Fantasia Barrino Will Play Celie in The Color Purple, Debuting 4/10

It's official: American Idol third-season winner Fantasia Barrino will assume the role of Celie in the Broadway production of The Color Purple on April 10 for a six-month run. The widely expected announcement was made during the February 22 telecast of American Idol, on which she sang Celie's big final song, "I'm Here."

The Color Purple tells the inspiring story of a woman, who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. Directed by Gary Griffin, the musical opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 1, 2005. LaChanze won the 2006 Tony Award for her performance as Celie; the role is currently being played by Kenita R. Miller.

Barrino, a native of High Point, NC, was voted the winner of American Idol in 2004, defeating Diana DeGarmo who went on to play Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. Barrino's autobiography, Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, became a New York Times best-seller and formed the basis for a Lifetime original movie directed by Debbie Allen in which the singer played herself. She recently released her second solo CD, Fantasia, and sang a new version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" with Patti LaBelle and Yolanda Adams on the Happy Feet movie soundtrack.

"I want to let the people who buy my music know that if I'm going to be any kind of role model or a person they look up to, then they have to ask the question I asked myself: 'After the pain, where am I gonna go?'" Barrino writes on her official website. "You can't hold on to the pain forever, so you have to lift your head up, say, 'That's my past, now what's next?' For me, it's a brand new Fantasia: I'm here to tell everyone that dreams DO come true, you can't give up…and me, hey, I'm gonna ride this train till the wheels fall off!"