As soon as “Oprah Winfrey presents” was added above the title of the new musical adaptation of The Color Purple, ticket sales jumped and the show’s investors couldn’t help but smile. With a dedicated national television audience and numerous other media outlets at her disposal, Winfrey has tirelessly promoted the show. Her connection to the The Color Purple goes back twenty years to Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film version of the Alice Walker novel, in which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. View next photo.