THEATER TALK to Welcome Stars of THE COLOR PURPLE This Weekend

An all-new THEATER TALK showcases the acclaimed Broadway revival of the musical The Color Purple, based on the novel by Alice Walker, now at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Guests are director John Doyle and the show's powerful leading ladies - Jennifer Hudson ("Shug"), Cynthia Erivo ("Celie") and Danielle Brooks ("Sofia").

Doyle, who rejects the "minimalist" attribute that often used to describe his style, first directed the show in London with Erivo in the cast. He tells co-hosts Michael Riedel of The New York Post and Susan Haskins that he never expected the show to come to Broadway. Hudson says she was offered the show and said, "Sure!" before she even knew what part she would play. All of the women had seen the movie, read the book, and some had seen the original production that ran on Broadway from December 2005 through February 2008. They affirm that every character in the show - the men included - gives the audience someone very real to connect to.

After a brief discussion about diversity on Broadway and in Hollywood, and Hudson's reactions to winning an Oscar® for Dreamgirls, Doyle says that he believes that The Color Purple opens a new door for African-American women to take on the "Broadway strong leading ladies" mantle, usually seen in musicals. Doyle also cites the casts' chemistry and unity. Hudson expresses it best: "We are of one accord."

This latest edition of THEATER TALK premieres in the New York metropolitan area Friday, February 26 (2016) at 1:30 AM (early Saturday morning) and Sunday 2/28 at 11:30 AM on Thirteen/PBS; on CUNY TV* Saturday 2/27 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 2/28 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 2/29 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM; and on WLIW/21 on Monday 2/29 at 5:30 PM - a total of 8 showings.

THEATER TALK is jointly produced by the not-for-profits Theater Talk Productions and CUNY TV. The program is taped in the Himan Brown TV and Radio Studios at The City University of New York (CUNY) TV in Manhattan, and is distributed to 100+ participating public television stations nationwide. THEATER TALK is made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The CUNY TV Foundation, and The Friends of THEATER TALK.