Purple Rain Musical Gears Up for Minneapolis Premiere and Broadway Run

The world premiere of Purple Rain: The Musical is about to electrify Minneapolis, the city where Prince’s legacy began. The stage adaptation of the 1984 cult classic film opens October 16 at the State Theatre before heading to Broadway, promising a high-voltage tribute to one of music’s most influential icons.

Leading the production is Kris Kollins, a multi-instrumentalist and powerhouse vocalist making his acting debut as The Kid, the role made famous by Prince. Like the late artist in the original film, Kollins steps into uncharted territory as both musician and performer, capturing the raw energy of a star on the rise. Opposite him is Broadway’s Rachel Webb, celebrated for her turn in & Juliet, taking on the role of Apollonia.

The creative team assembled for Purple Rain reads like a who’s who of modern theatre. Producer Orin Wolf (The Band’s Visit) brings together playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, arranger Jason Michael Webb (Choir Boy, MJ the Musical), and director Lileana Blain-Cruz (The Skin of Our Teeth). Prince’s longtime collaborators Bobby Z and Morris Hayes serve as music advisers, ensuring authenticity in sound and spirit.

Blain-Cruz and her team have approached the adaptation as both homage and reinvention, blending cinematic nostalgia with live performance energy. The director studied Prince’s stagecraft and the emotional pulse of his concerts to capture what she calls the “uncontainable power” of his music. For Jacobs-Jenkins, who describes Prince as “the Mozart of our time,” the show represents theatre’s chance to give back to an artist who once considered creating a musical himself.

Music arranger Jason Michael Webb views his role as continuing what Prince began. With a résumé that spans Broadway, film, and television, Webb says the artist’s catalog provides an almost self-contained score, one that only needed careful adaptation to thrive in a theatrical setting. He and choreographer Ebony Williams are shaping a production that evolves in real time, with creative adjustments based on audience response during previews.

While the full setlist remains under wraps, audiences can expect reimagined versions of the film’s unforgettable tracks, from the soulful intimacy of The Beautiful Ones to the thunderous finale of Purple Rain.

As Minneapolis prepares to host the world premiere, anticipation is building for a show that aims to channel not just Prince’s music, but his spirit of innovation. For the artists behind Purple Rain, it’s more than a musical, it’s a celebration of creativity, individuality, and the enduring power of a hometown legend who changed music forever.

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