The Color Purple Turns Pink, As In Slip
UPDATE (11:10 a.m. EST): I have now received official confirmation that The Color Purple has in fact, posted its closing notice for February 24.According to the news release I've received:
The producers of The Color Purple announced today that the show will play its final performance on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 7:30pm, after playing 30 preview performances and 910 regular performances at the Broadway Theatre. Now in its third year on Broadway, The Color Purple recouped its entire $11 million investment in its first year on Broadway, having grossed over $103,000,000.
Overnight, I received a message from someon within the current Broadway production of
The Color Purple:
The Color Purple posted notice after tonight's performance. We will close February 24.
I'm currently seeking official confirmation, but if the production has indeed posted its closing notices for the end of next month, the Tony winning musical -- with book by
Marsha Norman and score by
Brenda Russell,
Allee Willis and
Stephen Bray -- will have ultimately played a total of 910 performances at the
Broadway Theatre. The incredible
LaChanze earned a Tony for her brave portrayal of Celie -- a performance I'll never forget.
Last week, the show took in $477,154 at the box office and was filled to 62.4% of capacity. That was up markedly from where it had been just a week earlier when the total take was a paltry $388,937 with just 45.9% capacity. Of course, some of its major mojo luster was gone as
Fantasia Barrino left the show on January 6, but
Chaka Khan joined
The Color Purple. on January 9, while another Idol alum
LaKisha Jones became part of the cast in December.
I'll let you know once I've had official confirmation.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
End Of Purple Reign? (December 13, 2007)
Coloring The Town Purple With Discounts (December 1, 2007)
The Color Purple (The SOB Revisit) (August 11, 2007)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part III (July 23, 2007)
Winter Blues For Color Purple (February 5, 2007)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote...for Best Musical (May 31, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chaka Khan, Closing Notices, Fantasia, LaChanze, Lakisha Jones, Musical, The Color Purple
End Of Purple Reign?I really hate to say
I told you so (and I truly mean that), but I
told you so way back in July -- Hat tip to
The Playgoer).
Where are the
true professionals of the theatre, anyway? They're working hard on virtually every other show on Broadway.
On any other show, the grueling eight performances would be handled with great aplomb and professionalism by a performer without any excuses.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Coloring The Town Purple With Discounts (December 1, 2007)
The Color Purple (The SOB Revisit) (August 11, 2007)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part III (July 23, 2007)Winter Blues For Color Purple (February 5, 2007)The Tonys: If I Could Vote...for Best Musical (May 31, 2006)Labels: Broadway, Fantasia, Musical, The Color Purple, Understudy
Coloring The Town Purple With DiscountsPerformances for the Great White Way musical adaptation of
The Color Purple have resumed at the
Broadway Theatre.
"To celebrate" the resolution of the stagehands strike, the production is offering discounted seats for as little as just $60 through December 23.
All you need to do is click
here or call 212.947.8844 and use code
CPWEB77.
The fine print reads:
Offer not valid on Saturday performances. Offer valid through 12/23/07. Additional blackout dates may apply. Regular ticket prices $116.50 - 66.50. All prices include a $1.50 theatre facility fee. Subject to availability and prior sale. Limit 8 tickets per order. Normal service charges apply to phone and online orders. Offer may be revoked at any time. All sales final - no refunds or exchanges. Not valid in combination with any other offer. Casting and performance schedule may change at any time.
In other words, that means
Fantasia Barrino -- who graciously sang outside the Broadway Theatre for theatregoers disappointed to learn their show was closed during the strike, but has herself
earned a reputation for missing many performances -- could be out the day you go see the show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:The Color Purple (The SOB Revisit) (August 11, 2007)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part III (July 23, 2007)
Winter Blues For Color Purple (February 5, 2007)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote...for Best Musical (May 31, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Fantasia, Musical, Special Offers, The Color Purple, Ticket Prices, Tickets
Curse Of The Understudy - Part IIIForget
Fantasia.
Who needs her when
Saycon Sengbloh is living up to her
own name by blowing the roof off the
Broadway Theatre as Celie in
The Color Purple?!
In the wake of all the great reviews the former American Idol star has garnered, I revisited
The Color Purple in hopes of seeing yet another
Reba McEntire-like performance where the replacement star was actually better than the original. And although Fantasia was a no-show -- creating havoc outside the theatre as scores of disappointed fans demanded their money back -- the audience that hung around was treated to exactly that: a bravura performance by an absolutely gorgeous actress who is making a name on Broadway as its most dependable standby.
I first caught Sengbloh a couple years back when I returned to
Wicked on Broadway. At that time, my heart sank when I found that dreaded slip in my program that carried the words, "At this performance, the role of Elphaba will be played by..." The name attached was Saycon Sengbloh, who not only managed to lift my heart with her touching performance, but made it soar.
So as much as I was naturally disappointed last night when I learned that Fantasia was out, after I saw that
other unusual name on the board, I reassured my friend that all was not lost. And by the time the last strains of the pivotal "I'm Here" was sung, Saycon Sengbloh had not only won over my heart once again, she brought tears to my eyes. She triumphed over the audience as well.
I certainly hope we'll be seeing this gifted young actress in a role of her own. Enough standing by, already. This lady's deserving of the real deal!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:The Curse Of The Understudy - Part II (January 15, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy (October 2, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Curse of the Understudy, Fantasia, Musical, Saycon Sengbloh, The Color Purple, Understudy
The Color Purple Turns Pink, As In Slip
