The Color Purple Background Information

Getting its first start in the summer of 2004 by the Alliance Theatre in Georgia, The Color Purple opened at The Broadway Theatre in December 2005. It closed on Broadway in February 2008 after over 910 performances and now tours all over the country. In 2007, The Color Purple began it's national tour starting at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago then moving on to San Francisco and continues its tour today.

The Color Purple is directed by Gary Griffin and produced by Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey. Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray wrote the music and lyrics based on a book by Marsha Norman. The musical is based upon the 1983 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker.

The musical includes American Idol winner, Fantasia Barrino playing the part of Celie. It has earned eleven Tony Award nominations in 2006 amongst many other awards and nominations.

Although The Color Purple is controversial in its subject matter due to extensive amount of abuse this young girl goes through, the book and musical still remain a number one hit in the hearts of America.