Allee Willis News

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Des Moines will host the North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 8 performances, April 7 to 12, 2009.

Back by popular demand, the Broadway smash hit, Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple, is returning to the Motor City! Don't miss out as this limited engagement arrives in Detroit for only eight performances, from Tuesday, April 14 through Sunday, April 19.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit 'The Color Purple' are proud to announce that Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will host the first North American touring production of 'The Color Purple' from March 17 - 29, 2009. Tickets are on sale at ordway.org.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Memphis will host the first North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 8 performances from March 31- April 5, 2009. Tickets are $25-$85. Tickets are on-sale, but there is a very limited number left. They may be purchased at the Orpheum Box Office from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, David-Kidd Booksellers, and all Ticketmaster locations. Charge by phone (901) 525-3000 or go online at www.orpheum-memphis.com.

The producers of THE COLOR PURPLE are proud to announce that American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino will reprise her starring role of Celie for the Washington, D.C. engagement. The Kennedy Center will host the first North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for five weeks, June 30 - August 2, 2009. Tickets are on sale now.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit 'The Color Purple' are proud to announce that Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will host the first North American touring production of 'The Color Purple' from March 17 - 29, 2009. Tickets are on sale at ordway.org.

Upon the January 27th Finale of six, sold-out nights of competition among 18 contestants at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA, the vivacious Theresa Anne Swain was named LA's Next Great Stage Star 2009. The annual talent search has become the most high profile stage competition in Los Angeles since its inception in 2006. Ms. Swain was awarded a $1000 cash prize, an equally lucrative, paid headlining engagement at Sterling's Upstairs. As the event's Gold Sponsor, the Sheraton Universal Hotel, located adjacent to Universal Studios, will provide the talented redhead with dinner for two at the hotel's noted 'California's Restaurant,' and an overnight stay in a beautifully appointed suite to coincide with her return to Sterling's on a date to be announced prior to May, 2009.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that the North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE will return by popular demand to the Fox Theatre for eight performances, April 14 through 19. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23! Nominated for eleven Tony Awards?, including Best Musical, THE COLOR PURPLE opened on December 1, 2005 at the Broadway Theatre where it ran for over two record-breaking years. It is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg. It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity, and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous GRAMMY?-nominated score featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is about hope and the healing power of love. Michael Kuchwara, the Associated Press described THE COLOR PURPLE as 'a Roof-Raising story of triumph.' And Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine said, '[it is] a soaring, epic tale. It made a joyful noise in my heart.' Elysa Gardner from USA Today raved, 'Pure heart! It celebrates the inspiring relationships of faith and love, A Broadway hit!'

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Des Moines will host the North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 8 performances, April 7 to 12, 2009. Tickets for THE COLOR PURPLE go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 at the Civic Center Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge-by-phone at (515) 243-1888 and online at CivicCenter.org. Groups of 20 or more should call (515) 246-2300.

Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's, LA?s most critically acclaimed supper club dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway stars, Musical Theatre performers and Nightclub artists on a weekly basis, is seeking 18 amateur and/or professional 'legit' singers between 16 and 35 years of age to compete for the title of LA's Next Great Stage Star 2009.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with 'I Love My Wife' with book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, December 2 to 14 at the Brentwood Theatre. Lea Thompson and Patrick Cassidy join Vicki Lewis and Jason Alexander. 'I Love My Wife' will be directed by Larry Moss with choreography by Lee Martino and music direction by Michael Skloff.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with 'I Love My Wife' with book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, December 2 to 14 at the Brentwood Theatre.

Broadway's leading lady, Rachel York (Les Miserables & Victor/Victoria), stepped in last minute for an ailing Broadway Belle, Susan Egan (Beauty & The Beast) for the standing room only crowd for VOX Femina's SING-ULAR SENSATIONS tribute to Broadway on Saturday night in Los Angele's Zipper Hall.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with 'I Love My Wife' with book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, December 2 to 14 at the Brentwood Theatre.

Casting announced for the Atlanta date of 'The Color Purple' National Tour.

REVIEW: The First National Tour of The Color Purple lands for 3 weeks at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit The Color Purple are proud to announce that tickets for the first North American Touring production of The Color Purple in Pittsburgh will go on sale Monday, April 7, 2008 at 9 a.m. The Color Purple will run for two-weeks as part of the Pittsburgh CLO's 2008 Summer Season June 3 - June 15, 2008 at the Benedum Center.

With the production coming to a close in New York, BroadwayWorld's own James Sims caught up with The Color Purple's composers/lyricits Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, in Los Angeles, to discuss how the pair, along with Brenda Russell and Marsha Norman (libretto), turned a Pulitzer Prize winning novel and Oscar nominated film into a Broadway musical...

David Mirvish is delighted to present a total of eight shows in the new 2008/2009 Mirvish Theatre Season. Six of the shows - five acclaimed musicals and one classic drama - will be available in a subscripton package. Two bonus shows, both musicals, round out the season.

The producers of The Color Purple announced today that the show will play its final performance on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 7:30pm, after playing 30 preview performances and 910 regular performances at the Broadway Theatre.