The Color Purple… The Musical!

Not sure how this fact escaped me before now, but the limited coverage of it might have something to do with it – I found out by chance when searching Oprah Winfrey on IMDb Pro. As most of you will no doubt know, Winfrey starred in The Color Purple, the 1985 Steven Spielberg film based on the novel by Alice Walker.

Critically acclaimed, and nominated for several oscars, Speilberg’s film came out during the not too subtle age of Reaganomic rhetoric, when the white elephant in the room of race relations was dropping dung all over the place, making it hard to avoid and uncomfortable to be around – quite understandable given the stench it was letting off.

From Cinematical in May of this year:

The original feature film was based on the novel by Alice Walker about the struggles of a young black woman in early 20th century America. The film was a big Oscar contender, but ending up losing most of the awards to the more ‘colonial style’ of Out of Africa.

But some 25 years later, with a Black POTUS (OK, OK, he’s only half black, but we all know that still means black to most people… until that half black person succeeds at something extraordinary/brave/wonderful… in which case they’re half white) and with the seemingly apparent/imminent success of Lee Daniels‘ film Precious, also backed by Winfrey (who also famously endorsed the current POTUS) perhaps now is an astute time to revisit The Color Purple, set to music to give more rounded entertainment value to the less cinematically aware.

Perhaps, too, with Lionsgate developing Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, we are entering a new era of film adaptations of books by African-American women recounting harrowing stories of Africa-American womanhood. We’ve seen such trends emerge before with Hollywood – 70s Blackploitation, 90s Hood’ movies… so we’re about due another – the black female trials and tribulations trend, perhaps. Personally, I don’t mind, just as long as I don’t get taken for a sucker.

The film will be based on the broadway musical of the adaptation of Spieldberg’s film… wow – book, movie, stage, movie… and, as of 1st October this year, is listed on IMDb as being in-development by Winfrey’s production company, Harop Films, who acquired the rights in 2008.

So far, the only cast lined up is for the role of Celie (played by Whoopi Goldberg in the Spielberg original), which will be reprised by American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino, following her successful run in the broadway show from April 2007. I’m not at all familiar with Barrino’s singing or acting abilities, but Barrino won a 2007 Theater World Award and received rave reviews across the board for her perforamcne in the musical stage show.

Trend or no, I must say that I’d rather my memories for The Color Purple remain unsullied, though I have been known to like the odd musical or two. Personally, if Winfrey must revisit past projects, then I’d rather see something like Beloved given the musical treatment (perhaps more operatic than popular), though realise that even the sound of music might not help assuage enough white liberal guilt in what is a haunting tale of black defiance, love, solidarity, guilt and redemption, in a time of unquestionable oppression, to make this a commercially viable option. Also, given Winfrey’s original film adaptation of the Toni Morrison novel. which she starred in and produced, was such a loss leader (it cost an estimated $53 million and grossed around just $22.8 million), I guess I can see why she may not be particularly eager to go back down that road. Still…

The Color Purple, the musical, is due for a 2010 release date.