The Color Purple Celebrates 1st Year on Broadway, 11/1

The smash hit musical, The Color Purple, nominated for eleven 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the recipient of a Best Actress Tony Award, for LaChanze (as Celie), celebrates its first year anniversary on Broadway.

The show began preview performances on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 and played 30 preview performances before its official opening night on Thursday, December 1, 2005.  The Color Purple continues its highly successful run at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway, between 52nd and 53rd Streets).

In addition to Best Musical, the production also received Tony Award nominations for Elisabeth Withers-Mendes as Shug Avery and Felicia P. Fields  as Sofia for Best Featured Actress in a Musical; Brandon Victor Dixon as Harpo for Best Featured Actor in a Musical; Marcia Norman for Best Book of a Musical; Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray for Best Score of a  Musical: John Lee Beatty for Best Scenic Design of a Musical; Paul Tazewell for Best Costume Design of a Musical; Brian MacDevitt for Best Lighting Design of a Musical and Donald Byrd for Best Choreography of a Musical.

The first North American Tour of the show kicks off in Chicago on April 17, 2007 at The Cadillac Palace Theatre.

The cast also currently features Kingsley Leggs as Mister, Darlesia Cearcy as Nettie and Krisha Marcano as Squeak as well as James Brown III, Eric L.  Christian, LaTrisa Coleman, Bobby Daye, Carol Dennis, Doug Eskew, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Zipporah G. Gatling, Montego Glover, Charles Gray, Gavin Gregory, Stephanie Guiland-Brown, James Harkness, Francesca Harper, Kimberly  Ann Harris, Chantylla Johnson, Kenya Unique Massey, Corinne McFarlane, JC Montgomery, Angela Robinson, Kemba Shannon, Levensky Smith, Ricky Smith, Jamal Story, Daniel J. Watts, Maia Nkenge Wilson and Virginia Woodruff.

Directed by Gary Griffin, the musical features a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning composers/lyricists Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray with choreography by Donald Byrd.

The Color Purple is produced on Broadway 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: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm, Thursday -
Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm & 7:30pm.  Tickets for the musical are on sale via Telecharge.com/(212) 239-6200 or at The Broadway Theatre Box Office Tickets are scaled at $116.25 - $26.25.

The original cast album recording is available on Angel/EMI Records.

For more information on the show, go to www.colorpurple.com