Purple People

For my birthday Star got tickets to the touring production of "The Color Purple".  For a show dealing with such heavy topics, I was was somewhat skeptical of the banners proclaiming it "Soaring and Joyful!"  I was surprised, then, to come away feeling reaffirmed about the strength of the human spirit.

The singing was incredible.  The staging and costuming was beautiful.  And the finale number was so face-melting good (a term Star has coined for songs that cause goosebumps, spine-tingles, and other physiological reactions out of sheer excellence) that I've included two links to it: 

 The Color Purple- Reprise (with scenes from the show)

And because it seems that every blog (mommy blog or no) should link to Oprah at least once:

Finale Performed on Oprah 

My favorite part of the whole show, however, was the meaning of the title.  Most people have a hard time describing their brushes with God--we talk in terms of light, or fire, or even of tasting salt-- incomparable experiences so beyond words that we can only approximate with other sensations that defy description. (How do you explain what salt tastes like?)  The color purple is another attempt to explain the inexplicable, as well as an appeal for us to look and be thankful for God's many gifts: "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."  Nice thought this Thankgiving-time, I'd say.