The 'American Idol' alum will play a nightclub singer named Shug Avery in the musical which is co-produced by Oprah Winfrey.
- Jan 10, 2015
AceShowbiz - Jennifer Hudson is going to make her Broadway debut. On Friday, January 9, it was announced that the "American Idol" alum would play Shug Avery in the revival of "The Color Purple" which is set between 1909 and 1949. The musical produced by Scott Sanders, Roy Furman and Oprah Winfrey will premiere this fall.
Hudson's character Avery is described as a sultry blues singer who is in relationship with Celie, an abused housewife who is also the main character, after becoming her husband's mistress. The role was played by Margaret Avery in Stephen Spielberg's 1985 film and Elisabeth Withers-Mendesin the original production.
Written by Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, the musical ran in Broadway between 2005 and 2008. Previously, another "American Idol" alum Fantasia Barrino made her Broadway debut by playing Celie in the final run.
Last year, Hudson was seen singing "Neverland" from the musical "Finding Neverland" at the Tony Awards. Barrino was also among performers at the event, performing a song from "After Midnight" musical alongside Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle.
