There were moments during “Purple Rain,” the musical adaptation of Prince’s 1984 film now playing at Minneapolis’ State Theatre, when I almost felt like I was watching the real Prince. One such moment came about halfway through the production when Kris Kollins, playing Prince’s role as The Kid, performs at a fictional but familiar venue, “The First.” The Kid sits at the keyboard wearing a purple coat and singing “The Beautiful Ones.”
In a bit of stage magic conjured by lighting designer Yi Zhao, a purple light shimmers like a cloud next to him. For at least a moment, I felt transported in time. When he’s singing, Kollins channels Prince’s voice, moves, and mannerisms nearly perfectly. But when he’s not, the performance feels less assured.
I had a hard time understanding Kollins’ dialogue, especially in the more emotional scenes. Onstage with his love interest, Apollonia, Kollins’ delivery lacks variety and emotional depth. Rachel Webb, as Apollonia, tends to save those intimate scenes with empathy to spare. As the two characters fall in love against pink and purple lights made to look like stained glass, Webb’s warmth lifts Kollins’ performance.
Ebony Williams’ choreography also carries the romantic storyline. The characters’ physically charged moves leave little doubt about what they’re really thinking.
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While Kollins’ acting is lacking, his resemblance to Prince is almost uncanny, particularly toward the end of the story when the musical utilizes a live video feed and the audience is offered a Kollins close-up. It’s enough for me to wonder, as Minneapolis buzzes about “Purple Rain” heading to Broadway, when is the miniseries coming out?
What Kollins lacks in range, he makes up for in charisma — especially if his acting improves with continued performances.
Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins made significant changes in his adaptation of Albert Magnoli and William Blinn’s original screenplay for “Purple Rain” while honoring much of the original storyline. Certain elements echo Prince’s biography, but the “Purple Rain” story is fictional, offering greater creative freedom.
Without being held to biographical facts, the production team avoided possible legal issues that could’ve ensued, as evidenced by a recently canceled Prince documentary.
As a post-MeToo production, Jacobs-Jenkins gave The Kid and Apollonia updated lines and an ending different from the film. At times, however, the updates seem tongue in cheek — like when The Kid’s bandmates confront him about his unwelcome behaviors. A friend says, “Let’s not normalize the toxic stuff.”
Related: The history of the ‘Minneapolis Sound’ pioneered by Prince
It’s a line that seems much more 2025 than 1984 and ended up eliciting a laugh in the theater. Other anachronisms stand out, too, like the word “multi-hyphenate” and a reference to “childhood trauma.” It made me wonder if Jacobs-Jenkins intentionally added contemporary language to shake the story free from its original sexism.
Some moments veer from the plot entirely, like when The Kid’s musical rival, Morris Day, played by Jared Howelton, sings “Gigolos Get Lonely Too” in a dumpster. There is no logical reason for him to be singing in a dumpster. Still, the performance hits. Even through Morris’ misogyny, Howelton lifts every scene he’s in with energy and humor.
Prince grew up in Minneapolis, began his career here, and made it his home even during his superstardom, so it feels fitting for “Purple Rain” to premiere here. Under the direction of Lileana Blain-Cruz and with a strong cast and design team — including Spike Lee among the co-producers — it’s a good take on the film with astonishingly good covers of Prince’s music.
For fans who saw Prince live, this performance might not fully satisfy. But as an act of homage, the production rallies.
“Purple Rain” runs through Nov. 23 at the State Theater, 805 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis ($50-$350). More information here.