JEANNETTE BAYARDELLE as Celle and Latoya London as Nettie.
Broadway’s best-loved musical, “The Color Purple,” is coming to the Detroit Music Hall for a May 20-June 1 run. The show, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, has been hailed as one of the best musicals of all time.

As presented on Broadway, the first North American Tour of “The Color Purple” will be directed by Gary Griffin and star the renowned Jeannette Bayardelle as Celie, and former “American Idol” front-runner LaToya London
as Nettie.

The FrontPage had a chance to parley with Ms. Bayardelle to find out what Detroit can expect from experiencing “The Color Purple” live on stage.

FrontPage: Can you give a little background about yourself as far as your career as an actress?

Jeannette Bayardelle: Well, I’ve been singing and kind of acting; I call myself a singer first, since I was about 5 years old. I went to a school of performing arts and it was there I learned the whole audition process and how to do this full time. I went to college for health science, which is totally different from acting and singing. I worked for a corporate job for a few months then I decided I did the education thing and now I’m going to dive into singing and acting. I auditioned for a cruise ship and I’ve been working full-time since then. I’ve done productions like “Rent,” “Big River,” “ Best of Both Worlds” and now “Color Purple.”

FP: Where are you from?

JB: I’m originally from the Bronx, New York.

FP: OK! So what has the whole experience been like for you working on “The Color Purple?”

JB: It’s been great! You know, I’m part of the original Broadway company so I’ve been with them since it came to Broadway. I started off as an understudy for one year and then after that year I replaced LaShawn, who was Celie on Broadway. I was able to do the part on Broadway and open up the national tour.

FP: How did you come to play the part of Celie? How did that whole process work for you?

JB: Like I said, I started off as an understudy. [I was] understudying 11 people in the cast, which was Celie and Nettie, and nine other women. Once LaShawn decided to leave, they gave me the opportunity to audition; I did have to audition even though I was already in the show. And that’s how it happened.

FP: What have you brought to the role of Celie that is different from your predecessor?

JB: I remember when I was taking over for LaShawn and I told her when I think of Celie, I think of Whoopi Goldberg and I think of her because they’ve done such a wonderful job. She said that’s OK but eventually, too, you become your own. And she was absolutely right, because three years later she has become my own and it’s my own interpretation. And I’m very proud of the work that I’ve done because I’ve worked hard to get to this point.

FP: Do you find that in doing this play as much as you do that you are still able to do different things with it every night?

JB: Oh, definitely. There are many levels in playing Celie and the music and the story is just amazing, so it keeps you on your toes. I’ve been in musicals where it gets a little boring and there’s nowhere else to go, but with “The Color Purple” you find places to go every night.

FP: Explain the difference between the play and the movie. What can the viewers expect to see as far as the difference between the two?

JB: The play is definitely closer to Alice Walker’s book. So there’re a lot of things in the play where if you just saw the movie you’ll be surprised in the play because you’re like, “I didn’t know this happened or that happened.” And the reason for that is because the play is much closer to what Alice Walker wrote in her book, which I think is good because one thing that you do see in the play is the redemption of Mister and I think that’s really important. So I’m happy that we did demonstrate that in this production.

FP: Tell me a little bit about your cast.

JB: We have an amazing cast. Felicia P. Fields, who was nominated for the Tony on Broadway, playing Sofia; we have LaToya London from American Idol; we have Angela Robinson, who is also from the Broadway company. So we have a lot of Broadway vets in the production, which is great.

FP: Give me something that Detroiters can take away from this play when they leave the theater.

JB: Family, friendship and, most importantly, hope and faith.

FP: So what’s next for you? Are you looking to do other things outside of “The Color Purple?”

JB: I’m scheduled to be with “The Color Purple” now until August but I do want to do more film and television, and I am working on another gospel CD, my second one. And that’s about it.

For more information about Jeannette Bayardelle, visit www.jeannettebaryardelle.com. For ticket information about “The Color Purple” call TicketMaster at 248-433-1515 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.