ROCHESTER, N.Y. — “The Color Purple” is now open at Geva Theatre. The Tony-Award winning musical, based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, tells the story of a young Black woman in the American South in the early 20th century.

The story’s main character, Celie, endures unthinkable trauma at the hands of her father. One of the most famous moments from the show is when Celie reclaims her life during the song “I’m Here.”

We spoke with the show’s director and choreographer, Daniel Bryant, about Geva’s approach to telling this powerful story.

“Life is ever-changing and that’s the lesson I think that this character and this story tells us, is that no matter how dark things may get, there’s always a moment for you to choose transformation. To choose joy and strength in the midst of it all,” Bryant said.

Heather Himes, who is the choreographer for the production, spoke about what the character Celie represents.

“If we want a better world, it is our responsibility to change it and to watch Celie have changed her circumstances and made the change that she needs. I hope that people are inspired by that and can go out into the world and make the change that they want to see,” Himes said.

This is a joint production with Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis. The show runs through Saturday, June 29. You can see show times and get tickets here.

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