As a Minnesotan, it’s my solemn duty to see Prince as a music legend. And as a queer, it’s also my solemn duty to like the camp and spectacle of musical theater. So of course, when I saw the new “Purple Rain” stage adaptation was to be part of our yearly “Broadway on Hennepin” season package, my interest was piqued.
Something especially unique about this opportunity is the fact that—unlike most shows that are part of these Broadway seasons—”Purple Rain” hasn’t been on Broadway. In fact, as of this writing, it’s not even a finished product yet! November 5, 2025 is the official opening night for this production. All the shows in the weeks before are considered preview nights. This means the contents of the show are still in flux and could change based on what seems to be working or not.
And considering the state of the show when I saw it…we could talking about some major changes.
Let me be clear: Despite hearing mixed-to-negative reactions from others, I actually did have a good time seeing “Purple Rain”!
Here are some of my personal highlights from the performance on Wednesday, October 22 at the State Theatre:
- Most of the songs sounded great. I thought Kris Kollins did about as well as someone could do singing Prince’s songs (playing “The Kid”), coming very close to the recorded versions we know well. And Rachel Webb (as “Apollonia”) has clear Broadway vocal chops. The arrangements and instrumentation also do their job well, mostly staying safe and sounding like the original songs. (Jason Michael Webb served as music supervisor, orchestrator and arranger.)
- The lighting and stage design are immersive. Technically, the set was pretty basic, with the only locations being a music venue, the venue’s backstage and a bedroom. But they’re beautifully done. The venue includes a platform stage for the band that can go forward and back. And each location includes both subtle and flashy lighting elements that sync well with the music. (David Zinn served as scenic designer and Yi Zhao was lighting designer.)
- Morris is a riot. If you’ve seen the movie, you might remember Morris as the leader of The Time, a rival band to our protagonist’s The Revolution. Morris wasn’t just The Kid’s rival, but also the comic relief. He arguably stole the show in the original film. And it’s no different here. This time around, Morris is portrayed by Jared Howelton, who was most recently Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the touring production of Hamilton. Those characters are similarly over-the-top and the audience always seemed to be rejuvenated each time Howelton came on stage as Morris.
- They didn’t shy away from intense themes. “Purple Rain”‘s stage adaptation isn’t afraid to be sexual and vulgar. And it doesn’t shy away from topics like abuse and suicide. (Book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn.)
- It takes risks. While The Kid and Apollonia become acquainted with one another, we see them creating a song on the fly while interpretive dancers make it clear via choreography that the two are also very much having sex. Some other scenes make liberal use of a video projector, blurring the lines between a play and movie. (Choreography led by Ebony Williams. Video & projection design by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom.)
- They include the motorcycle! The original “Purple Rain” movie and album show Prince on his iconic purple motorcycle. And the movie includes a memorable scene of The Kid and Apollonia taking a motorcycle ride to a lake. So of course this stage adaptation would be incomplete without the famous ride. (Though it’s unfortunately only on stage for like a minute.)
But what didn’t work? Or at least, left me hoping for more by the time the show is finalized? Here are the questions I was left with by the end of “Purple Rain.”
1. What year is it?
The original “Purple Rain” movie came out in 1984 and it shows. But that’s part of the charm. The music and style of that movie helped define the pop culture of the decade. And while the story was never a biography, it did borrow heavily from Prince’s real life and his rise to fame. So it would make sense if the stage adaptation also took place in the ’80s. And it mostly seems to be the case. And yet… I’m pretty sure a character used a mobile phone at one point. Something which was technically a thing in the ’80s, but wouldn’t have been affordable or practical for any of the characters.
More egregious is the use of very modern slang. Saying a song “slaps” and talking about its vibe and how “it’s giving _____.” This type of language only became popular in the 2020s (to my knowledge). It feels wildly out of place in something that otherwise oozes the ’80s.
2. What’s up with the location names?
The “Purple Rain” movie took place primarily in First Avenue, a real music venue in Minneapolis where Prince often performed. In this adaptation, they only ever refer to the venue as “The First.” Which is annoying, but I get it. Maybe First Avenue expected some type of compensation to be featured or forbid the use of their name.
What’s more confusing is the fact that the show’s program states the setting is Minneapolis. And yet, I don’t think I heard the word “Minneapolis” uttered once. Every time they refer to the city, the characters say “Mini Apple.” Um. What? Why?? They refer to New York City and Los Angeles and even Lake Minnetonka. And yet every character says “Mini Apple”?
