Tony- and Grammy-winning actress Jennifer Holliday will return to Broadway for the first time in 15 years in the hit revival of the musical “The Color Purple,” the show’s producers announced on Wednesday.
Holliday, who earned a Tony in 1982 for originating the brassy Effie White in “Dreamgirls,” will take over the role of Shug Avery in John Doyle’s Tony-winning production.
The casting offers an interesting synergy: Jennifer Hudson, who won an Oscar playing Effie in the 2006 film version of “Dreamgirls,” first played Shug in the revival of “The Color Purple” when it opened last fall.
“I was deeply moved by this truly uplifting production of ‘The Color Purple’ and I am highly honored and absolutely thrilled to be joining this extraordinary cast,” Holliday said in a statement. “Nothing compares to performing before a Broadway audience and I can’t wait to return to the Broadway stage, where I started my career over 35 years ago.”
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