"'The Color Purple' has been born again, and its conversion is a glory to behold…The current version is a slim, fleet-footed beauty...There’s a deep wealth of power within its restraint…It takes hard work, ruthless editing and a spark of genius to make a miracle on Broadway. That’s certainly true of this 'Color Purple'...Celie may have started off cowed, but we’ve always sensed that there’s a rare spirit inside. That about sums up Mr. Doyle’s relationship, too, to this vitally reincarnated musical."
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"Doyle’s production intensifies 'The Color Purple' and brings out its deeper hues. The musical blossoms into a classic…Doyle’s elegantly minimal production keeps Celie in sharp central focus throughout…Celie’s journey has a clearer sense of direction than before...Erivo is supported by a mighty sisterhood of performers…This 'Color Purple' is a celebration of black women, and it fills you with appreciation for the musical’s return. It’s here, and it’s beautiful."
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"A kind of theatrical CPR, restarting the heart of a show that, in its original production, seemed to die before your eyes…'The Color Purple' does still have its awkward elements: When the second act steps away from Celie, it loses focus and momentum…Doyle gets everything out of 'The Color Purple' that anyone could have thought to put in it...One of the best revivals ever."
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"The musical version of the film version of Alice Walker’s novel is an exercise in treacly feel-good sentimentality, but Mr. Doyle’s scaled-down, ruthlessly cut version makes the best possible case for 'The Color Purple'...for all its own virtues, looks and feels like an off-Broadway show that made a wrong turn at 42nd Street."
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"A revival of 'The Color Purple' that lifts an already formidable musical into greatness…Marsha Norman’s book cunningly trims the story to essentials, and the songs get the job done…'The Color Purple' is more than the sum of its considerable parts. It’s a fine old-fashioned celebration of endurance, grace and goodness, given a powerful African-American depth. If you can’t cherish those you have an impervious heart indeed."
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"Gospel-inspired songs get the show off to a slow start...The musical finds its stride when it lets down its hair with sexed-up songs...British director John Doyle shows his warm side. While his use of chairs as a visual statement feels a bit gimmicky, Doyle gets something very right with a bolt of fabric that subtly underscores the story of Celie’s rebirth. The show itself has had its own new start. 'The Color Purple' is bolder, brighter and deeper than ever."
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"The ladies wear the pants in John Doyle’s ravishing revival of 'The Color Purple...' In a feat of reverse magic, Doyle’s minimalist production maximizes the strength and beauty of Marsha Norman’s book… The score has a sweeping populist appeal, sensitive to each character’s specific lyric mood…Both the beauty and the brains of the score are evident in the fact that each character’s signature song belongs only to that character."
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"This revelatory overhaul is characterized by its grace, restraint and soaring spirituality, peeling back the excess to expose the life-affirming material's molten emotional core. It remakes a patchy musical as a thrilling one…This production's manifold acts of renewal go far beyond its remarkable performances…The quality of the singing throughout, and the beauty of the harmonies, cannot be overpraised…This very fine revival is not to be missed."
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