In the 1930 Black women were in the lowest position of the human chain with violence, poverty, rape and incest just part of what they endured. In 1982 Alice Walker wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Color Purple" which told the story of Celie, a poor, uneducated, 'ugly', 14-year-old who is raped by her father and has two children who are taken away. She has a younger sister, Nettie, who is on the verge of going through what Celie has and the latter makes her go away to save her.

In 1985 Steven Spielberg made a successful movie of the book starring Whoopie Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

In 2005 a Broadway production presented by Oprah Winfrey opened and had a 3 year successful run to be revived in a stripped down version by the Menier Chocolate Factory Productions in an even more successful run from 2015 to 2017.

Last night at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami the touring company of the latter production opened to a full and very appreciative audience with stellar performances by Adrianna Hicks as Celie, Carla R. Stewart as Shug Avery, Carrie Compere as Sofia, J. Daughtry as Harpo, Gavin Gregory as Mister, Erica Durham as Squeak and N'Jameh Camara as Nettie along with a first-rate ensemble of 14 men and women in various roles with Angela Birchett a standout!

The book of the musical is written by award-winning playwright Marsha Mason and the cast of outstanding singers present the Grammy award-winning music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray with a few show-stopping numbers.

Though the story is a somber one and very much a part of today's women fighting to help other women it is not as harrowing as the movie or as disturbing as the novel is the musical does find joy in many of the songs and humor as the women turn the tables on the men. 

All the cast had impressive voices and most had a chance to show them off singularly in such such songs as "I'm Here" (Adrianna Hicks), "Celie's Curse" (Gavin Gregory), "Push da Button" (Carla R. Stewart) or in various group numbers like "Mysterious Ways", "Miss Celie's Pants", "Uh Oh!" and the title tune.

"The Color Purple" touring company will make you want to buy/download the book and the album while possibly make you look at the movie but get down to the Arsht Center where it is playing until Sunday.

"The Color Purple runs 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 20-minute intermission.