Courtesy photo LaToya London wasn't nervous when she went in to audition for "The Color Purple." "I went in with a strong feeling it was for me," she says. "And I came out as Nettie."

Courtesy of Paul Kolnik LaToya London, right, stars as Nettie and Jeannette Bayardelle plays Celie in "The Color Purple." It's the first musical for London, who finished fourth on "American Idol" in 2004.

On May 11, 2004, third-season "American Idol" fans phoned in fast and furiously to vote for LaToya London, who had wowed them with her powerhouse voice.

It wasn't enough. London was sent packing the next day, winding up in fourth place. The winner that year was Fantasia Barrino.

Three years on, the careers of London and Barrino are still intertwined. Barrino is starring on Broadway in the musical "The Color Purple," winning raves for her portrayal of Celie, while London is wowing audiences as Nettie in the show's national touring company, which stops in Los Angeles for a three-month run at the Ahmanson Theatre.

"The Color Purple" musical is based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, which was turned into a celebrated 1985 film directed by Steven Speilberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. It tells the uplifting story of Celie, a young black girl growing up in the early 1900s who must conquer considerable adversity as she tries to find her own place in the world.

The show bowed on Broadway in 2005, featuring a book by Tony winner Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Winfrey, who played Sofia in the movie version, produced the show. Critics raved about it, and the production received 11 Tony Award nominations.

Around the same time, London was releasing her first album, "Love & Life," for the jazz label Peak Records. It was a minor success, but the singer was eyeing a new challenge.

"I knew I wanted to try acting," said London, a 28-year-old San Francisco native. "I started going out on several auditions. I heard they were looking for a Nettie, and I went in with a strong feeling it was for me. And I came out as Nettie."

Nettie is the sister of Celie, whose young life in the early 20th century is filled with turmoil. Celie, who will be played by Jeannette Bayardelle during the Ahmanson run, is abused by her father and then by the man she is forced to marry. But her biggest grief comes when her husband forbids the sisters from seeing each other again.

"It's a story I've known since I was a kid," London said. "It's legendary, particularly for African-Americans of my generation."

Jumping into a big-budget musical would likely strike major fear into most neophyte actresses, but London said she wasn't that nervous.

"I knew people would wonder if I belonged, or if they just picked me because I was a name," she said. "I had to be prepared so I could show I had something to offer. And I think I've done that."

The notices for London have been positive. Betty Mohr of the Chicago Daily Southtown wrote, "LaToya London is charming," and John Olson of Chicago Pride reported that London "sings and acts beautifully."

For the time being, London has had to put her own music career on hold. But she's itching to start work on another album.

"I have put my music on the back burner to act, which is fine because there's nothing I'd rather be doing," she said. "But the fire is on the rise again. In Los Angeles, I'll have my days free and we'll be there a while, so I'll definitely be working on my music."

— E-mail freelance columnist Jeff Favre at jjfavre@yahoo.com.