Kris Kollins to lead pre-Broadway PURPLE RAIN in Minneapolis, Rachel Webb cast as Apollonia
The stage musical PURPLE RAIN has found its Kid. Producer Orin Wolf has announced Kris Kollins in the lead role for the world premiere at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, running from 16 October to 16 November. Rachel Webb, fresh from & JULIET, will play Apollonia. A Broadway timeline has not been disclosed.
Discovered via a nationwide social media search led by casting director Taylor Williams, Kollins is a Washington D.C. based singer and songwriter who released his debut EP Pistachio last year. His single GSAW features in Paramount Plus’s Noah’s Arc: The Movie. PURPLE RAIN will mark his professional stage debut. Webb recently led the first North American tour of & JULIET, appeared in the original Broadway company, toured with Kristin Chenoweth in FOR THE GIRLS under Mary-Mitchell Campbell, and made an early professional appearance in HIP HOP BROADWAY: A MUSICAL REVUE alongside Jennifer Holliday.
The creative team pairs high profile theatre artists with longtime Prince collaborators. The musical features a story by Prince, a book by two time Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient Branden Jacobs-Jenkins based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, and music and lyrics by Prince. Tony Award nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz will direct. Jason Michael Webb serves as music supervisor and will provide arrangements and orchestrations. Prince alumni Bobby Z and Morris Hayes join as Prince Music Advisers.
Choreography comes from Ebony Williams. The design team includes Tony winner David Zinn for scenic design, Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom for video and projections, Montana Levi Blanco for costumes, Yi Zhao for lighting, Palmer Hefferan for sound, and Cookie Jordan for hair and wigs.
Set in the Minneapolis club scene, PURPLE RAIN follows The Kid, a gifted yet troubled young musician navigating a volatile home life, a rival band, and a burgeoning romance with an aspiring singer. As competition and personal turmoil mount, The Kid fights to find his voice and claim the spotlight.
In the city that shaped the original film, the premiere positions PURPLE RAIN for a high profile transfer. With a breakout newcomer in Kollins, a rising leading lady in Webb, and a creative roster that bridges Broadway and Prince’s legacy, the production aims to deliver a faithful tribute with fresh theatrical firepower.
Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com
