Heather Headley, who won the 2000 Tony as Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Aida, makes a long-awaited return to Broadway May 10 as Shug Avery in the Tony-nominated revival of The Color Purple.
She replaces Jennifer Hudson, who gave her last performance in the role at the May 8 matinee.
Headley made her Broadway debut as Nala in the original 1997 cast of The Lion King. Since her Tony-winning performance in Aida, Headley has appeared on Broadway only once, briefly, as a guest star in the 2013 concert show Il Divo—A Musical Affair. In additon to her 2009 album Audience of One, which earned a Grammy Award as Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album, Headley earned an Olivier Award nomination for toplining the London musical stage adaptation of the Whitney Houston film The Bodyguard.
Headley joins a cast that includes Tony-nominee Cynthia Erivo in the lead role of Celie.
The Color Purple opened December 10, 2015, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
Tickets can be ordered at Telecharge.com.
