The Color Purple, the revival of the 2005 Broadway musical, is nominated for four Tony Awards this year, including Best Revival of a Musical, and is quickly becoming a theater must-see. Based on Alice Walker's novel, and inspired by the 1985 film starring Oprah Winfrey, who also produced the show, The Color Purple is gearing up to take the Tony Awards by storm. Musical theater fans across the world will get to see a performance from the show on Sunday night, and those lucky enough to get to New York City will certainly be wondering if The Color Purple is still on Broadway, so they can see the acclaimed show for themselves.
The Color Purple is, indeed, still on Broadway, playing eight shows a week at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. However, fans hoping to catch Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson playing the role of Shug Avery will be disappointed to find out that Hudson officially finished her Broadway run in May. Broadway star Heather Headley, who won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2000 for her performance in Aida, has since taken over the role. Headley joins Tony nominees Cynthia Erivo, who plays Celie, and Danielle Brooks (Sofia).
Brooks, nominated for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, and Erivo, nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, are scheduled to perform at the Tony Awards with the cast of The Color Purple. Brooks, who audiences will recognize as Taystee from Netflix's Orange is the New Black, said in a recent interview with Vulture that she couldn't be happier with the show and the love it has received. "I'm very thankful to just be in this position as one of the five nominees for supporting actress in a musical this year. The Tonys is always something that I watched growing up, and I always hoped to be one of those people sitting at the edge of the aisle. To now get to be one of those people is so cool," she said.
The Color Purple also earned a nomination for director John Doyle, and will face off against Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, and Spring Awakening for Best Revival of a Musical. Audiences hoping to see The Color Purple might want to get tickets now, before any potential Tony wins makes it the hottest show in town.
