The Color Purple

Once again StageArt brings us a musical that 99% of us would never have the chance to see a professional production of otherwise, and we’re all the better for that.

Most of us are familiar with Spielberg’s film and Alice Walker’s book, and we know that this was a huge - in terms of staging - Broadway hit a few years back. But this year it won the Tony award for best revival in a more streamlined, cut down version – thus allowing StageArt to mount the show in the limited space of The Chapel.

As well as directing, Robbie Carmelotti designed the simple, but effective set, a square set diagonally on a larger square, thus providing multiple playing levels, with flimsy flats on three sides. The only other set is eight hardwood benches which can be configured to depict every other setting needed. It’s minimalist and clever and works a treat.

As with Titanic, the vocal work is exemplary throughout, with a marvellous blending of harmonies, and incorporating some off-stage voice augmentation. The band – under Caleb Garfinkel – of Byron Bache, Patrick Paevere, Daniel Pickard, James Davies/Tom Doublier - are so good that you don’t miss a full orchestra in the slightest.

On stage, Jayme-Lee Hanekom is a triumph as Celie. Though she is neither skinny nor ugly, her warmth and sincerity shine through and she has a fabulous vocal range. Starting tentatively on opening night, she continued to grow in the role and her two main numbers - ‘What about love?’ and ‘I’m here’, stopped the show, and rightfully so.

This performance alone is one reason why you need to see this production, but there are others who shine. Anna Francesca Armenia is quite marvellous as sister Nettie, bringing both dignity and credibility to the role, and believably aging through body language alone over the course of more than twenty years, something which the production as a whole tends to ignore. Her scenes with Celie are the highlight of the show, and Carmelotti keeps her presence alive through the long years of separation by having her appear as the postbox, delivering the letters that Mister hides from Celie for years. In the early childbirth scene, the director cleverly has Nettie remove Celie’s pinafore during labour, and it becomes the wrapped figure of the newborn baby. It’s moments like this that make us catch our breath and show what this company can achieve.

Vanessa Menjivar almost steals the show as the feisty Sofia – a larger than life character played with great comic timing. Her hapless husband Harpo, Celie’s stepson, is played by Iopu Auva’a with great warmth – and the couple’s one number ‘Any Little Thing’ is sheer delight. Kendrew A. Heriveaux (Mister) brought strength and gravitas, plus a genuine American accent, to the stage and is a welcome addition to our theatre scene.

Thando Sikwila lends her sensational voice to the role of Shug Avery. Shug, as a character, is a composite of Bessie Smith – who was bi-sexual – and Billie Holliday, whose problems were drugs and alcohol. Both were amazing charismatic presences and whilst Thando’s voice is the equal of anyone’s, she’s young, and doesn’t exude the sexuality the role calls for. She also seemed too tentative in the acting stakes, as if every line and move had been learned by rote. The result is not enough individuality or spontaneity in the performance for me. It would be marvellous if she could reach inside and find something visceral to bring to the role. And that’s true for many of the lesser roles. We know that there are varying degrees of experience on the stage, but this was a case where often every line and gesture seemed set in stone, and that meant a loss of truth in some instances, with actors clearly showing the thought process of “what comes next?”

Casting is everything in a show like this and StageArt and the Director have done a marvellous job with a show that many nay-sayers claimed could never be cast here. Certainly for the veracity of the piece we have to accept that not everyone is going to look like an African American, and give some dramatic license and leeway to the production without political correctness getting in the way. However, there are moments when the text fights against the casting - Shug Avery’s lover, for example, is described as “High Yella”. High yellow means light skinned enough to pass for white – and yet he is played by one of the darkest of the actors - it’s little moments like this which are the difference between a production being very good and great.

Jayden Hicks does a sterling job in choreographing the (mostly) non-dancers. The moves are crisp and uniform and well executed. True, there are some anachronistic Fosse type hip pops from the choir ladies - all good Christians and in middle age at the time - but overall it’s a terrific debut. Recently dubbed a “dancer to watch” by Dance Australia, Jayden is now a “choreographer to watch.”

The dynamic duo of Jason Bovaird (lighting) – with Maddy Seach; and Marcello Lo Ricco (sound) once again play an integral part in the production. Bovaird is rapidly gaining an international reputation and this time his design is subtle, without any wild colour palette. The soft blues and shadowy leaf decals on the flats work a treat. On the main stage area though there were a few cues which seemed un-necessary lighting changes and I’m not sure whether that was direction or design. Marvellous Marcello’s sound beautifully balances the offstage voices and the band with the performers - no mean achievement in The Chapel. Only a minor glitch early on marred the perfection.

Finally Rhiannon Irving’s costumes work a treat, but please, could we have one production without at least one puckered seam or hem?

This is a very good production of an excellent show. It’s not without flaws (is any show?), and I’m sure the Producers wouldn’t pretend that it is. Sycophantic raving about something without constructive criticism really doesn’t help a still (relatively) new company to perfect its quest for excellence. But, even with some flaws, there is no doubt that StageArt as a company punches well above its weight (and budget) and is now a major force in our Musical Theatre culture. I look forward to next year’s offerings.

Coral Drouyn

Photographer: Bellinda Strodder.