“When she came aboard, we did a run through and we were very excited that she’d…be a part of the production but in the midst of all of the jubilation, I was thinking to myself, ‘I don’t know what I’m so happy about, I’ll be in the theater doing her role,’” says Fields who plays the iconic role of Sofia.

Fields goes on to say that Winfrey was nurturing and supportive and that the media icon’s approval put her at ease.

The musical “The Color Purple”—based on the novel by Alice Walker and film by Steven Spielberg of the same name — tells the story of Celie who, despite a lifetime of abuse, discovers self-love, acceptance and independence.

All though the movie, film and musical share the same characters and themes, Fields suggests there are enough differences for people to see the work in a new light, but not too many where there is no connection.

“A lot of people want to hear some of the songs from the movie, but the music is written by different writers so they have their own music.” She continues, “Basically, the same themes are going on [but] it isn’t as detailed in some places as it is in the movie. In this production there is redemption for the Mister character and there’s a little more detail given to the relationship between Shug and Celie.”

Fields says The Color Purple has consistently done so well for almost 30 years because, “It’s a story about love. It’s a story about people who face many trials that normal people face…you see something as a human being that affects your personal life. All of us at some point or another, either ourselves or our family members, have faced some of the same issues that go on in this production.”

“The Color Purple,” is now on tour. The production will run in New Orleans December 1 – 6. For more information, visit www.colorpur­ple.com or call 800-982-2787.

This article was originally published in the November 30, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper