Adrianna Hicks and the cast of The Color Purple National Tour. ( Matthew Murphy)
The Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 80th season with the Tony-winning revival of The Color Purple. Members of the current National Tour will reprise their roles in the show which is directed by John Doyle, who directed the Broadway revival, and the National Tour. The show replaces the previously announced Andrew Lloyd Webber retrospective Unmasked which was co-created by John Doyle as well.
The cast includes Adrianna Hicks as Celie, Carrie Compere as Sophia, and Carla R. Stewart as Shug Avery-- all three appeared in the 2015 Broadway revival and currently lead the touring production which closes August 26th, in Washington D.C. Joining them from the touring production will also be co-stars Gavin Gregory as Mister, N'Jameh Camara as Nettie, and Jay Donnell as Harpo.
They will be joined by Darnell Abraham, Amar Atkins, Kyle E. Baird, Angela Birchett, Erica Durham, Bianca Horn, Jamal James, Mekhai Lee, Gabrielle Reid, C.E. Smith, Will T. Travis, Nyla Watson, J.D. Webster, Brit West and Nikisha William.
“I'm absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to remount The Color Purple at the renowned Paper Mill Playhouse,” said director John Doyle. “It's travelled a long journey from London's tiny Menier Chocolate Factory, to its Tony-winning Broadway run, to a successful U.S. national tour. These weeks at the wonderful Paper Mill Playhouse will be the perfect coda to the journey. Now, more than ever, we need to be reminded of Alice Walker's inspirational story."
The revival opened on Broadway in 2015 following a run at London's Menier Chocolate Factory and went on to win the 2017 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The show also launched the career of Cynthia Erivo who also earned a Tony Award for her performance as Celie.
Paper Mill Playhouse, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016, is one of the country's leading regional theaters. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
For tickets and more, please visit PaperMill.org