Jordan Fisher Will Star as The Kid in Broadway's Purple Rain
Producer Orin Wolf announced that Jordan Fisher will play The Kid in Purple Rain, with previews beginning March 12, 2027, and an April 12 opening at the Majestic Theatre.
The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.
Jordan Fisher will play the leading role of The Kid in the Broadway musical Purple Rain, producer Orin Wolf announced on Nov. 10. The show is scheduled to begin previews on Friday, March 12, 2027, and to open on Monday, April 12, 2027, at the Majestic Theatre in New York, Deadline and BroadwayWorld both reported.
According to BroadwayWorld, the announcement "marks the first time that Jordan has created a role in a new Broadway musical." Tickets are currently on sale at Telecharge, and additional casting is to be announced later.
Fisher's Broadway credits include Christian in Moulin Rouge!, Anthony in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Evan in Dear Evan Hansen, and Laurens/Philip in Hamilton. He most recently starred as Seymour in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, Deadline and BroadwayWorld reported. His screen credits include Netflix's Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, as well as To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Work It, Rent: Live!, Grease: Live!, and Disney/Pixar's Turning Red. He is the founder and CEO of Jordan Fisher Productions.
Director Saheem Ali said, in remarks published by BroadwayWorld, "We know that Jordan Fisher is an extraordinary talent, but what's been thrilling about watching him inhabit 'The Kid' is discovering the fire beneath the surface: the swagger, vulnerability and restless creative spirit we recognize in Prince." Ali also said, "Jordan brings all of that to the role, along with an infectious generosity that makes everyone around him better." He added, "He's finding something raw, surprising, and deeply human in this iconic character, and I can't wait for Broadway audiences to experience it."
The stage adaptation features music by Prince, a book by playwright and screenwriter Peter Duchan, a music team led by Jason Michael Webb, and choreography by Ebony Williams, with direction by Ali, who was Tony-nominated for Buena Vista Social Club. Bobby Z and Morris Hayes, who worked with Prince as bandmates and musical collaborators, are serving as music advisers, Deadline and BroadwayWorld reported. The show includes more than 20 Prince songs, including "When Doves Cry," "I Would Die 4 U," and "The Beautiful Ones."
The musical is based on the 1984 film originated by Prince, directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. The film told a fictional story of The Kid, an up-and-coming rock musician in the Minneapolis club scene, as he contended with a tumultuous home environment, a rival band, and a budding romance. Deadline and BroadwayWorld both said the film was Prince's film debut, grossed close to $100 million worldwide, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. It was released in July 1984 by Warner Bros.
According to Deadline and BroadwayWorld, the stage show is set in Minneapolis in 1984 and follows a magnetic young performer known as The Kid, whose past threatens the stardom he and his bandmates are trying to build. The Majestic Theatre is at 245 West 44th Street. An opening in April is a scheduled date, not a review, and it is months away. Dock Line recently reported that Skydance Plans HBO Max and Paramount+ Bundle in Early 2027.
Opinion:
A casting announcement is news, and Fisher has earned a serious hearing as a stage actor. That is as far as the news should be stretched.
Purple Rain is not a family catechism, and it is not a youth-group recommendation. The 1984 film is a dark backstage story with a hard edge, and a Broadway musical built from that story should be judged the same way: look at the show when it opens, tell the truth about what it depicts, and do not pretend that a famous catalog of songs makes a production harmless.
Prince was a gifted musician. Gifts do not erase the need for discernment. Parents should not confuse a ticket sale with a blessing. The Majestic Theatre will have a new tenant in the spring of 2027. Until then, the honest work is to report the facts and withhold the hype.
