Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ headed to Broadway in stage adaptation

Published 3:21 pm Monday, January 8, 2024

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By Max Sparber, Minnesota Public Radio News

It is now 40 years since the 1984 release of “Purple Rain,” the film by Prince and its accompanying album, which netted the Minneapolis-born artist an Oscar for Best Original Song Score and multiple Grammy awards.

Now Variety, along with many other sources, is reporting that the film is bound for the stage, intended for a Broadway run. The artistic staff for this production is impressive, including two-time Pulitzer Prize-finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins slated to author the book. Jacobs-Jenkins is the author of “Appropriate” and “An Octoroon,” both Obie winners for Best New American Play.

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Lileana Blain-Cruz has been announced as the director. Blain-Cruz recently directed a revival of Thornton Wilder’s comedy “The Skin of Our Teeth” on Broadway, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.

“Purple Rain” will be produced by Orin Wolf, whose past credits include the Tony Award-winning “The Band’s Visit” and “Once.”

Further details regarding the stage adaptation, including venue and date when the show will open, have not yet been released