With previews beginning on December 13th and the show opening on December 16th at the CTG/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, “The Color Purple” has already broken records with group sales figures already reaching $3.2 million for Broadway’s loved musical.
Based on a Pulitzer prize winning novel by Alice Walker – and turned into a film by Steven Spielberg – "The Color Purple" tells the tale of Celie, a young black woman growing up in the early 1900s who has the inspiring strength to triumph over plenty of adversity. With 11 Tony Award Nominations, including “Best Musical,” “The Color Purple” has connected with audiences for years with the powerful message of hope and the way in which love can help to heal.
A nationwide tour already underway began in Chicago and continued in San Francisco, garnering the production – including the cast – rave reviews from critics coast to coast.
Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times proclaimed, “In Jeannette Bayardelle, [Gary Grifin] has found an actress whose titanic performance as Celie is reason enough to grab hold of a ticket. Bayardelle is nothing short of astonishing.”
Jeanette Bayardelle, star of the Broadway production as well, is joined on stage by Felicia P. Fields (Tony Award nominee for the role of Sofia in the Broadway production), “American Idol” alum LaToya London and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. Rufus Bonds, Jr., Stu James, Stephanie St. James also star in the North America Tour.
Directed by Gary Griffin, the show also features a liberetto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman, choreography by Donald Byrd and music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning composers/lyricists Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.
In addition, Tony Award-winners John Lee Beatty (sets), and Brian MacDevitt (lighting), along with Paul Tazewell (costumes), Jon Weston (sound) Kevin Stites (Music Supervisor) and Jonathon Tunick (orchestrations), all part of the original creative team on this show, were reunited for the national tour.
Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, Roy Furman, Creative Battery, Anna Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, Gary Winnick, Lowy Family Group, Jan Kallish, Stephanie McClelland, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Todd Johnson, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Andrew Asnes and Adam Zotovich are producing this North American Tour in special association with AEG Live.
To purchase tickets, call (213) 972-4400 or visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Music Center’s Center Theatre Group box office. For group tickets, call (213) 972-7231. Information and charge by phone number for the deaf community is TDD (213) 680-4017.
