Fantasia defies cynics - including herself...

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That made her even more determined.

"I was like, 'I have to go in here and do my best for them. It's not only me, but it's a whole cast who's been doing it for two years, and I have to hold the show up so that we will have a good show,'" she explains.

Since her arrival in April, she has done more than hold up the show. She's revitalized it. Fantasia has received rave reviews, boosted a box office that had started to slump and, some say, improved a successful commercial production that was lacking critically.

Michael Kuchwara, The Associated Press' drama critic, said Fantasia "gives the production new heart, soul and star power." And The New York Times called her "so terrific that this earnest but mechanical musical is more effective and affecting than it was when it yawned open a year and a half ago at the Broadway Theater."

"I think she's clearly given the show a new burst of energy that everyone is enjoying the benefit of," says Scott Sanders, one of the show's producers.

"When you bring in someone who is a household name, it brings out the cynics who think that it is just stunt casting and those who actually understand that she is a very talented woman who is going to take a big leap. It's turned out to be an incredible win for everyone."

But it hasn't come without sacrifice for Fantasia. A few hours before show time, the doe-eyed singer, clad in sweats with her hair closely cropped, lounges in her midtown apartment, looking weary - far from her usual animated, gregarious self. As she walks around gingerly, she blurts out: "This show is kicking my butt." Part of what makes her so tired is the grueling schedule. She performs eight times a week and is onstage almost the entire production, singing with such a fiery passion that you get exhausted just watching her.

After curtain calls and on her days off, she sleeps, sleeps and sleeps
"I ain't never heard the sleep word so much in my life until I got on Broadway," she says with a laugh. "I'm so tired - mentally tired, physically tired.

The content of the show has also drained her. "Miss Celie takes a lot of out of me," Fantasia says in her soft, raspy Southern drawl, in between bites of a light lunch. "I'm being told everyday that I'm ugly, you can't play the part if you don't kind of put yourself in her shoes and live her life. So it's like, I carry that stuff with me."

It's easy to see why Fantasia can't shake some of Celie's blues. In many ways, she shares parallels to the famously put-upon character who originated in Alice Walker's acclaimed book. Like Celie, Fantasia has lacked in education (she quit in high school), had a baby in her teens and suffered sexual abuse (Fantasia says she was raped by a classmate).

"I put myself in her shoes in having (daughter) Zion at such a young age and dropping out of school and being in just bad relationships and disrespected," she says.

Still, even though she could identify with Celie, Fantasia wondered if she was the right person to take on the emotionally complex character, who goes through several decades and transformations by show's end.

"What makes them think that I can do that?" she recalls asking herself once she saw the show.

For Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, the show's most prominent producer, it wasn't that hard to imagine. Sanders recalls watching Fantasia's emotive rendition of "Summertime" on "American Idol" - a song she never knew until it was assigned to her on the TV reality show. She made the Gershwin classic her signature.

"I had a hunch that because of her rawness in her ability to catch material and deliver it, in such a profound and powerful way, if she could get inside the character of Celie, or let Celie get inside of her, that this could be a really unique opportunity for everyone," he says."I just instinctively felt as we were talking and we were getting to know her, that she could do this."

Fantasia

There's only one [x4]
You're the only one [x2]

[verse 1:]
My baby he's the perfect ten (perfect ten)
He punches in at nine
eight the breakfast that i made for him,
Hops in the seven
He gets six figures
When he gets off at five
I'm what he's hungry four
three little letters and i'm in the mood (in the mood)
And he's the only man that i give it two
If ya man don't be stressin ya
Need to count ya blessins
Ladies let me see them hands now
Help me with this count down.

[chorus:]
ten, so many reasons why i stick with you
nine and my body adore you cause of the things you do
eight, i want you here with me, seven days of the week, six if i let you go i'm a fool, cuz boy theres
Only one you, five said i never wanna let you go thats from my heart, four ever and ever just to be with
You thats what i want, three no i never wanna leave your love is too good to me, two, there's never a
Wrong you can do,thats why theres only one you you

[verse 2:]
I count the seconds till he's at the door
I kissed his lips at least a thousands times before,
Still get that feeling
My knees get to trembling (my),
My head start to spinnin
He's one and a million to me
And he don't have to say a word (don't say a word)
When he gets me with a dozen red roses i
Know i got a winner, so if you got a winner, ladies let me see ya hands now
Help me with this count down.

