"Leading the pack is Williams---stepping in valiantly for Adrianna Hicks on opening night---who gives a palpably transformative performance as Celie, punctuated by her supple vocals that truly pierced my heart. Her thoughtfully-articulated performance makes you take note of the character's journey from a timid, shy, indentured servant unable to stand up for herself to a woman slowly discovering her own beauty and self-worth. Debilitatingly soft-spoken at first, then bursting with unbound confidence by the show's end, I really appreciated her notable build up to her version of "I'm Here" which was just absolutely exquisite---and such a worthy payoff that mirrored her character's journey."
-Broadway World Review
"Swing Nikisha Williams’ star turn as Celie, a fabulous supporting cast, and imaginative staging make the Broadway Revival Tour of The Color Purple, Alice Walker’s powerful recounting of a young black woman’s road to self-discovery and self-assertion, well worth seeing...There can be absolutely no quibbling about performances on the Segerstrom Center stage beginning with Williams, prepped to go on in multiple female tracks and given her chance to thrill opening night audiences with a performance that like Celie herself, starts out quiet and restrained and then, as child bride acquires maturity and strength, takes triumphant flight in a stunning eleventh-hour declaration of independence (“I’m Here”) that earns Williams deserved cheers."
- Stage Scene LA
"It's clear from the start of "The Color Purple" that Celie, the protagonist, faces a daunting task. So does Nikisha Williams, the actress who took the stage to portray her Wednesday at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
Both women must rise above their surroundings: For Celie, that's a bleak, male-dominated rural Georgia community in the early 1900s and a husband who is verbally and physically abusive; for Williams, it's a stellar supporting cast that easily could swallow up a lesser lead.
That both character and actress are able to transition in such dramatic fashion is a testament to Williams first and foremost, but also her supporting players, the script and the production as a whole....
By the end, though, it's all Celie — and watching her growth in Williams' hands was the ultimate joy of this show."
- Lincoln Journal Star
"MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL is populated with colorful characters, and vocally and musically, it doesn't disappoint... Newcomer Nikisha Williams is savvy and cautious as "Felicia," overcoming her better judgment by becoming romantically involved with Huey. Both are outstanding vocalists."
-Broadway World Review
"Nikisha Williams’ Felicia is feisty, with a sunshine glow that bursts out of her throat when she sings her breakthrough, “Someday.”
- Memphis Flyer
"Leading the perfect cast (AND I MEAN PERFECT CAST) are Nathan McHenry as the “loosey-goosey” redneck DJ, Huey Calhoun, and Nikisha Williams as the elegant, yet proud club singer, Felicia Farrell. It’s a testament to their skills that these two are able to make their most unpredictable love affair tenderly palpable. Playhouse on the Square could hold worldwide auditions and they still wouldn’t find better singers/actors than these two—they’re that good!"
- Focus Midsouth Magazine