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A New World: Like many members of The Color Purple team,
Withers-Mendes is not only new to Broadway, but also hails
from the pop music world. After years of singing back-up for
a slew of recording divas (Cher, Celine, J-Lo), a recommendation
from Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson to The Color Purple producer
Quincy Jones helped Withers-Mendes land the role of Shug.Broadway Baby: The Color Purple is the first play Withers-Mendes has performed
in since she was a kid in Joliet. "Broadway was a dream of mine when I was playing a fairy in A Midsummer Night's
Dream in high school," she says. "But that was like a fading thought, you know?"
Acknowledging that the opportunity has been "almost overwhelming," Withers-Mendes says,
"even the agent I've been working with said, 'Elisabeth, I don't think it's sunk in just how
big this isyou're working on Broadway!' Because I just see it as working with great talent,
great musicians, a great director, great producers... it really hasn't dawned on me the magnitude of it.
Which I think is sort of good. It keeps me grounded."