The Color Purple: stage vs screen

The Color Purple has moved between page, screen, and stage. Steven Spielberg's 1985 film of Alice Walker's novel, with Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, was not a musical; the 2005 Broadway musical drew on both the novel and that film; and Blitz Bazawule's 2023 movie musical, with Fantasia Barrino as Celie, adapted the stage show while borrowing from the 1985 film too. Here is how they differ.

Stage

Broadway musical (2005)

Screen

The Color Purple (1985), Steven Spielberg's non-musical film, and The Color Purple (2023), the movie musical

1. The 1985 film is not a musical

Spielberg's film has a score by Quincy Jones, and Shug performs "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" in a juke joint, but the characters do not sing their thoughts and feelings, and Celie and Sofia never sing. The Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray and a book by Marsha Norman, gave them songs such as "Hell No!," "Miss Celie's Pants," and "I'm Here."

2. Shug and Celie's romance

Spielberg deliberately reduced Shug and Celie's relationship to a simple kiss, saying more would not fit a PG-13 rating. The stage musical makes the love story clearer with the duet "What About Love?," and the 2023 film keeps that duet.

3. 13 stage songs cut from the 2023 film

The 2023 film drops 13 numbers from the stage score, among them "Somebody Gonna Love You," "Our Prayer," "Big Dog," "Brown Betty," "Uh-Oh!," "Any Little Thing," and "A Tree Named Sofia." Favorites such as "Hell No!," "Push Da Button," "Miss Celie's Pants," and "I'm Here" remain.

4. New and restored songs in 2023

"Keep It Movin'," sung by young Celie and Nettie, was written for the 2023 film. "She Be Mine," a song cut from the stage show, was brought back. The film also borrows two songs heard in Spielberg's film: Shug's "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" and the gospel number "Maybe God Is Tryin' to Tell You Somethin'," sung here by Shug and her father, the preacher.

5. Two actresses for Nettie

On Broadway, one actress plays Nettie throughout, with Renée Elise Goldsberry originating the role. The 2023 film splits her between Halle Bailey as young Nettie and Ciara as the older Nettie who returns from Africa, just as Phylicia Pearl Mpasi plays young Celie before Fantasia Barrino takes over.

6. "African Homeland" is cut

The stage show opens its second act with "African Homeland," showing Nettie's years in Africa with the missionary family raising Celie's children. The 2023 film drops that song. All three versions still end the same way, with Nettie and Celie's grown children coming home to reunite with Celie.

7. Stage stars on screen

The 2023 film brought two Broadway performers to the screen: Fantasia Barrino, who played Celie on Broadway in 2007, and Danielle Brooks, Sofia in the 2015 revival. Brooks earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, the same nomination Oprah Winfrey received for playing Sofia in 1985.

The Color Purple movie vs musical: FAQs