The Color Purple Explored in TV One Special; Airs 2/18

A new television special on The Color Purple will celebrate the hit musical's journey from page and screen to the stage.

Premiering on TV One, "The Color Purple: The Color of Success" will air on February 18th at 8 PM.

"The Color Purple: The Color of Success" is an inspirational one-hour primetime TV One special about Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning story. This special chronicles, for the first time, "The Color Purple's" winding road to success - from the novel, to the classic film directed by Steven Spielberg, to the Broadway stage - as told by the talented people and famous personalities who have embraced it along the way," state notes on the website.

"The Color of Success," with narration by Keith David and direction by Tim Miller, will feature interviews with Walker, Speilberg, the show's co-producer Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Scott Sanders, original cast members LaChanze (who won a Tony for her work in the show), Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, Felicia P. Fields, Kingsley Leggs, Brandon Victor Dixon, as well as Gary Griffin, Marsha Norman, Linda Twine, Donald Byrd, Allee Willis, Brenda Russell, Stephen Bray, and Paul Tazewell.

The Color Purple recently celebrated its 500th performance at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway), where it began preview performances in New York on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 opened on Thursday, December 1, 2005.

Now in its 2nd smash year on Broadway, The Color Purple recouped its entire $11 million investment in less than a year.  Since its first preview on November 1, 2005 the show had the highest cumulative attendance figures of any new Broadway show of the 2005-2006 season.  Nearly 750,000 audience members from across the country and around the world have seen the production.

The Color Purple is based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. 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 score is penned by pop tunesmiths Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Donald Byrd is The Color Purple's choreographer.

The musical currently stars Jeanette Bayardelle (as Celie), Elisabeth Withers-Mendes (as Shug Avery), NaTasha Yvette Williams (as Sofia), Chaz Lamar Shepherd (as Harpo), Darlesia Cearcy (as Nettie), Krisha Marcano (as Squeak) and Alton Fitzgerald-White (as Mister.)

A national tour will begin in April.

Tickets for The Color Purple may be purchased by visiting www.Telecharge.com, by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting the Broadway Theatre box office.

Visit www.colorpurple.com for more information.  Visit www.tvoneonline.com for more on TV One and on "The Color Purple: The Color of Success."