"Purple Rain" musical takes the stage in Minneapolis
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The 1984 film's soundtrack featured hits such as "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," and, of course, "Purple Rain." Photo: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
The "Purple Rain" musical begins its run in Minneapolis Thursday.
Why it matters: Minnesotans have a chance to experience this stage adaptation of Prince's Academy Award-winning love letter to his hometown before it attempts to make the jump to Broadway.
The big picture: The highly anticipated show's debut at the State Theatre comes at a challenging time for Broadway-bound shows.
- Attendance has yet to fully rebound post-pandemic, the New York Times recently reported, and even with rising ticket prices, most new shows fail to turn a profit.
Case in point: "Purple Rain," which the Star Tribune reports is capitalized at $26 million, is part of a shrinking slate of new musicals in the mix for Manhattan's big stage next spring, the Times noted.
- The paper predicts that about a half-dozen will open this season — down from 14 in the previous one.
Between the lines: This is the first time since "The Lion King" in 1997 that a major musical has made its pre-Broadway debut in Minneapolis, producer Orin Wolf said at the Star Tribune's North Star Summit last week.
- "We live in a very harsh commercial space ... Broadway is a tough place to survive," he said. "But doing it here means everything to us."
Catch up fast: The 1984 film, which grossed $100 million worldwide, starred Prince as "The Kid" — a talented but wayward young musician trying to make it in Minneapolis' club scene.
- The soundtrack included hits such as "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," and, of course, "Purple Rain."
What's new: The new stage adaptation, written and produced by a team of Tony winners in consultation with the late singer's former bandmates, features new songs — and twists.
- Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins said the goal is to "try to not replace the movie, but somehow enhance its presence," hopefully exposing a new generation to Prince's musical genius.
Who we're watching: The production also brings new talent to the stage. Kris Kollins, a singer, songwriter and pianist hailing from Miami, will make his professional acting debut as "The Kid."
- Rachel Webb, an actress local theater buffs might recognize from last spring's staging of "& Juliet" at the Orpheum, is cast as his love interest Apollonia.
The intrigue: The roughly five-week local run, scheduled to wrap up Nov. 23, is longer than the typical stopover for a touring show.
- "[We] think there's an audience here that is bigger than the normal audience because of who Prince was and what he means to this town," Wolf said, noting that they already extended it by a week due to high demand.
What we're watching: How the show is received here could impact whether it actually makes it to Broadway.
If you go: Preview performances run Tuesday through Sunday until Nov. 4, with the official "opening night" scheduled for Nov. 5.
- Ticket prices vary, but many shows this month have seats available for between $87 and $100.