ST. PAUL, Minn. — The “Purple Rain” musical will finally hit Broadway in 2027. But it won’t be the same version that made its world premiere last November at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.

Previews start at the Majestic Theatre on March 12, with opening night set for April 12. Producers announced the news Monday, which was also the 42nd anniversary of the opening day of the “Purple Rain” movie.

The Majestic was the home of “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show in Broadway history. More recently, it hosted a revival of “Gypsy” and the musical adaptation of the book and Bette Midler film “Beaches.”

The new take on “Purple Rain” is directed by Saheem Ali, who replaces Lileana Blain-Cruz. Peter Duchan has stepped in as the book writer in place of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The show’s lead producer, Orin Wolf, previously collaborated with Ali on “Buena Vista Social Club,” which opened on Broadway last year.

Others joining the production include lighting designer Justin Townsend and sound designer Gareth Owen. Many of the other roles, from the stage manager to the costume designer, will remain on board from the Minneapolis run. Former Prince associates Bobby Z and Morris Hayes are also continuing as music advisers.

Casting will be announced at a later date along with an on-sale date for tickets. The website purplerainbroadway.com allows theatergoers to register for updates and early access to tickets.

“Prince is, without doubt, one of the rarest, most brilliant musicians we’ve ever had,” Wolf said in a news release. “What he accomplished with ‘Purple Rain’ in 1984 — the song, the album and the film — is a testament to the art of making music and showcases it at the highest level.”

Wolf said he saw in ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ how Ali “prioritizes serving the music.”

“I can’t wait to watch him, Peter Duchan, (choreographer) Ebony Williams, and (music supervisor) Jason Michael Webb use Prince’s legendary music as the engine for this new production,” Wolf said. “It will be every bit as exciting for audiences today as it was when we first heard these songs on our boom boxes.”

First announced in early 2024, the musical adapts the semi-autobiographical 1984 film that turned Prince from a budding hitmaker into a worldwide superstar. The soundtrack album became Prince’s first chart-topper on the Billboard 200 and went on to spend 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1. It has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide. Prince closed out that year by playing five sold-out shows at the former St. Paul Civic Center.

With a reported budget of $26.5 million, the “Purple Rain” musical opened in previews in October and ran for nearly six weeks. During previews, it’s common for the creative team to make changes to the work. As such, the official opening night in November was trimmed down by about a half hour. Famous faces in the crowd for the premiere included Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner, Bobby Z, filmmaker Spike Lee and Minneapolis music icon James Samuel “Cornbread” Harris Jr.

“Prince gave us the blueprint for this story, and our job has been to make sure his voice and music lead the show and to celebrate his remarkable legacy,” Duchan said. “It’s a privilege to help bring this story to the stage, and we’re all excited to share it with fans of the film and the album around the world.”

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