The Tony-winning revival production of The Color Purple, directed by John Doyle, will open Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2018–2019 season, kicking off September 26. The title replaces the previously announced Andrew Lloyd Webber retrospective Unmasked, co-created by Doyle and Richard Curtis.
The engagement is scheduled to play through October 21. Casting will be announced at a later date.
The decision to replace Unmasked came after "unforeseen scheduling issues," according to Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee. The Tony-winning regional theatre intends to present the revue in a future season.
The revival opened on Broadway in 2015 following a run at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, catapulting the career of Cynthia Erivo, who earned a Tony Award for her performance as Celie, a black southern woman who embarks on a decades-long journey of self-acceptance and love despite a series of hardships.
The musical, which first premiered on Broadway in 2005, features a book by Marsha Norman and a score by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell, and Allee Willis.
Doyle's production is currently on tour, with engagements scheduled through August.
The Paper Mill season will also include Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, the world premiere of My Very Own British Invasion, Benny & Joon, and Beauty and the Beast.
