"Purple Rain" musical's debut in Minneapolis delayed until late 2025
MINNEAPOLIS – Prince, in the climactic moments of the film "Purple Rain," memorably instructed "Take a picture, sweetie! I ain't got time to waste!" But fans of the Purple One will have to waste a little bit more time before they get to see the forthcoming stage adaption of their idol's 1984 hit.
Hennepin Arts confirmed this week that the planned debut of the upcoming musical – which was originally set to open this spring, at the end of the current season – will now launch Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. It will run for one month thereafter at the State Theatre in Minneapolis.
Hennepin Arts spokesperson Dale Stark noted that the delay was to "allow for more time for creative development." Stark added that ticket holders, subscribers, donors and those who bought tickets during a flash sale have all been notified. They will be reseated to the corresponding performance dates during the new October and November run.
"We will do everything we can to accommodate reseating requests throughout the process," Stark said.
Tickets were not yet available to the general public.
After running in Minneapolis, the show will head to New York for its Broadway debut.
Tony Award nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz is tapped to direct the adaptation. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is handling the book, based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn. Jason Michael Webb, who won a Tony award for his work on "Choir Boy" in 2019, is arranging and orchestrating the show's music.
Special consultants for the adaptation include the Revolution's Bobby Z and the New Power Generation's Morris Hayes.
"This is a really good thing and it's something that he would really love," Bobby Z told WCCO's Reg Chapman earlier this year.
Earlier this summer, Prince fans were treated to a sneak peek of some of the music that would shape the Broadway production.
Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose on April 21, 2016, at his Paisley Park complex in Chanhassen, which has now become a museum in his honor.
