FANTASIA   DECLARES         “I’M HERE”
The Color Purple      Broadway's Hit Musical Welcomes the Soulful
Singing Sensation As The  New CELIE  -- Beginning Tuesday  April 10th
NEW YORK April 3, 2007 - The
producers of The Color
Purple have confirmed that
American Idol Season 3
winner Fantasia Barrino is
set to make her Broadway
debut in the starring role of
Celie, April 10, 2007
To date, she has gathered more than 20
award nominations including Grammy,   
American Music,Vibe Soul Train, Billboard,  
BET, NAACP and Teen Choice.  

Now she's working hard to garner TONY,
with her Broadway debut as Celie, the heart
and soul of THE COLOR PURPLE.

Fantasia has the distinction of being the first
American Idol winner to star in a Broadway
show.

No stranger to acting, Fantasia also broke
records of a different kind after authoring a
New York Times best-selling autobiography
Life Is Not A Fairy Tale (Simon & Schuster,
September 2005) and starring in The
Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairytale,
the Debbie Allen-directed Lifetime original
movie adaptation of her truthful, outspoken,
and ultimately healing memoir in Aug 2006.
As a 19-year old single
mother, Fantasia began her
path to international star-
dom when she became the
winner of FOX’s hugely
successful audience-driven
singing competition in May
2004.  

Now 22, Barrino has
maintained her down to earth
nature, all the while earning
the respect of an industry and
garnering critical acclaim for
the release of both her debut
album Free Yourself,  
Billboard Hot 100 chart  #1  
single “I Believe” and her
critically acclaimed second
album, FANTASIA, released
by J Records, Dec 12, 2006.
Now in its 2nd smash year on Broadway,
the producers of THE COLOR PURPLE
have announced that in less than a year,
the production has recouped its entire
$11 million investment.  Since its first
preview on Nov 1, 2005 THE COLOR
PURPLE has the highest cumulative
attendance figures of any new Broadway
show of the 2005-2006 season.  Nearly
750,000 audience members from
across the country and around the world
have seen the production.

The Color Purple, which celebrated its
first year anniversary Dec  1, 2006 has
grossed over $60 million in ticket sales.

Having garnered 11 2006 Tony Award
nominations, THE COLOR PURPLE  
announced its first North American Tour,
which kicks off in Chicago on April 17,
2007 at The Cadillac Palace Theatre.

From Alice Walker’s classic Pulitzer
Prize-winning novel and the landmark
film by Steven Spielberg, comes a soul-
stirring musical. The Color Purple is an
inspiring and unforgettable story of a
woman, who, through love, finds the
strength to triumph over adversity and
discover her unique voice in the world.

With a moving book and a score
featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues,
It ranks as the
LIFETIME channel’
second most
watched movie --
and has been seen
by 19 million
viewers.  
The Color Purple is about
hope, a testament to the
healing power of love and a
celebration of life.

The production features
scenic design by Tony Award
winner John Lee Beatty,
costume design by Paul
Tazewell, lighting design by
Tony Award winner Brian
MacDevitt and sound design
by Jon Weston.  The
orchestrations are by
Jonathan Tunick, Kevin Stites
is the Music Supervisor and
Linda Twine is the Musical
Director.

The Color Purple is produced
by Oprah Winfrey, Scott
Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy
Jones, Creative Battery, Anna
Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz,
Independent Presenters
Network, Lowy Family Group,
Stephanie McClelland, Gary
Winnick, Jan Kallish,
Nederlander Presentations,
Inc., Bob and Harvey
Weinstein, Andrew Asnes &
Adam Zotovich, and Todd
Johnson.  Tickets  can be
purchased  
Telecharge.com/(212)
239-6200 or at The Broadway
Theatre Box Office, 1681
Broadway at 53rd Street.  
Tickets are scaled at $116.25
to $26.25.   
'The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairy Tale.'