Chaka Khan Turning “Purple”
Funk songstress Chaka Khan will tell Broadway auds something good starting Jan. 9, when the multiple Grammy-winning singer takes over the role of Sofia in “The Color Purple.” R&B-gospel vocalist Benjamin “BeBe” Winans will step into the role of Harpo, opposite Khan, in the soulful tuner based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
“The Color Purple” opened Dec. 1, 2005, in New York and plays through Sept. 30 in Chicago prior to a national tour. Show has grossed $91 million to date on Broadway, receiving a major box office boost last season when “American Idol” winner Fantasia joined the cast as Celie.
“Funk This,” Khan’s first album in 10 years, was released on Tuesday.
