The Color Purple to close on Broadway on 24 Feb 2008

The Broadway musical The Color Purple is to play its final performance on the Broadway Theatre on 24 Feb 2008. The musical had been booking through to 25 May 2008. When the show closes it will have played 30 previews and 910 regular performances.

The musical opened at the Broadway Theatre on 1 Dec 2005, following previews from 1 Nov. Now in its third year on Broadway, The Color Purple recouped its $11 million investment in its first year, having grossed over $103,000,000.

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.

The musical currently features Chaka Khan as Zonya Love (Celie), Alton Fitzgerald White (Mister), Larry Marshall (Ol' Mister), Chaka Khan (Sofia), Elisabeth Withers-Mendes (Shug), Darlesia Cearcy (Nettie), Chaz Lamar Shepherd (Harpo), BeBe Winans (Harpo), LaKisha Jones (Church Soloist/ Sofia at matinee performances).

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 Color Purple was nominated for eleven 2006 Tony Awards, but gained only one - Best Actress in a musical, which was won by the show's star LaChanze.

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.