NaTasha Yvette Williams will make her Broadway debut when she replaces Fields on Jan. 30. The tour tour kicks off at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on April 17.

Fields received a Clarence Derwent Award and a Theatre World Award for her role in The Color Purple. She is also a Chicago native who has appeared in many shows in the Windy City, including Jammin’ With Pops; Hot Mikado; Show Boat; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Ain’t Misbehavin’; Hello, Dolly!; Dreamgirls; and Sophisticated Ladies, for which she won a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Williams has appeared in the national tours of All Shook Up, Seussical, Cinderella, Parade, The Goodbye Girl and Nahalia.

Oprah Winfrey, the musical's sole above-the-title producer, received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Sofia in the Steven Spielberg film version.

The Broadway production of The Color Purple began previews on Nov. 1, 2005, at the Broadway Theatre and officially opened Dec. 1, 2005. The musical is directed by Gary Griffin, who will also direct the tour, and features a score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray and a book by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman ('night, Mother). The show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, and LaChanze, who plays the lead role of Celie, earned the show's only Tony win, for Best Actress in a Musical.

The design team for both the Broadway show and the tour is John Lee Beatty (sets), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting) and Jon Weston (sound).

In addition to Winfrey, The Color Purple's Broadway producing team includes Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, Creative Battery, Anna Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, Lowy Family Group, Stephanie McClelland, Gary Winnick, Jan Kallish, Andrew Asnes & Adam Zotovich and Todd Johnson.

For tickets to the Broadway version, call (212) 239-6200, visit the Broadway Theatre Box Office at 1681 Broadway or visit the website at www.colorpurple.com.