Fantasia stars in 'The Color Purple'

HOLLYWOOD - "American Idol" Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino will reprise her starring role of Celie in the "The Color Purple," opening at the Pantages Theatre on Feb. 10 for a two-week engagement.Fantasia made her Broadway debut in "The Color Purple" on April 10, 2007. She won the 2007 Theater World Award and received stellar reviews from the New York Post and New York Daily News. As a 19-year-old single mother, Fantasia began her path to international stardom when she became the winner of Fox's hugely successful singing competition in 2004. Now 25, she has garnered critical acclaim for the release of both her debut album, "Free Yourself," which marked her becoming the first artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history to debut at No. 1 with her single, "I Believe." Her second album, "Fantasia," released Dec. 12, 2006. To date, she gathered more than 20 award nominations from the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Vibe Awards, Soul Train Awards and Soul Train "Lady of Soul" Awards, Billboard Music Awards BET Awards, Teen Choice Awards and NAACP Image Awards. She starred in "the Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairytale," the Debbie Allen-directed Lifetime original movie adaptation of her memoir. For her performance, Fantasia was nominated for a 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. The biopic ranks as the network's second most-watched movie and has been seen by 19 million viewers. Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, "The Color Purple" opened in 2005 at the Broadway Theatre where it ran for two years. It is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the film by Steven Spielberg. It is the story of Celie, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. "The Color Purple," on its first North American tour, is directed by Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones and others. Tickets to see "The Color Purple" are $25 to $65 and are available online at www.broadwayla.org or by calling (800) 982-2787. 'Riverdance' and 'Rent' This January, both "Riverdance" and "Stomp" will return to Hollywood's historic Pantages Theatre for the first time in four years. "Riverdance" will play 16 performances Jan. 12-24, while "Stomp" will be in town for a limited two-week engagement. Tickets will go on sale Sunday at the Pantages box office at 9 a.m. and online at www.broadwayla.org. "Riverdance" is the thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance that has entertained millions of people around the globe. Composed by Bill Whelan, "Riverdance" to date has played more than 10,000 performances, been seen live by more than 22 million people in more than 350 venues throughout 40 countries and four continents. They have traveled well over 600,000 miles, played to a worldwide television audience of 2 billion, sold more than 3 million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD and more than 10 million videos, making it one of the best-selling entertainment videos in the world. "Riverdance" had its world premiere at the Point Theatre in Dublin in 1995, where is opened to unanimous critical acclaim. "Stomp" brings to L.A. new surprises, with some sections of the show updates and restructured, and two new full-scale routines added, utilizing props like tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans. The changes now seen in the tour are the biggest since the late 1990s. "Stomp" has been an overwhelming success marked by rave reviews and sell-out engagements, along with numerous awards, including an Olivier Award for Best Choreography, an Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience, and a Special Citation from Best Plays. "Stomp" uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - trash cans, tea chests, plastic bags, plungers, booths and hubcaps - to fill the stage with compelling rhythms. Performances of both "Riverdance" and "Stomp" are Tuesday - Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $25 - $78.

********** Published: December 11, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 33