Prince’s landmark 1984 film and Grammy-winning album Purple Rain
are officially headed to Broadway. The stage adaptation will begin previews at the Majestic Theatre on March 12, 2027, ahead of an April 12 opening night, following a revamped creative team overhaul and an out-of-town tryout in Minneapolis.
The stage adaptation of Prince’s iconic property is finally making its leap to New York City. Producer Orin Wolf announced that the production will take over Broadway’s Majestic Theatre, kicking off previews on March 12, 2027, with an official opening night scheduled for April 12. Tickets for the much-anticipated run will go on sale in September at Telecharge, with casting details to be revealed at a later date.
The timeline brings the project to the stage roughly 42 years to the day after the original Warner Bros. film premiered in 1984. That movie grossed more than $70 million worldwide, won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, and was later added to the National Film Registry in 2019. Its accompanying soundtrack spent 24 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 and recently re-entered the chart.
Revamped Creative Team Takes the Helm After Minneapolis Run
This Broadway transfer follows an out-of-town tryout that played during the 2024–2025 season at the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s State Theatre in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis. While that initial staging featured a book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and direction by Lileana Blain-Cruz and received mixed to negative reviews, the upcoming New York engagement features a heavily revamped creative team.
Saheem Ali, director of Buena Vista Social Club, will direct the Broadway run. Peter Duchan penned the new book, while Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb serves as music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator. Ebony Williams remains attached as choreographer, joined by a design team featuring scenic designer David Zinn, video and projection designers Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, costume designer Montana Levi Blanco, lighting designer Justin Townsend, sound designer Gareth Owen, hair and wig designer Cookie Jordan, and makeup designer Kyle Krueger.
“Prince is, without doubt, one of the rarest, most brilliant musicians we’ve ever had. What he accomplished with PURPLE RAIN in 1984 — the song, the album and the film — is a testament to the art of making music and showcases it at the highest level.”
Orin Wolf, Producer
Honoring the Original Vision With Close Prince Collaborators
Bobby Z, the original drummer for The Revolution, and Morris Hayes, a longtime collaborator with New Power Generation, are serving as music advisers on the show.
What Audiences Can Expect From The Kid’s Story on Stage
The narrative hews closely to the source material, transporting audiences back to Minneapolis in 1984 as a burgeoning music television era mints overnight stars. The plot centers on The Kid,
a magnetic young musician navigating a dysfunctional family, a rival singer, a complicated romance, and bandmate friction that threatens his path to stardom.
The score features more than 20 songs written by Prince, incorporating cinematic touchstones such as When Doves Cry,
I Would Die 4 U,
Take Me with You,
and The Beautiful Ones.
“Prince gave us the blueprint for this story, and our job has been to make sure his voice and music lead the show and to celebrate his remarkable legacy.”
Peter Duchan, Book Writer
