"We're filming her show Nov. 8 and I think it airs Nov. 11," producer Scott Sanders previously told Playbill.com (Oct. 12) about the upcoming episode. The date has now been confirmed. Check your local listings for times.
The TV show will feature a clip of the moment when the musical's cast learned about Winfrey's involvement with the musical — at a rehearsal where Winfrey made a surprise appearance.
"The only person I told was [director] Gary Griffin," Sanders revealed at a press preview where the company rehearses at the New 42nd Street Studios. "She took her jet in, we hid in the next room. And I came in and asked the cast to get on the stage and said 'Someone called me out of the blue about a week ago and said they really love the show and heard great things about it from friends and she wants to get involved and I want you to meet your newest producer.' That door opened, Oprah Winfrey walked in and the cast went insane."
Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Steven Spielberg film of the same name, the new musical began previews at the Broadway Theatre Nov. 1 toward an official opening Dec. 1.
Gary Griffin stages the work featuring a book by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman ('night, Mother). Music is by pop songwriters Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Spanning over 40 years, The Color Purple is "an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman, who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world," as a release states. The show's score blends "gospel, jazz, ragtime and the blues."
Oprah Winfrey, who appeared as Sofia in the 1985 Steven Spielberg film version opposite Whoopi Goldberg as Celie and Danny Glover as Albert, is the sole above the-title producer. The Color Purple's Broadway producing team also includes Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, Creative Battery, Anna Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, Lowy Family Group, Stephanie McClelland, Gary Winnick, Jan Kallish, Andrew Asnes & Adam Zotovich and Todd Johnson.
Tickets for The Color Purple are currently on sale through (212) 239-6200, via the link below or at the Broadway Theatre Box Office at 1681 Broadway. For more information, visit the website at www.colorpurple.com.
