Three years after winning American Idol, Fantasia (she dropped Barrino long ago) steps into the Oprahfied musical version of Alice Walker's 1982 book, The Color Purple. As the tragic Celie — who endures incest, beatings, and teen pregnancies — the star lands every line and hits all the right notes. But she's cold and robotic, and never becomes the sprawling show's much-needed emotional touchstone. Her rich, suitably scratchy voice is one saving grace: By the time Celie finds salvation with the bombastic ballad ''I'm Here,'' you'll be glad Fantasia is...but you'll also wish she'd go back to making pop music. 2005 version: C+, 2007 version: C

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