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Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, and Danielle Brooks Open Broadway's The Color Purple

Stars from ”Orange Is the New Black”, Neil Patrick Harris, Gloria Steinem, and more were on hand to toast the festivities.

Jennifer Hudson takes her bow on the opening night of Broadway's The Color Purple.
Jennifer Hudson takes her bow on the opening night of Broadway's The Color Purple.
(© David Gordon)

The Color Purple made its return to Broadway on December 10, when John Doyle's new revival opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The production comes to New York from London's Menier Chocolate Factory, where it was first presented in 2013.

Cynthia Erivo, Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, and Danielle Brooks make their Broadway debuts in the musical, taking on the roles of Celie, Shug Avery, and Sofia, respectively. The company also includes Isaiah Johnson as Mister, Joaquina Kalukango as Nettie, and Kyle Scatliffe as Harpo. The production's ensemble is made up of Phoenix Best, Dwayne Clark, Lawrence Clayton, Carrie Compere, Patrice Covington, Adrianna Hicks, Bre Jackson, Grasan Kingsberry, Kevyn Morrow, Ken Robinson, Antoine L. Smith, Carla R. Stewart, Akron Watson, and Rema Webb.

Guests at the opening night festivities included a host of Brooks' Orange is the New Black costars, including Laverne Cox, Uzo Aduba, and Taylor Schilling, as well as Neil Patrick Harris, Gloria Steinem, and many more. Check out TheaterMania's photos in the gallery below.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Alice Walker, The Color Purple features a book by Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. The original Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre in December 2005.

For tickets and more information, click here.

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