New version of film Color Purple on stage
A TASTE of Broadway is coming to Leicester’s Curve. The venue has joined forces with Birmingham Hippodrome to co-produce the musical The Color Purple, which is based on Alice Walker’s worldfamous novel.
Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said: “The Color Purple celebrates remarkable women, telling incredible stories.
“From its Pulitzer Prizewinning author Alice Walker, her courageous creation in heroine Celie to Oprah Winfrey – who had the vision to make the story into a smashhit Broadway musical. And we are thrilled to introduce our equally astonishing director Tinuke Craig and welcome her to Curve.
“As we embark on our second decade as a theatre here in Leicester and our friends at Birmingham Hippodrome celebrate their 120th year, our co-production of this beautiful, moving musical feels like a fitting way for us to mark these celebratory years.
“All of us at Curve are looking forward to working with Tinuke, Fiona Allan and the Hippodrome team very much.”
The production is the first to be created outside of London in the UK and comes as the Curve celebrates its 10th birthday.
The show tells the story of the heroic but oppressed Celie and how she overcomes racism and misogyny in a desperate struggle for equality.
It was turned into a film directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985, starring Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
This production opens at Curve on June 28 next year and runs until July 13. Tickets for The Color Purple go on general sale from Wednesday and will be available from curveonline.co.uk.
Also being shown at the Curve next year is On Your Feet! which is the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
On Your Feet! charts their journey from its origins in Cuba, onto the streets of Miami and finally to international superstardom and features some of the most iconic pops songs of the era, including ‘Rhythm is Gonna Get You’, ‘Conga’, ‘Get On Your Feet’, ‘Don’t Want To Lose You Now’ and ‘1-2-3’.
Gloria Estefan has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is the most successful Latin crossover performer in the history of pop music. In addition to her 38 number 1 hits across the Billboard charts, Gloria recorded the Oscar-nominated song ‘Music of My Heart’ and has received numerous honours and awards over the course of her illustrious career. Emilio Estefan is a founding member of the pioneering Miami Sound Machine, who created a brand new Latin crossover sound – fusing infectious Cuban rhythms with American pop and disco. Combined, they have won a staggering 26 Grammy awards.
The show is on next June.