By Miles Bennett | M•I•A MEDIA GROUP
Jordan Fisher is preparing to take on a role inseparable from one of music’s most distinctive artists: “The Kid,” the gifted and troubled performer Prince brought to life in “Purple Rain.”
Fisher will lead the Broadway adaptation of the landmark 1984 film, producer Orin Wolf announced Nov. 10. Performances are scheduled to begin March 12, 2027, at New York’s Majestic Theatre, with opening night set for April 12. The production marks Fisher’s first time originating a role in a new Broadway musical.
The assignment brings considerable expectations. For longtime fans, “Purple Rain” carries memories of Prince’s voice, musicianship and commanding screen presence. Fisher must make the character believable before an audience that may arrive already knowing every musical turn.
His experience offers a strong foundation. Fisher’s stage résumé includes leading roles in “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Hadestown” and “Moulin Rouge!,” along with appearances in “Hamilton” and “Sweeney Todd.” Most recently, he played Seymour in the Off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Those productions have required romance, emotional vulnerability and the stamina to sustain demanding musical performances. “Purple Rain” gathers those responsibilities around a character whose ambition and personal turmoil must coexist with extraordinary musical confidence.
Fisher described the preparation as an unusually complete test of his abilities during a Nov. 10 appearance on “Good Morning America.” He said the production requires him to draw on his work as a dancer, vocalist, actor and musician — including playing six instruments.
“It is the most rewarding, artistically satisfying thing that I have ever gotten to do,” Fisher said.
Set in Minneapolis in 1984, the musical follows an emerging performer trying to lead his band toward success while confronting a past that threatens his future. The production will feature more than 20 Prince songs, including “When Doves Cry,” “I Would Die 4 U” and “The Beautiful Ones.”
That catalog gives the production immediate familiarity. The theatrical challenge will be connecting the songs to the character’s choices so audiences experience an unfolding story alongside the pleasure of hearing beloved music.
Director Saheem Ali has emphasized the emotional qualities Fisher brings to the role. In the casting announcement, Ali praised the actor’s combination of vulnerability, creative restlessness and generosity, suggesting the production is looking closely at the person beneath the stage persona.
The Broadway creative team includes book writer Peter Duchan, choreographer Ebony Williams and music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator Jason Michael Webb. Prince collaborators Bobby Z and Morris Hayes serve as music advisers, bringing firsthand knowledge of the artist’s working methods and musical instincts.
Their involvement offers a connection to the source material as a new company interprets it. Ali has said the goal includes carrying Prince’s music to another generation, giving younger audiences an opportunity to encounter the songs through live theater.
For Fisher, the opportunity is both a career milestone and a demanding act of interpretation. A successful performance will require precision, but also enough individuality to make audiences invest in his version of The Kid.
The songs will bring their own history into the Majestic. Fisher’s task is to give the young musician at their center a compelling life onstage.
