Must Be Somethin' to Fuss About! Jennifer Holliday Begins Performances as Shug Avery in The Color Purple

Time to get sharp as a tack with our hair slicked back! A new Shug Avery is comin' to town in the Tony-winning revival of The Color Purple—and she sure do shine. Tony and Grammy winner Jennifer Holliday will start a limited 14-week engagement in the John Doyle-helmed production on October 4. She steps in following Tony winner Heather Headley's emotional final curtain call on October 2.

Holliday is the third actress to take on the role of Shug Avery in this production; Jennifer Hudson, who won an Oscar for playing Effie (whom Holliday originated onstage) in the Dreamgirls film adaptation, headlined the show when it opened last fall.

Holliday last starred on Broadway back in 2001 in Chicago; she appeared in a three-city-tour of The Color Purple as Sofia in 2014. Since winning the Tony in 1982 for her performance in Dreamgirls—as well as a Grammy for her pop cover of the anthem “And I Am Telling You”—Holliday has gone on to reprise her performance as Effie White numerous times, including on tour and at the Muny in 2012. She has also released a number of gospel and R&B albums.

Holliday joins a cast that includes Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and Tony nominee Danielle Brooks (both in their Broadway debuts) as Celie and Sofia, respectively, Isaiah Johnson as Mister, Jennie Harney as Nettie, Kyle Scatliffe as Harpo and Patrice Covington as Squeak.