Prince’s PURPLE RAIN opening at the Majestic in April — Page 2

Blain Cruz did an amazing job directing John Adam’s El Niño at the Met.

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Sutton,

MJ is... problematic. Anything more than that, I can not say for fear of deletion. Perhaps factor that in to your analysis on why people thought it might not last."

I saw the tour of MJ and the Minneapolis tryout of Purple Rain and I can confirm they are VERY different beasts. MJ is basically a system meant to effectively deliver Michael Jackson's music and choreography in as straightforward and inoffensive a manner as possible while hitting the main bullet points of his biography and avoiding anything that makes him look like anything other than a Great Artist. On that level it mostly delivers, but it's practically offensive in its inoffensiveness.

For better or for worse, Purple Rain actually feels like it wants to tell a real story. Like the movie it wants to talk about the circular nature of abuse & trauma and how much BS people are expected to put up with from a Great Artist, and like the movie it mostly whiffed it. The musical also adds dimensions like commentary on some of the problematic elements of Prince's music and how women are treated by the entertainment industry. I'm not going to fault the show's ambition, but it's one of those productions that had too much on its mind to explore any of the elements in a satisfying way.

Hopefully the new creative team can come up with something with a more focused story and tone.

There's so much wrong here on paper alone, I wouldn't invest in it with free money. 1) At $30M, it'll need Hamilton reviews, sold out, no discounts for years just to recoup let alone go into profit. 2) Sorry, but the movie really isn't that good. It's held together by the electric live performances not only by Prince but The Time too. The book itself is pretty weak. 3) MJ impersonators are a dime a dozen. You'll need a star who can sing, play guitar, move, and act like Prince. Good luck with that. And you can't stuff a 40 minute soundtrack, no matter how good, into a two hour plus show. 4) It's opening the same time as The Warriors which will suck all the air out of the room. If I was producing PR, I'd try to make a deal to push it off to '27-'28. I never want to see a show close. It's bad for Broadway and the business. But it is at the end of the day a business, and I really fear this could be a catastrophe.

This is interesting - The TRC company has extended their open casting call for a "NYC work session" and one of the roles is listed as "The Kid - alternate"

This suggests they already have someone in mind for the part - perhaps Kris Kollins is following the show to Broadway!

Kad said: "I really don't know that MJ and Michael Jackson are a great, or even fair, comparison point for Purple Rain and Prince. Jackson is a unique figure who elicits very strong devotion even two decades after his death, it's hard to think of another comparable cultural figure (maybe Elvis, but even that seems to have waned). Prince was a superstar but I wouldn't put him in the same sphere as Jackson, which isn't a slight- Jackson is on a near-deity level for people and I can't think of many others like him, particularly deceased ones.

Prince is a much different figure and Purple Rain is a weird property to adapt- it's maybe a bit of a cult film, but it's certainly not what Prince is best known for and it hung together, as others said, on his unique talents and charisma. I would not think this as sure a bet as MJ.

I agree that MJ and Purple Rain are not great comps, even though both musicians had their biggest commercial successes in the early 1980s. But Purple Rain, the album, is Prince’s biggest hit and even in his famous, cover-filled Super Bowl halftime show in 2007, he played three songs from it, closing with the title track.

The movie, I agree, is a bit of a cult film, more a snappy way to deliver his songs (and the ones he wrote for The Time) than some sort of movie masterpiece. I saw it at the right age [18] so I forgive its flaws, but it was quite something to show my daughter decades later. Yes, there are ‘problematic’ elements that will make it difficult to adapt. And no matter how talented a performer they get to play The Kid, he won’t have Prince’s unique charisma.

If the creatives are smart, and I question their decision to rush things, they will focus on the film’s theatrical strengths, add a few (but not too many) other Prince hits, and focus on the music while delivering a fast-moving and fun adaptation that will appeal to its target audience (people like me). If performed well, there won’t be a better score of a new musical on Broadway. That’s not nothing. The book doesn’t have to be great, but the movie’s main theme - misunderstood, troubled artist overcomes obstacles, including some that are self-imposed, and emerges triumphant - is not that complicated anyway.

Do I think the show can replicate MJ’s commercial success? No. Michael Jackson was the Elvis of his era with a following no popular artist can match. They didn’t even need a book for that show, even though the producers went to the trouble of hiring an accomplished playwright. But don’t underestimate the number of people my age who would be happy to watch a good Purple Rain adaptation. The only question, reinforced by the shaky Minneapolis tryout and the total creative revamp on short notice, is whether it will be any good.

Updated On: 7/31/26 at 07:46 PM

Correct. This will make it much, much better. Can't wait!

I can't see this outlasting Dolly!

ACL2006 said: "Theatrefanboy1 said: "I can't see this outlasting Dolly!"

I think there are more Prince fans out there than Dolly fans."

You do?! Fascinating.