Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ musical heads to Broadway

WASHINGTON: Purple Rain, the musical adapted from Prince’s 1984 feature film and Grammy-winning album of the same name, is coming to Broadway in 2027.

According to Deadline, producer Orin Wolf said Monday that the production will premiere at New York’s Majestic Theatre beginning with previews on March 12, 2027. Opening night is April 12.

The musical will feature more than 20 Prince hits including ‘When Doves Cry,’ ‘I Would Die 4 U,’ ‘Take Me with You,’ and ‘The Beautiful Ones.’ Prince (real name: Prince Rogers Nelson), the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who sold more than 150 million records, died in 2016 at age 57 of an accidental fentanyl overdose.

A musical adaptation of Prince’s “Purple Rain” will debut on Broadway in 2027.

The musical will run at the Majestic Theatre, with previews beginning on March 12 ahead of opening night on April 12. The stage adaptation features over 20 of Prince’s iconic hits, including “When… pic.twitter.com/crCCQk9aLa

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According to Deadline, ‘Purple Rain’, the musical originally took flight in Minneapolis, Prince’s hometown, at the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s State Theatre as part of its 2024-2025 season, with a book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, with music and lyrics by Prince. Lileana Blain-Cruz directed.

The plot for the stage adaptation “Minneapolis, 1984. A new era of music television is creating overnight stars. A magnetic young performer known as “The Kid” seems like the perfect frontman to lead his bandmates to stardom. But when his past threatens everything he’s built, he’ll have to sing his way out of the darkness and into the spotlight where he belongs.”

“Prince is, without doubt, one of the rarest, most brilliant musicians we’ve ever had,” Wolf said in a release announcing the dates as quoted by Deadline. “What he accomplished with Purple Rain, the song, the album and the film, is a testament to the art of making music and showcases it at the highest level. Having worked with Saheem Ali on Buena Vista Social Club, I’ve seen how he prioritises serving the music, and I can’t wait to watch him, Peter Duchan, Ebony Williams, and Jason Michael Webb use Prince’s legendary music as the engine for this new production. It will be every bit as exciting for audiences today as it was when we first heard these songs on our boom boxes,” added Wolf as quoted by Deadline.

The Broadway production has set scenic design by David Zinn, video & projection design by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, costume design by Montana Levi Blanco, lighting design by Justin Townsend, sound design by Gareth Owen, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan and makeup design by Kyle Krueger. (ANI)