February 24 marks the anniversary of the closing of The Color Purple's original Broadway production, which opened at the Broadway Theatre December 1, 2005. The musical, based on the novel by Alice Walker and produced by Oprah Winfrey, starred LaChanze in the role of Celie, with Brandon Victor Dixon, Felicia P. Fields, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kingsley Leggs, Krisha Marcano, and Elizabeth Withers-Mendes rounding out the cast.
The musical would go on to be revived in an acclaimed 2015 staging, which starred Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, and Danielle Brooks. The production earned the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, while Erivo took home the Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance.
Flip through photos from the original Broadway production below:
