The eagerly anticipated Broadway-bound musical adaptation of “Purple Rain” has found its leading stars.
Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Kris Kollins will make his professional stage debut starring as The Kid — the same role that made Prince a household name in the hit 1984 film.
Producers announced on Tuesday that the theater newbie, who was discovered on social media through a nationwide casting search, will be joined by “& Juliet” star Rachel Webb as his love interest when the show makes its world premiere at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Oct. 16.
Exact plans for a Broadway debut have yet to be announced.
Tony Award-nominated director Lileana Blain-Cruz will helm the production, which was written by Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
“The question asked of me the most since I began working on ‘Purple Rain’ has consistently been, ‘Who’s playing The Kid?!’ And I’m so thrilled to finally be able to scream from the mountaintops, “Kris Kollins!” Jacobs-Jenkins said in Tuesday’s announcement.
“From our first encounter with his original music and socials, we were absolutely floored by Kris’s gifts,” the playwright added of the Washington D.C.-based musician. “It took a minute for us to convince him we weren’t stalkers, but I’m so glad we did.”
Jacobs-Jenkins said he was blown away by Kollins’ musicianship, voice and magnetism, as well as the dedication he showed over the two-year process of building “Purple Rain,” which earned the seal of approval from the late music great’s estate.
“He is clearly such a star, and we are so lucky because there are probably no bigger shoes to fill in the theatre right now,” he said. “Kris is the real deal, and we can’t wait for audiences to see him bring The Kid to life.”
Webb, meanwhile, was so good when she filled in for Tony nominee Lorna Courtney in the original Broadway company of “& Juliet” that producers chose her to lead the first North American tour. The Texas powerhouse then wowed key stakeholders of “Purple Rain” when she tried out for the role immortalized by ’80s singer Apollonia Kotero.
“When Rachel Webb walked into auditions for an early reading several years ago, she really blew us away,” said Blain-Cruz. “She is a stunning presence with an incredible voice, who inspired us to really reimagine what was possible for the role of Apollonia.”
First announced in January 2024, the “Purple Rain” musical will follow the story of a Minneapolis-based musician dealing with a rival singer, difficulties at home and a burgeoning romance.
Originally Published:
