Last week rumors were circulating about Jennifer Hudson’s Broadway debut in the revival of The Color Purple. The New York Post reported that Hudson would play Celie, but theater journalist and critic Jonathan Mandell has confirmed that the R&B singer will play Shug Avery.
https://twitter.com/NewYorkTheater/status/553692402058137600
As with the original Broadway production, Oprah Winfrey will produce the show, but no date has been set for the opening night. In 2005 the musical was produced by Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, Harvey Weinstein and Winfrey. It garnered 11 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theater and Best Leading Actress in a Musical (LaChanze as Celie). LaChanze won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
In 2010 Winfrey asked Hudson to sing “I’m Here” from The Color Purple at the Kennedy Center Honors. According to the Post, Hudson was looking for a Broadway role, and Winfrey personally extended the offer to her. Hudson, who has successfully turned her music career into an acting career, won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls.