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Fantasia's Glowing Reviews for "Color Purple"

Lost within all the upfronts brouhaha was this little item on the Broadway cast of The Color Purple welcoming a new Celie, that being Idol season four winner Fantasia Barrino.

And, she's getting raves (NY Times):

Just 22 years old, Fantasia is wholly convincing as a gawky adolescent yanked from girlish daydreams into the brutal truths of life when she is impregnated by her father. Squirming with excitement and awe as she fondles the baby soon to be pulled from her arms, her big shy smile could break your heart. As Celie moves through a life of poverty and hardship, the return of that sunbeam grin is a moving testament to the innocence of heart she retains despite all the setbacks she endures.

Much is made of Celie’s unattractiveness. She is essentially sold off by her father to a brutish husband as if she were a workhorse with a lame leg. LaChanze, though a skilled singer and actress, couldn’t disguise her natural beauty and poise. Fantasia possesses her own beauty, but it is more idiosyncratic, and as Celie she moves with the uneven amble of a woman trained at a young age to debilitating drudgery and a carelessness about her looks.

Good for her. Of course, the committment does prevent her from touring in support of her latest album, but I don't think I would turn down a Broadway lead for anything in the world. Of course, I grew up 45 minutes away from the theatre district.

I'm sitting here listening to what I guess is the hit from her latest, it's called Hood Boy and you can hear it too if you click here for her homepage.

"Idol" Fantasia Heading to "The Color Purple" on Broadway

Apparently, those of you who are what I consider showing up early to watch Idol heard Fantasia sing "I'm Here" from the show and make her big announcement.

I can't decide who's getting the better part of this deal, Fantasia or Oprah and the other producers.

I would be on the lookout for Fantasia to make a return appearance to Oprah's show to sing and chat and promote the show. Their national tour kicks off in Chicago in April.

Variety reports:

Replacement casting of one of "Idol's" best-known alums is aimed at helping to boost box office of "Purple," which has flagged in recent months despite an initial run of strong sales. Although the $11 million tuner, which opened Nov. 1, 2005, recouped in little more than a year, last month the weekly gross dipped below the $500,000 mark.

Announcing Barrino's casting on TV juggernaut "Idol" was a canny move by "Purple" producers to keep the production's national profile high. Prior to landing on Broadway, "Purple" got a huge publicity bump when Oprah Winfrey signed on as a producer.

Barrino is skedded to appear on Winfrey's show Feb. 28, in part to discuss her Rialto debut.

No, I did not read that last line beforehand. I just know these things.