Purple Rain Broadway Revamped
Prince's Purple Rain Musical Reveals New Creative Team and Cast for 2027 Broadway Opening
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Key Points
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Minneapolis out-of-town cast details have been announced for the Broadway transfer: Kris Kollins will play The Kid, with Rachel Webb as Apollonia, Jared Howelton as Morris, and Leon Addison Brown as The Kid’s father.
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The Broadway version is planned to feature more than 20 Prince songs, expanding beyond the initially cited titles and including songs such as 'The Beautiful Ones' in the repertoire.
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The Minneapolis out-of-town premiere drew mixed-to-negative reviews, a factor that helped spur the Broadway revamp and new creative leadership.
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Producer Orin Wolf brings a track record of Broadway pop-musical successes, having produced Once, The Band’s Visit, Illinoise, and Buena Vista Social Club.
Prince's iconic 1984 film is heading to Broadway. The Purple Rain stage musical will open at New York's Majestic Theatre on April 12, 2027, with previews starting March 12 — exactly 42 years after the original film premiered, according to Star Tribune.
But the show arriving on Broadway will look very different from the one that debuted in Minneapolis last fall. Producers have swapped out the director and book writer, bringing in a new creative team to reshape the production before its biggest stage yet.
New Creative Team Takes the Reins for Broadway
Director Saheem Ali and book writer Peter Duchan are now leading the production, replacing the original team of director Lileana Blain-Cruz and book writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Ali is a Tony nominee, bringing fresh Broadway credentials to the project, People reported.
The core music team stays in place. Jason Michael Webb returns as music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator. Ebony Williams handles choreography. Bobby Z and Morris Hayes — both longtime Prince collaborators — serve as music advisers. Producer Orin Wolf said Prince's vision remains central and will be carried forward for new generations of fans.
Mixed Minneapolis Reviews Drove the Broadway Revamp
The show's out-of-town tryout at Minneapolis' State Theatre last fall drew mixed-to-negative reviews. That response helped push producers to rethink the creative leadership before the Broadway transfer, according to Star Tribune.
The Minneapolis run did lock in key cast members for Broadway. Kris Kollins will play The Kid, the role Prince played in the film. Rachel Webb plays Apollonia, Jared Howelton plays Morris, and Leon Addison Brown plays The Kid's father. Casting for other roles has not yet been announced.
More Than 20 Prince Songs Fill the Set List
The Broadway version will feature more than 20 Prince songs, according to Yahoo News. Confirmed titles include When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me With You, The Beautiful Ones, and the title track Purple Rain.
The show is built around Prince's Grammy-winning 1984 album and the film it accompanied. The musical aims to bring that soundtrack to life on stage for fans who never saw Prince perform live — and for new audiences discovering his music for the first time.
Producer Orin Wolf Brings a Track Record of Hits
Orin Wolf is leading the production. He has a strong Broadway track record, having produced Once, The Band's Visit, Illinoise, and Buena Vista Social Club — several of which won Tony Awards for Best Musical, according to Head Topics.
Tickets are expected to go on sale in September. The Majestic Theatre, home to The Phantom of the Opera for decades, gives Purple Rain one of Broadway's most storied stages for its debut.
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