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Musical based on Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ coming to Broadway

Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ (NPG Records/Warner Records)

A stage adaptation of Prince’s Purple Rain is coming to Broadway next spring.

Producer Orin Wolf has announced that the musical, which was first announced back in January 2024, will begin previews at New York’s Majestic Theatre on March 12, 2027, with an official opening date of April 12, 2027.

The production will feature over 20 Prince hits, including such songs as “When Doves Cry,” “I Would Die 4 U,” “Take Me with You” and “The Beautiful Ones.”

The musical will be set in Minneapolis in 1984, and like the original film, it centers around a magnetic performer known as The Kid. According to the description, he “seems like the perfect frontman to lead his bandmates to stardom. But when his past threatens everything he’s built, he’ll have to sing his way out of the darkness and into the spotlight where he belongs.”

The musical will be directed by Saheem Ali, Tony-nominated for Buena Vista Social Club, with a book by Peter Duchan, music by MJ The Musical Tony winner Jason Michael Webb and choreography by Ebony Williams.

So far no cast for the Broadway production has been announced. Tickets will go on sale in September.

Released in July 1984, Purple Rain grossed close to $70 million in the United States. The soundtrack was Prince’s first #1 and spent 24 weeks on the top of the chart.

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Woman, 5-month-old baby die after vessel overturns in New York Harbor

A woman and a 5-month-old baby died after a vessel overturned in New York Harbor on Saturday night, according to police. Authorities are investigating whether the vessel was an illegal charter, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday.The New York Police Department said it was called to an overturned vessel near Liberty Island at 10:55 p.m. on Saturday. The authority deployed a harbor unit, as well as a scuba and aviation team to the scene, where 12 individuals had been rescued from the water before their arrival.However, the 27-year-old woman and the 5-month-old baby girl were located and transported to NYU Langone Hospital, where they were declared deceased on arrival, according to authorities. It was not immediately clear whether they are related. The remaining survivors are reported to be in stable condition.  "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims' family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," Captain Doreen McCarthy, the Coast Guard Sector New York Commander, said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water."Police said it is investigating the cause of the deadly incident.The NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information confirmed to CBS News that Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York, was arrested Sunday on 13 counts of reckless endangerment.An illegal charter is any passenger-for-hire vessel operation that lacks Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment and inspection certificates, the Coast Guard said.
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