. With direction by Lili-Anne Brown, music direction by Jermaine HIll, and choreography by Breon Arzell, Goodman Theatre's revival of the 2004 musical based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning-novel takes audiences along for Celie's emotional story."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Every once in a while, there is a show that blows all of your expectations out of the water, one that sets a new standard for a story. Not only does Goodman's "Color Purple" do both of those things, but it is easily a production that I will never forget."
