Grammy-winner and “Dreamgirl” Jennifer Holliday will join the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, and her first performance is scheduled to be on 4th October at the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre.
The final performance as Shug Avery by Tony-winner Heather Headley will take place on 2nd October. The part of Shug Avery has previously been played by Jennifer Hudson who was, of course, also a “Dreamgirl” in the film version. Hudson won an Oscar for playing Effie in the film and she was the lead role in The Color Purple when it opened on Broadway last autumn.
Jennifer Holliday is not new to Broadway, although she last appeared in 2001 in Chicago. Her Tony award was for her performance in Dreamgirls, and the Grammy was for her cover of “And I Am Telling You”.
Holliday released a statement stating “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 current cast of The Color Purple includes Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo and Tony-nominee Danielle Brooks (both in their Broadway debuts) as Celie and Sofia, respectively, Isaiah Johnson as Mister, Joaquina Kalukango as Nettie, Kyle Scatliffe as Harpo and Patrice Covington as Squeak.
The Color Purple is a musical which is about a young black woman named Celie, who lives in Georgia and who learns to love herself as a result of a variety of experiences, including a friendship with Sofia, and a relationship with Shug.
Tickets for The Color Purple on Broadway can be bought on a variety of sites, including ColorPurple.com