Adapted for the stage
CONTENT WARNING: Brief mention of sexual violence Musicals.
They’re bright, whimsical, a little silly (if we’re being honest), and the majority of songs are earworms which will burrow into your brain long after hearing them. I must admit, I used to dabble in musicals a little, and even now I find myself going back to them from time to time. I’ve even been in a few, though the less said about them the better.
I am a former musical veteran, so you know I know my shit, mostly. I know that even the most serious musical is a tad silly at times. Something like Les Mis, for as emotional and touching as it is, is still a show where people speak-sing their thoughts on a giant round spinny thing for three hours. No shade to musicals or people who like them, but I think we can all agree there is a touch of silliness to even the most serious story when it’s chucked on stage for people to sing and dance to.
So, imagine my surprise when I found out The Colour Purple of all things had a musical adaptation, and a very beloved one at that. For those who don’t know, The Colour Purple is a novel by Alice Walker about a fourteen-year-old girl who, after being sexually assaulted by a family member, narrates her story through letters written to God. I must admit, I have not read the story nor seen the film. I only have a base understanding of the themes and narrative, which is why I think my surprise upon finding out there is a musical adaptation was so understandable. I want to clarify; I am in no way judging the musical or saying it’s bad or should not have been made. I have never seen it or engaged in the source material; I am ignorant to it outside of the themes I knew it touched on.
To remedy this, I will be listening to some of the musical, reading the lyrics, seeing how a rather heavy narrative has 8
been adapted for a musical setting.
My initial impression of the music, through the song ‘Opening/Mysterious Ways’, with this song at least, is that it’s jazzy, vibrant, and soulful. Touches of gospel choir inspiration can be heard as well. From a purely musical standpoint, the singing and emotion in the cast’s voices are outstanding. From a storytelling position, the song manages to set up questions for those who don’t know the source material and confirm for those who do that this story is the one they know. For example, a line like the following I heard about that poor child Celie
Already ruined two times!
She only fourteen years old
Who da daddy? Who da daddy?... Nobody know
It does not tell you the circumstances of Celie’s pregnancy, but it also shows that the narrative has not been toned down for the stage. Compromises have not been made when adapting this piece.
I can’t do a song-by-song breakdown here, as much fun as that would be, but each piece tells the narrative in a tasteful, yet very entertaining and expressive manner. Musicals can sometimes fall into the trap of characters saying their emotions outright, instead of letting it show in what they’re saying. While there’s only so much context that can be obtained from listening instead of viewing, The Colour Purple is not falling into this trap. Themes like incest and abuse which are hard to tackle at the best of times are done in a tasteful manner here. Having this story told through a musical setting keeps the tone lighter than a novel or movie