Jennifer Holliday debuts in The Color Purple tonight

Tony and Grammy winner Jennifer Holliday makes her debut as Shug Avery tonight in the Tony-winning Broadway revival of The Color Purple, assuming the role from fellow Tony and Grammy winner Heather Headley. Ms Headley played her final performance on 2 October 2016 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Jennifer Holliday previously released the following statement:

"I was deeply moved by this truly uplifting production of The Color Purple and I am highly honored and absolutely thrilled to be joining this extraordinary cast. Nothing compares to performing before a Broadway audience and I can't wait to return to the Broadway stage, where I started my career over 35 years ago."

The Color Purple began previews on 10 November 2015, and officially opened on 10 December 2015, and is currently booking through to 8 January 2017.

At the 70th Anniversary of the Tony Awards, the production picked up the Tonys for "Best Revival of a Musical" and "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical" (for Cynthia Erivo).

The Color Purple, which premiered at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013, is directed by Tony winner John Doyle, and features music by Brenda Russell and Allee Willis, lyrics by Russell, Willias and Stephen Bray and a book by Marsha Norman.

Based on the novel by Alice Walker, the musical tells "the story of Celie, a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discovers her voice in the world."

The Color Purple features scenic design by John Doyle, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting design by Jane Cox, sound design by Gregory Clarke, hair & wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, music supervision by Catherine Jayes and music direction by Jason Michael Webb.

The Color Purple is produced on Broadway by Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, and Oprah Winfrey, with David Babani and Tom Siracusa for Chocolate Factory Productions.

John Doyle's 'stripped-down' production opened at London's Menier Chocolate Factory on 15 July 2013, cutting approximately 30 minutes of material from the original production, which played at the Broadway Theatre from 1 November 2005 until 24 February 2008. The Broadway production was directed by Gary Griffin and starred Brandon Victor Dixon, Renee Elise Goldsberry and LaChanze, who won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Celie.

Jennifer Holliday won a Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Musical" in 1982 for her performance as Effie in the Broadway premiere of 'Dreamgirls.' Her other Broadway credits include 'Chicago,' 'Grease,' and her Broadway debut in 'Your Arms Too Short to Box With God' in 1980. As a two-time Grammy-winning recording artist, she has released a total of 7 studio albums to date.

- by Tom Millward