Dayna Jarae Dantzler’s favorite scene in “The Color Purple” is when her character Celie reconnects with her sister after years of separation. “I love the staging and the dancing…It’s a beautiful beautiful scene!” she said in an interview from her hotel in San Jose while touring with the Broadway production. The show will be playing at the San Diego Civic Theater Dec. 3-5.
“The Color Purple: The Musical About Love,” adapted from the novel by Alice Walker, is centered around an African American woman named Celie, who was abused by her father and later her husband. Her journey to overcoming her past and finding her own strength through the power of love has been moving audiences since it first hit Broadway five years ago.
Dantzler, recently seen in the Negro Ensemble Company’s NYC tour of “Chronicles of Color,” is playing Celie, which she described as an “icon role of a lifetime.”
The Western Michigan University graduate, has been involved in productions since she was seven years old, and decided to pursue acting as a teenager. “In high school my theater teacher was really awesome and he persuaded me,” said Dantzler.
She loves every aspect of musical theater, but has her favorites. “I’m best at singing, but I prefer dancing…I love the way the dancers move,” said Dantzler.
After auditioning in the summer of 2009, she was thrilled to receive the role of Celie. Along with studying her script, Dantzler read the book and watched the 1985 film to prepare for the role. She was able to build her own interpretation of Celie, different from Whoopi Goldberg’s. She said that knowing that she would be playing the character in the musical version was a contributing factor to developing her role. “The musical is going to be different from the movie,” she said.
And after only five weeks of rehearsal, Dantzler began touring in one of Broadway’s best-loved musicals. “This has definitely been one of my dream roles,” said Dantzler.
Dantzler’s favorite part about being in the cast, other than her role, is the bond between her and her cast mates. She described all of them as being very supportive. “First day of rehearsal we all met each other for the first time and we were all so excited and ready to embark on this journey,” said Dantzler.
Her journey includes more than just performing. While on tour, Dantzler usually relaxes and sight sees during the day. “We generally have the day free and we get to explore,” said Dantzler. One of her favorite cities she has preformed in thus far has been Fayetteville, Arkansas. “[It was a] cute town with lots of boutiques…It had a young vibe in the air,” said Dantzler. She also enjoyed Nashville, Memphis, and more recently San Jose because of its location.
Dantzler admits that it’s not always easy to generate enough energy for performances night after night. “Some nights are more difficult than others…But the story is so touching and inspiring and once you step out on the stage you can feel the energy from the audience,” said Dantzler. “I try to play each moment as honest and as truthful as I can.”
As for Dantzler’s advice to aspiring actors, “Don’t compare yourself to others…never give up on your dreams and work hard because it pays off…go after what you want.”
- Celie Dantzler in “The Color Purple”