LaChanze and Norman Set for 11/29 'Purple' Event

On Wednesday, November 29th, Pulitzer Prize-winning The Color Purple bookwriter Marsha Norman ('night, Mother, The Secret Garden) will join Broadway star LaChanze (Dessa Rose, Once On This Island), who will reprise her Tony Award-winning role as Celie in a free event to promote the new book The Color Purple: A Memory Book of the Broadway Musical.

The event will take place from 6:00-8:00pm at the Hue-Man Bookstore & Café (2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd, 124th/125th Street.

At the event attendees can hear cast members perform songs from the score that blends gospel, jazz, ragtime and the blues and purchase a signed copy of the lush companion volume that has the look and feel of a beautiful antique scrapbook.

The Color Purple, based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, currently features Jeannette Bayardelle/>, Felicia P. Fields/>, and Brandon Victor Dixon, Darlesia Cearcy/>/>, Alton Fitzgerald White, Krisha Marcano/>/> and Larry Marshal.  The musical--of which Oprah Winfrey/>/> is one of the producers--opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 1st, 2005.

The Color Purple is directed by Gary Griffin/>/>, while Marsha Norman/>/> (Pulitzer Prize-winner for 'night, Mother, The Secret Garden) wrote the book. The show's eclectic score, which blends gospel, pop, ragtime and blues, was penned by pop tunesmiths Brenda Russell/>/>, Allee Willis/>/> and Stephen Bray/>/>. Donald Byrd/>/> is The Color Purple's choreographer, while the design team design team comprises John Lee Beatty (sets), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), and Jon Weston (sound). Orchestrations were provided by Jonathan Tunick/>/>, Kevin Stites/>/> is the music supervisor and Linda Twine the musical director.

For additional information, go to www.colorpurple.com

Call 212-665-7400 for more information on the book discussion.