Joining "Orange Is the New Black" star Danielle Brooks (as Sofia), British actress Cynthia Erivo (as Celie) and Jennifer Hudson (as Shug) in the upcoming fall revival of "The Color Purple" (all making their Broadway debuts), are Isaiah Johnson who has been cast as "Mister," Joaquina Kalukango as Nettie, and Kyle Scatliffe as Harpo.
In the 1985 film, those 3 roles were played by Danny Glover, Akosua Busia, and Willard E. Pugh respectively.
Additional cast members will be announced in the coming months.
John Doyle is directing.
The Alice Walker novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1985, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starred Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, among others. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, it won none.
A musical adaptation of the novel opened on Broadway in December 2005. The show was produced by Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, Harvey Weinstein, and Oprah Winfrey, who was also an investor. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theater, and Best Leading Actress in a Musical (LaChanze). LaChanze won the Tony Award, though the show itself won no other awards.
In April 2007, Fantasia Barrino took over the role of Celie from LaChanze, until the Broadway production ended its run in early 2008.
The upcoming revival is set to begin performances November 9, with opening night set for Thursday, December 3.
‘
