Fantasia Extends Run in The Color Purple through Jan. '08

The producers of The Color Purple have announced that Fantasia will extend her critically acclaimed performance as Celie in the smash hit musical through Sunday, January 6, 2008, at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway).  Fantasia made her Broadway debut in The Color Purple on Tuesday, April 10, 2007, and was scheduled for a limited six month engagement.

Fantasia won the 2007 Theater World Award for her performance as Celie. Since Fantasia's May 2004 victory in "American Idol"'s Third Season, she has released two successful albums, Free Yourself and Fantasia, and has been nominated for awards as diverse as Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Vibe Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and many more. She also authored the New York Times best-selling autobiography Life Is Not A Fairy Tale and starred in The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairytale, a Lifetime original movie adaptation of her memoir, in August 2006. The biopic became Lifetime's Second Most Watched Movie, garnering 2007 NAACP Image Award Nominations for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Barrino is the first ever "American Idol" winner to star in a Broadway show.

Now in its 2nd smash year on Broadway, The Color Purple recouped its entire $11 million investment in less than a year.  Over 1,000,000 audience members from across the country and around the world have seen the production on Broadway.  The Color Purple's first North American Tour kicked off in Chicago on April 17, 2007 at The Cadillac Palace Theatre.

The musical is produced by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, Creative Battery, Anna Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, Lowy Family Group, Stephanie McClelland, Gary Winnick, Jan Kallish, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Andrew Asnes & Adam Zotovich, and Todd Johnson

The performance schedule is:  Wednesday through Saturday at 8PM; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM; Sunday at 7:30PM. Tickets  can be purchased via www.Telecharge.com (212) 239-6200 or at The Broadway Theatre Box Office.  Tickets are $116.50 - $26.50.