By Matthew Wexler
It’s been over 40 years since Purple Rain hit movie theaters, bringing to life a battle of the bands story long before Netflix’s reality competition, Building the Band. The film starred Prince as The Kid, the stubborn frontman of the Minneapolis-based group, The Revolution.
Hearts are broken. Motorcycles peel away in a skid of smoke and rage. Prince’s score earned the musician an Academy Award, but time hasn’t been kind to a script that some view as misogynistic. Fortunately, Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins is on board to revisit for modern-day audiences. And if he delivers anything close to the captivating dialogue in Appropriate or Purpose, audiences are in good hands.
But Purple Rain is ultimately about the music. Casting director Taylor Williams discovered Kris Kollins on social media. He was eventually cast as The Kid, and will be making his professional stage debut.
“From our first encounter with his original music and socials, we were absolutely floored by Kris’s gifts – his musicianship, his voice, his magnetism. It took a minute for us to convince him we weren’t stalkers but I’m so glad we did,” Jacobs-Jenkins said. “Over the past couple of years of building this show with him, we have been blown away again and again by the depths of his talent and dedication. He is clearly such a star, and we are so lucky because there are probably no bigger shoes to fill in the theatre right now. Kris is the real deal, and we can’t wait for audiences to see him bring The Kid to life.”
It wants better content.
Rachel Webb, who’s been touring in the first North American tour of & Juliet, will play opposite Kollins as Apollonia.
The production will play at Henepin Arts’ State Theatre in Minneapolis from October 16 through November 16, 2025, with eyes set on Broadway for a possible spring 2026 opening.
In recent years, Broadway has welcomed musicals inspired by the lives of Michael Jackson, Cher, Tina Turner, Carole King, and The Temptations. Though Purple Rain starred Prince and drew from some of his personal experiences, it wasn’t a direct lift, giving the musical’s creative team the freedom to celebrate the Grammy-winning musician without having to imitate him.
Here’s a peek at Kris Kollins and Rachel Webb singing “Take Me With U.”
“What’s your damage, Heather?” More than you think, even as a musical
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