The Great Purple Way: Prince Musical ‘Purple Rain’ Headed to Broadway

The stage musical adaptation of Prince‘s Purple Rain is set to debut on Broadway in 2027, Variety reports. 

Following an initial run in Minneapolis last fall, the show — based on Prince’s classic 1984 album and accompanying film — will begin previews at the Majestic Theatre in New York City on March 12, 2027 with opening night slated for April 12. A cast hasn’t been announced yet, but Tony nominee Saheem Ali will direct; playwright/screenwriter Peter Duchan penned the book; and Ebony Williams will handle choreography. 

The show’s all-important music team will be led by composer and musical director, Jason Michael Webb, who recently worked on the Michael Jackson musical MJ. Two of Prince’s longtime collaborators are also serving as music advisers: Keyboardist Morris Hayes and drummer Bobby Z.

“Prince was an icon and Purple Rain is iconic; one of the best musical films of my generation,” Ali said in a statement. “I watched it as a teenager in Kenya and though I was appropriately scandalized, it never left me, especially the music. Our aim is not only to honor the legacy that Prince built, but to make his timeless music feel urgent and alive, passing it on to the next generation of fans who will make it their own.”

The Purple Rain musical effectively boasts the same plot as Prince’s semi-autobiographical film. In the movie, Prince starred as “The Kid,” an up-and-coming musician in Minneapolis, who grapples with a troubled past while seeking out stardom. While the show of course features music from Purple Rain, its soundtrack reportedly includes renditions of over 20 Prince tracks.  
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Speaking with Rolling Stone in 2024 as production on the musical got underway Bobby Z (a.k.a. Bobby Rivkin) spoke about why a Purple Rain stage musical made sense, and recalled how inspired Prince was by shows like Rent and Hamilton. He even remembered Prince suggesting they take one of the other projects to the stage. 

“He didn’t think he could personally do it, because it’s a different animal,” Rivkin said. “But he lit up on that. Which gives me a feeling that [Purple Rain] going forward is in the spirit of something creatively in his orbit.”