Current:Home > reviews"The Color Purple" premieres with sold-out showings in Harlem -Wealth Evolution Experts
"The Color Purple" premieres with sold-out showings in Harlem
View
Date:2025-04-25 02:02:48
NEW YORK - Families often find themselves at movie theaters on Christmas Day, and this year "The Color Purple" drew out crowds in droves in Harlem.
At the AMC Magic Johnson Theaters, the nearly sold-out showings for the premiere showered the streets with a parade of purple. Dozens were decked out in the royal hue.
"My sister passed away about three years ago, and me and my sister was close like that," said Sallie McMillan, referencing the story's main characters.
"The first one I saw when I was a little girl and it changed my life," Nicole Williams said, standing next to her daughter, Forever. "So this new edition I had to be here the first day to share with my daughter."
The new movie flips the script of its 1985 film predecessor. While that version interpreted Alice Walker's original prose, filled with pain, this one is based on the 2005 Broadway musical, which reimagines the story from a more positive perspective, with characters empowered to rejoice.
"Nothing stacks up to the original, but it definitely was up there," said Antonia Santiago after seeing the first showing of the day. "On a 1 to 10, it was a 9.5."
"The book leaves us in awe," noted W. Taft Harris, Jr. "The film adaptation leaves us with this great sense of aspiration. The stageplay leaves us in a place of good astonishment, right. This here was simply amazing."
This powerful tale of redemption is filled with full-circle moments for the cast, some of whom portrayed the same people in the Broadway play nearly two decades ago.
Fantasia Barrino-Taylor credits co-star Taraji P. Henson for helping her celebrate and separate herself from her character Celie on set, something she admitted struggling to do on stage during a recent interview on CBS Mornings.
"Our amazing director, he gave Celie an imagination," Barrino-Taylor said. "She didn't have that on Broadway. So it left everybody trying to figure out how she got through everything. Then all of a sudden you hear, "I'm here," and you're happy. But you don't know how she processed to get there."
Danielle Brooks also reprised her role of Sofia, who was hand-picked to walk in the footsteps of producer Oprah Winfrey.
"It felt literally like passing the baton, and I got to do that," Winfrey told CBS Mornings. "We both cried when she finished the scene, and I said it is officially done. You have taken it and made it yours."
The chemistry runs deep between Brooks and her on-screen husband Harpo, played by Corey Hawkins.
"I don't know if I was dreaming it up or my ancestors were dreaming it up, but Danielle Brooks and I were both at Julliard in singing class, in the hallways, just singing the music," Hawkins said on CBS Mornings. "Like it was a part of who we were."
The stars have all aligned to mark a new cultural moment in history.
"I saw the original back in 1985, and that was stupendous," said Yvonne Bacott, "and to see a different take on it now and the persons who are in it. I mean it's phenomenal. Who wouldn't want to see it?"
"The Color Purple" is playing now in a theater near you.
Have a story idea or tip in Harlem? Email Jessi by CLICKING HERE.
- In:
- Harlem
Jessi Mitchell joined the CBS New York team as a multi-skilled journalist in October 2021, focusing her reporting in Harlem.
Twitter FacebookveryGood! (8)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Drone video captures Helene's devastation in Asheville, North Carolina
- Reveal Old Navy’s Mystery Deals & Save 60% – Score $18 Jeans, $4 Tank Tops, $10 Leggings & More
- After CalMatters investigation, Newsom signs law to shed light on maternity ward closures
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Atlanta Braves and New York Mets players celebrate clinching playoff spots together
- Is 'The Simpsons' ending? Why the show aired its 'series finale' Sunday
- Murders, mayhem and officer’s gunfire lead to charges at Brooklyn jail where ‘Diddy’ is held
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Photos and videos capture 'biblical devastation' in Asheville, North Carolina: See Helene's aftermath
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Colorado family sues after man dies from infection in jail in his 'blood and vomit'
- Oregon DMV waited weeks to tell elections officials about voter registration error
- Conyers fire: Shelter-in-place still in effect after chemical fire at pool cleaning plant
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Cincinnati Opera postpones Afrofuturist-themed `Lalovavi’ by a year to the summer of 2026
- Here’s how Helene and other storms dumped a whopping 40 trillion gallons of rain on the South
- Many small businesses teeter as costs stay high while sales drop
Recommendation
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
Water samples tested after Maine firefighting foam spill, below guidelines for dangerous chemicals
San Diego Padres back in MLB playoffs after 'selfishness' doomed last season's flop
Major League Baseball scraps criticized All-Star Game uniforms and goes back to team jerseys
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
Why Rihanna Says Being a Mom of 2 Boys Is an “Olympic Sport”
Julianne Hough Claps Back at Critics Who Told Her to Eat a Cheeseburger After Sharing Bikini Video
Major League Baseball scraps criticized All-Star Game uniforms and goes back to team jerseys