3. Why do some scenes feel like hokey afterschool specials?
There are so many scenes where characters stop all action in order to talk. And half the time it feels like some lesson is being imparted on the audience like one of those old afterschool specials. Characters will suddenly enter therapist mode saying stuff like “rooted in childhood trauma” or “we can’t excuse the things you’ve said and done, but we understand what you’re going through.” Can we please be a bit more subtle (and efficient) with our storytelling? Seriously, there are periods of like 20 minutes of just talking without a single song. Story is important, but you know people are there for the Prince music, right?
4. Why change the role of The Kid’s parents?
In the movie, The Kid deals with turbulent home life where his father abuses his mother. It’s a situation that actively impacts The Kid’s life at home and with his band, especially when the father turns his anger toward The Kid. In the stage adaptation, the mother is implied to be dead at one point but then makes an appearance on a voicemail where she mentions living elsewhere. The father’s abuse is in the past and is not the active threat it once was. Instead, the father’s past is an example of what The Kid feels doomed to repeat despite wanting to be better than his dad. It’s not inherently a bad change, but what’s really baffling is how the father is treated by the play as both a mentor and a bad influence. Why is The Kid accepting any advice from his dad when he hates him so much? I know real life sometimes has complicated situations like this, but it feels like a change that overcomplicates the story without improving it.
5. What’s up with the dumpster scene?
There’s a scene where a dumpster is put in the middle of the stage. Morris pops out and starts singing “Gigolos Get Lonely Too” while lamenting that he’s misunderstood in a fourth-wall break to the audience. Is it kind of funny? I guess. Is it worth elongating a play that’s already 3 hours long? Not at all. It just feels random and like the creators wanted an excuse to have more Morris at any cost.
6. Why is there so much video in a stage play?
There’s a projector screen that sits above the main stage for most of the show. Whenever we hear voicemails, we see footage of the person talking. Whenever there’s a flashback to The Kid’s parents fighting, we see it on the screen. And when The Kid has a nightmare-like sequence about what everyone thinks of him, the screen comes down and takes up the whole stage while we watch a mediocre music video. None of this works for me. I’d get rid of all the video for the voicemails and gut most or all of the nightmare sequence. The one great use of the screen was when we got an MTV-like crew spotlighting the bands playing at The First and we even follow Apollonia as she runs backstage after The Kid upsets her.
7. Why end it that way?
Before we get to hear “Purple Rain,” “I Would Die 4 U,” and “Baby I’m a Star,” the audience needs to listen to The Kid’s friends go on about how they’re worried about him. Then we hear The Kid’s father lament about his music career and how he treated the mother. And finally we get a video of Apollonia doing a screen test for Star Search in Los Angeles (this is despite her saying throughout the play that her dream is to go to New York). She is asked if she was ever in love and wistfully thinks about The Kid. And that’s it. That’s the last we see of her. Unlike the movie, Apollonia never says goodbye to The Kid or sees his redemption performance where he apologizes for all he’s done.
Why? What’s the point of this? I can understand changing the story so Apollonia and The Kid don’t seem to end up together. That’s fair. But Apollonia is even more of a main character in this version than the movie. How is it satisfying for her to suddenly be whisked away to L.A. and not even be part of the finale? There’s no closure between her and The Kid, which is maybe realistic to how life works, but really doesn’t do any favors for this play that’s already struggling to be emotionally resonant.
Phew. OK, I think I need to stop here. I could go on with other things I was left wondering, but this may all ultimately be out-of-date already since previews have continued between the time we attended and today. Maybe absolutely everything I’ve mentioned here has already changed. Who knows?
Still, I’m curious how the show will evolve and if it will ever hit Broadway. I hope it does improve and achieves its goals, but only if they make the necessary changes. As things stand now, I’m afraid prospects aren’t good. I’ve seen much more hate from others who’ve seen the show.
For posterity, here are the songs we had for preview night 10/22/25.
Act 1
- Let’s Go Crazy
- Kiss
- U Got the Look
- Computer Blue
- Jungle Love
- Take Me with U
- Electric Intercourse
- Do Me, Baby
- Sugar Walls
- Nothing Compares 2 U
- Empty Room
- Nasty Girl
- Modernaire
- The Beautiful Ones
Act 2
- When Doves Cry
- Sex Shooter
- Gigolos Get Lonely Too
- The Bird
- The Glamorous Life
- Darling Nikki
- Purple Rain
- I Would Die 4 U
- Baby I’m a Star
suspiciously generic 