The Colour Purple at the Menier

[Princeton Returns]

Apparantly next Summer directed by John Doyle

[David Somerville]

Found this: http://www.belfieldandward.com/creatives.php

Choreographer & Movement Director ANN YEE - Future work includes the European premiere of the musical THE COLOR PURPLE at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

[mrkringas]

Well that is unexpected...

I saw this on Broadway twice. LaChanze and Fantasia. I didn't really want to like it but it sorta won me over. A complete mess of a show and mediocre score but I couldn't help be sucked into the emotion of it all. Hard to describe the atmosphere. Something was definitely going on that may or may not be related to it being the only Broadway (or indeed West End) audience were its been overwhelmingly black.

[Phantom of London]

Agree this is a surprise.

I saw it also on Broadway with Fantasia and agree with the above poster, I found it very hard going with both issues with the book and score, however with the announcement today of movement and extention of another jukebox musical, this news is more than welcome.

[AnythingGoes23]

Fabulous news.

[246015]

I had to study the original Alice Walker novel for A Level and loved it!

I have been listening to the Cast Recording this morning because of this news and I think that while it does not instantly strike me as a great score, it has some nice songs such as "Too Beautiful For Words", "What About Love?", the title song and "I'm Here".

I think that it's great that the Menier are bringing this show to the UK. I don't think we would see it otherwise, especially in the West End as it is at the moment. Hopefully this will pave the way for other Broadway shows such as "Next to Normal" and "In The Heights".

Does anyone have any idea when this will be officially announced or what dates it will be on? I want to book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" tickets for over the summer and want to book "The Color Purple" for the same trip.

[AnythingGoes23]

Hang on, John Doyle?! Oh no, Celie will be lugging a tambourine or violin in every scene!!

[246015]

The actor-musician thing isn't his sole directorial concept!

As I've said on here many times, I LOVED his direction for the Menier's "Road Show". It was the most inventive, imaginative and exciting staging I have ever seen! He could do something equally as compelling with "The Color Purple", surely?

[Jonwo]

The Menier summer show are usually in June or July and run until September but there have been exceptions like Torch Song Trilogy which ran from May to August. I imagine it'll announce in December or January along with the show that will run after Merrily.

[everythingtaboo]

The book was a bit of a mess, but there were a number of standout songs. I do worry that the show is a bit big for such a small space. But the very fact they're trying, and with Doyle at the helm, makes me very excited to see what they come up with.

[bob8rich]

I have to say I've never really fancied this show - I really disliked the movie and was not impressed with the few songs I've heard from the score. But I'll still give it a try at the Choc Factory and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

[mallardo]

Bob, it plays much better on stage than it sounds on the OBCR. Like some others here I found myself quite caught up in a show I wasn't expecting to like.

[hotjohn]

I agree. I tend to skip the songs from the show when they pop up in the car but I loved the Broadway show and saw it twice.