The Color Purple: Zonya Love, Chaka Khan and BeBe Winans make their Broadway debut

Zonya Love will make her Broadway debut as Celie, Chaka Khan as Sofia and BeBe Winans as Harpo, this evening (9 Jan 2008), in the musical The Color Purple, which is currently booking through to 25 May 2008 at the Broadway Theatre.

'American Idol' finalist LaKisha Jones, who has been playing the role of the Church Soloist Soloist since the 19 Dec 2007, will continue in that role at all evening performances, but will now also play the role of Sofia at all matinee performances. Montego Glover also joins the cast this evening assuming the role of Nettie.

New comer Zonya Love assumes the lead role of Celie from Fantasia Barrino who made her final performance on 6 Jan 2008. Love, originally hailing from Durham, North Carolina, intended to pursue a music career but switched to theater as a freshman in high school. She received a BFA in Theatre from North Carolina A&T State University, and a MFA in Theatre from The University of Nevada Las Vegas. She moved to New York in September, 2007, and has been teaching theater and Head Start classes.

Chaka Khan (Sofia) is the winner of eight Grammy Awards. Her latest solo Album, Funk This, was released in Sep 2007. In 2006 Khan was awarded a BET (Black Entertainment Television) Lifetime Achievement Award.

BeBe Winans (Harpo) is the winner of four Grammy Awards. His latest solo album, Church, was released in 2007.

Montego Glover (Nettie) has previouly understudied the role of Nettie.

American Idol' finalist LaKisha Jones, who currently plays the Church soloist, will stand in for Chaka Khan in the role of Sofia at all matinee performances.

The Color Purple also currently features Alton Fitzgerald White (Mister), Larry Marshall (Ol' Mister), Elisabeth Withers-Mendes (Shug) and Krisha Marcano (Squeak).

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.