Pittsburgh CLO's The Color Purple Creates a Rainbow of Emotion

 

Danyel Fulton as Nettie and Kayla Davion as Celie Credit: KgTunney Photography

          Some plays are wordy. Some, like The Color Purple are song-y, meaning there’s tons of music in the script. While song is what you expect when you go to see a musical, Purple is musically denser than most, which, considering the quality of the score, is a real plus.

          Some of the musicals I’ve attended have two or three memorable musical moments, but, alas, much of the rest of the show is unremarkable, even ho-hum. Not so with Purple.

          The folks who created the lyrics and music, Brenda Russell, Alle Willis and Stephen Bray, do a masterful job, filling the Benedum, where Purple is now playing through June 30, with non-stop music delights. One of the evening’s musical highlights titled “What About Love” is a beautiful ballad that made me ask where has this song been hiding.

          The crème de la crème moment comes late in the show with vocal fireworks by Katla Davion whose passionate, no holds barred “I’m Here” had me and much of the rest of the audience up on their feet, standing in a spontaneous ovation. In all my years of theater going, this was the first I’d ever encountered that took place BEFORE the final curtain.

          Based on the Pulitzer- and National Book Award-winning 1982 novel by Alice Walker, the story line has subsequently made its way into a 1985 film by Stephen Spielberg and a Broadway musical in 2005.

          Set in the Deep South in the early 1900s, the play focuses on Celie (the aforementioned Kayla Davion) who lives with her harsh and severe father, (Brady D. Patsy) and loving younger sister Nettie (Danyel Fulton). Raped by her own father, she gives birth to two children, who are brutally snatched from her by her father and given away or perhaps worse.

          Worked to the bone in her household, Celie’s life is worse than that of the early Cinderella, but without the latter’s hope for a happily ever after ending. Things get even worse for her when she’s sold by her father to a callously brutal cad named Mister (Akron Lanier Watson, a physically imposing, impressively sit up and take notice actor).

Akron Lanier Watson as mister and Brady D. Patsy as Pa Credit: KgTunney Photography

          Halfway through the Pittsburgh CLO production I thought that whoever did the casting should get a Tony Award. Each character reeks with authenticity, and the cast plays well together. For sheer pizzazz and glitz, Tamyra Gray as Shug is a woman of the world, a bar room singer with a keen sense of the ways of the world. Gray, a mix of vulnerability and spunk, is a bohemian type with a cast your fate to the winds mind set.

Tamyra Gray as Shug and Kayla Davion as Celie Credit: KgTunney

          Another strong-willed woman, Sofia (Maiesha McQueen) shines in “Hell No,” a declaration of independence with a don’t tread on me message. McQueen also manages to show off her considerable comedic talents with laugh engendering remarks and clever observations.

          Her initially submissive husband, Harpo (Gerald Caesar) is fun to watch, especially when teamed up with McQueen in a memorably playful “Any Little Thing.”

          As Squeak, Saige Smith does an interesting and effective take on a Betty Boop character, voice wise, yet manages to create an interesting, fully developed personality that’s uniquely her own.

          Director Christopher D. Betts manages to invigorate this diverse ensemble of talent, giving each his or her time to shine while seemingly focused on communal collaboration.

          Overall, Davion is the show’s most impressive star, gradually transforming from a bleak and downtrodden character to one who, under the spell of love and a growing sense of self-worth, becomes the butterfly that emerges from its cocoon. Her undeniable acting skills are buttressed by a singing voice that digs deep into her soul and emerges with an uncommon passion, one that both overwhelms and enthuses the listener.

          The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s production of The Color Purple is a remarkable artistic achievement. Let Kayla Davion and the rest of the cast take you on an emotional journey you’ll not soon forget.

The Cast of The Color Purple Credit: KgTunney Photography

          Members of the tech crew include scenic designer Britton Mauk, lighting designer Paul Miller, costume designer Claudia Brownlee. Ilana Atkins serves as musical director and Tislarm Bouie crafts the choreography.

          The CLO’s The Color Purple is at the Benedum Theater, 237 Seventh Street through June 30. For tickets and more information phone 412-456-6666 or www.clo.org.