Shug Avery Comin' to Town! Tony Winner Heather Headley Begins Performances in The Color Purple

Heather Headley is back in town! The too-beautiful-for-words Tony winner will start performances in the John Doyle-helmed revival of The Color Purple on May 10. She will take on the role of the sexy Shug Avery to the delight of theater fans (and the shock of her son) from Jennifer Hudson, who completed her sizzling Broadway debut in the tuner on May 8.

Headley, who won a Tony Award for Aida, made her Main Stem debut in The Lion King and appeared as a special guest artist in Il Divo—A Musical Affair. She received an Olivier nod for her performance in the West End's The Bodyguard and garnered a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for her third release, Audience of One.

The Color Purple features a book by Marsha Norman, lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray and music by Russell and Willis. Based on the novel by Alice Walker, the tuner tells the story of Celie (currently played by 2016 Tony nominee Cynthia Erivo), a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discovers her voice in the world.

The cast also includes 2016 Tony nominee Danielle Brooks, Kyle Scatliffe, Isaiah Johnson and Joaquina Kalukango.