The Color Purple: LaChanze leaves on 5 Nov 2006.

The winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, LaChanze, is to depart the Broadway Musical The Color Purple on 5 Nov 2006.

Jeannette I. Bayardelle, who is LaChanze's understudy, will assume the role of Celie from 7 Nov 2006.

LaChanze said in a press statement "As an actress who has performed in theater for over 17 years, my experience performing in The Color Purple has been a truly life-changing journey. While my first love will always be the theater, I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family and pursue opportunities in the TV, film and publishing worlds. The theater community will always remain a big part of my life and I hope to re-join the cast of The Color Purple at some point down the road."

Kingsley Leggs, who plays Mister, and Lou Myers who plays Ol' Mister, will also leave the show on 4 Nov 2006. They will be succeded by Alton Fitzgerald White and Larry Marshall, respectively.

The Color Purple also features Elisabeth Withers (Shug), Felicia P.Fields (Sofia), Ren�e Elise Goldsberry (Nettie), Brandon Victor Dixon (Harpo), Krisha Marcano (Squeak), Jeannette Bayardelle, James Brown III, Eric L. Christian, Latrisa Coleman, Bobby Daye, Carol Dennis, Anika Ellis, Doug Eskew, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Zipporah Gatling, Charles Gray, Stephanie Guiland-Brown, James Harkness, Francesca Harper, Kimberly Ann Harris, Chantylla Johnson, Grasan Kingsberry, Corinne McFarlane, Kenita R. Miller, JC Montgomery, Angela Robinson, Nathaniel Stampley, Jamal Story, Leon Thomas III, Maia Nkenge Wilson and Virginia Woodruff.

The musical opened at the Broadway Theatre on 1 Dec 2005, following previews from 1 Nov 2006 and is currently booking to1 Apr 2007.

Based on Alice Walker's classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the landmark film by Steven Spielberg, The Color Purple is the story of a woman, who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world.

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

The production features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt and sound design by Jon Weston. The orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick, Kevin Stites is the Music Supervisor and Linda Twine is the Musical Director.

The musical is produced on Broadway by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Creative Battery, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones.