Broadway-Bound ‘Purple Rain’ Musical Finds its Prince — on Social Media

The eagerly anticipated Broadway-bound musical adaptation of “Purple Rain” has found its leading stars.

via: Deadline

This fall’s world premiere in Minneapolis of the stage musical Purple Rain will star an up-and-coming musician-songwriter named Kris Kollins in the main role of The Kid, made famous in the 1984 film by rock star Prince.

Kollins’ casting, as well as that of & Juliet star Rachel Webb as Apollonia, was announced today by producer Orin Wolf. Purple Rain will play at the State Theatre in Minneapolis from October 16 – November 16; a Broadway timeline has not been disclosed.

In addition to the castings, Wolf also announced the production’s choreographer (Ebony Williams) and design team: Purple Rain will feature scenic design by Tony Award-winner David Zinn; video & projection design by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom; costume design by Montana Levi Blanco; lighting design by Yi Zhao; sound design by Palmer Hefferan; and hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan.

The musical features a story by Prince; a book by Two-time Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Appropriate, Purpose), based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn; music and lyrics by Prince; and direction by Tony Award-nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz (The Skin of Our Teeth). Jason Michael Webb is the production’s Music Supervisor and will also provide musical arrangements and orchestrations for the production. Longtime Prince collaborators Bobby Z and Morris Hayes will serve as Prince Music Advisers.

The synopsis: Purple Rain brings to life the electrifying, fictional journey of The Kid, a talented but troubled young musician trying to make it in the Minneapolis club scene. As he contends with a tumultuous home life, a rival band, and an unexpected romance with an aspiring young singer, The Kid fights to find his voice and seize his moment in the spotlight.

Discovered on social media by casting director Taylor Williams and the Purple Rain creative team as part of a nationwide search, Kollins is a Washington D.C.-based singer/songwriter who last year released his first EP, Pistachio. His recent single “GSAW” can currently be heard in Paramount+’s Noah’s Arc: The Movie. Kollins will be making his professional stage debut in Purple Rain.

Webb recently starred as Juliet in the first North American tour of & Juliet, following her appearance in the original Broadway company. She also toured alongside Kristin Chenoweth in For the Girls, under Mary-Mitchell Campbell’s music direction. Webb first took the stage professionally in Hip Hop Broadway: A Musical Revue, sharing a lineup with Jennifer Holliday.

Said Jacobs-Jenkins, “The question asked of me the most since I began working on Purple Rain has consistently been, ‘Who’s playing the Kid?!’ And I’m so thrilled to finally be able to scream from the mountaintops, ‘Kris Kollins!’ From our first encounter with his original music and socials, we were absolutely floored by Kris’s gifts – his musicianship, his voice, his magnetism. It took a minute for us to convince him we weren’t stalkers but I’m so glad we did. Over the past couple of years of building this show with him, we have been blown away again and again by the depths of his talent and dedication. He is clearly such a star, and we are so lucky because there are probably no bigger shoes to fill in the theatre right now. Kris is the real deal, and we can’t wait for audiences to see him bring The Kid to life.”

Said Blain-Cruz, “When Rachel Webb walked into auditions for an early reading several years ago, she really blew us away. She is a stunning presence with an incredible voice, who inspired us to really reimagine what was possible for the role of Apollonia. This casting has been one of the unique joys of developing the stage adaptation of Purple Rain with Branden. We get to explore the world anew and be exhilarated by the passion and integrity of an artist like Rachel Webb.”