BWW Flashback: Celebrate Cynthia Erivo's Birthday With A Look Back At THE COLOR PURPLE's Opening Night!

She's beautiful, and she's here! Today, January 8th, marks the birthday of Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo! To celebrate the powerhouse performer's special day, we're looking back at the opening night of her Broadway debut in The Color Purple! Check out the video to see Cynthia alongside Jennifer Hudson, Danielle Brooks, and more bringing the beloved show back to the Great White Way!

Cynthia Erivo made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as 'Celie' in the critically acclaimed revival of "The Color Purple." She first played the role in 2013 at London's Menier Chocolate Factory and her performance on Broadway earned her several awards, including the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, a Grammy award as a principal soloist on original cast recording of "The Color Purple" (Best Musical Theater Album), a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, the Drama Desk Award, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Her additional theatre credits include: 'Puck' in the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream;" The Donmar Warehouse's acclaimed all-female production of "Henry IV;" the European premiere of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical, "Dessa Rose;" the Perfect Pitch musical, "Lift;" Kneehigh Theatre's production of "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg;" the UK tour of Jerry Zaks' production of "Sister Act;" Harry Hill and Simon Cowell's musical, "I Can't Sing," at the London Palladium; Simon Stephens' "Marine Parade;" John Adams' experimental song play, "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw The Sky;" and Dominic Hill's "The Three Musketeers and The Princess of Spain."

The revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opened to great acclaim in summer 2013 at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, followed by a Broadway bow on November 10, 2015 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. THE COLOR PURPLE went on to win two 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, two Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy. THE COLOR PURPLE played 483 performances on Broadway, closing on January 8, 2017.