[chorus:]
ten, so many reasons why i stick with you
nine and my body adore you all because of the things you do
eight, i want you here with me, seven days of the week, six if i let you go i'm a fool, cuz boy theres
Only one you, five said i never wanna let you go thats for my heart, four ever and ever just to be with
You thats what i want, three no i never wanna leave your love is too good to me, two, there's never a
Wrong you can do,thats why theres only one you,

[verse 3:]
Cant see me
Without you by my side
So many reasons why
I'm your girl and your my guy
Your all i need
All i need to get by
Like method man and mary blige
You don't have to wonder why.

[chorus:]
ten, so many reasons why i stick with you (why i stick with you)
ten and my body adore you all because of the things you do
eight, i want you here with me (i want you here with me), seven days of the week (oh seven days), six if
I let you go i'm a fool (i'm a fool theres only one you), cuz boy theres only one you, five said i never
Wanna let you go thats for my heart (let you go thats from my heart), four ever and ever just to be with
You thats what i want your what i want and need, three no i never wanna leave your love is too good to
Me, two, there's never a wrong you can do, thats why theres only one you, (theres only one, your the only
one baby, can't nobody do it like you do boy)
Theres only one(only one)
For you baby can't nobody do it like you do.
Your the only one [x2]
Only you, yeah you baby, nobody else but you.

There's only one [x4]
You're the only one [x2]

[verse 1:]
My baby he's the perfect ten (perfect ten)
He punches in at nine
Eight the breakfast that i made for him,
Hops in the seven
He gets six figures
When he gets off at five
I'm what he's hungry four
Three little letters and i'm in the mood (in the mood)
And he's the only man that i give it two
If ya man don't be stressin ya
Need to count ya blessins
Ladies let me see them hands now
Help me with this count down.

[chorus:]
Ten, so many reasons why i stick with you
Nine and my body adore you cause of the things you do
Eight, i want you here with me, seven days of the week, six if i let you go i'm a fool, cuz boy theres
Only one you, five said i never wanna let you go thats from my heart, four ever and ever just to be with
You thats what i want, three no i never wanna leave your love is too good to me, two, there's never a
Wrong you can do,thats why theres only one you

[verse 2:]
I count the seconds till he's at the door
I kissed his lips at least a thousand times before,
Still get that feeling
My knees get to trembling (my),
My head start to spinnin
He's one and a million to me
And he don't have to say a word (don't say a word)
When he gets me with a dozen red roses i
Know i got a winner, so if you got a winner, ladies let me see ya hands now
Help me with this count down.

[chorus:]
Ten, so many reasons why i stick with you
Nine and my body adore you all because of the things you do
Eight, i want you here with me, seven days of the week, six if i let you go i'm a fool, cuz boy theres
Only one you, five said i never wanna let you go thats for my heart, four ever and ever just to be with
You thats what i want, three no i never wanna leave your love is too good to me, two, there's never a
Wrong you can do,thats why theres only one you,

[verse 3:]
Cant see me
Without you by my side
So many reasons why
I'm your girl and your my guy
Your all i need
All i need to get by
Like method man and mary blige
You don't have to wonder why.

[chorus:]
Ten, so many reasons why i stick with you (why i stick with you)
Nine and my body adore you all because of the things you do
Eight, i want you here with me (i want you here with me), seven days of the week (oh seven days), six if
I let you go i'm a fool (i'm a fool theres only one you), cuz boy theres only one you, five said i never
Wanna let you go thats for my heart (let you go thats from my heart), four ever and ever just to be with
You thats what i want your what i want and need, three no i never wanna leave your love is too good to
Me, two, there's never a wrong you can do, thats why theres only one you, (theres only one, your the only
One baby, can't nobody do it like you do boy)
Theres only one (your the only one)
For you baby can't nobody do it like you do.
Your the only one [x2]
Only you, yeah you baby, nobody else but you