“Purple Rain” has found its Prince.
Singer-songwriter Kris Kollins, a Washington, D.C., native who now lives in Miami, has been tapped to play the Kid, the Prince stand-in for the stage adaptation of the semi-autobiographical 1984 film.
Singer/songwriter Kris Kollins is stepping into the biggest role of his life, and one that also marks his theatrical debut. (Photos by Jon Hanks; the Minnesota Star Tribune)
The musical, which will be amplified by songs from Prince’s expansive repertoire that were not in the movie, runs Oct. 16-Nov. 16 at Minneapolis’ State Theatre. After its world premiere in Minnesota, the show is aiming for Broadway.
Kollins, who plays piano, was discovered on social media after a nationwide search, according to show officials. He is one of two stars in the musical that the producers announced Tuesday.
The other is Rachel Webb, a soulful and lyrical siren who recently played Juliet in the national tour of “& Juliet” that ran at the Orpheum in May. She has been cast as Apollonia, one of Prince’s singing partners.
Rachel Webb has been cast as Apollonia for the stage version of "Purple Rain." Patricia Kotero, pictured in 1984, originated the role on film. (Photos by Shelby Griswold; the Minnesota Star Tribune)
“We were absolutely floored by Kris’ gifts — his musicianship, his voice, his magnetism,” said Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the Pulitzer and two-time Tony winner who is writing the show’s book. “We have been blown away again and again by the depths of his talent and dedication.”
In sound and sensibility, Kollins is a ringer for Prince. Social media is strewn with videos of his covers and tributes of Prince songs. They reveal how he has mastered Prince’s quicksilver range, jumping from gritty baritone and bass voice to silky, ethereal falsetto.
Kollins’ own music blends R&B, pop, funk, psychedelic and soul influences with side trips into bossa nova. He dropped his first EP, “Pistachio,” last year. And he has two songs, “GSAW” and “River,” in the Paramount+ film “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.”