Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ Is Heading to Broadway as a Musical

A musical based on Prince’s legendary 1984 movie, Purple Rain, is heading to Broadway, telling, as a press release puts it, “the fictional story of The Kid, an up-and-coming rock musician in the Minneapolis club scene, as he contends with a tumultuous home environment, a rival band, and a budding romance.” Based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, the stage adaptation will feature a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (whose recently opened debut Broadway play Appropriate has won critical raves); music and lyrics by Prince; and direction by Obie-winning and Tony Award nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz. Purple Rain spawned hit singles, including “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “I Would Die 4 U,” and “Purple Rain.” The album sold over 25 million copies worldwide, spending 24 weeks at No. 1 in the Billboard charts, winning Prince two Grammys and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. The movie grossed close to $100 million worldwide, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. In 2019, the Library of Congress added the film to the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

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