THE COLOR PURPLE: More Star Power with Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans and LaKisha Jones

By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

The BV Newswire has learned that Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans and LaKisha Jones will join the cast of the Broadway musical 'The Color Purple.'

More News

On Sept. 26, producers of the critically-acclaimed Oprah Winfrey-blessed show will officially announce that the eight time Grammy Award winning R&B veteran, the four-time Grammy Award winning gospel dynamo and the 2007 'American Idol' finalist will start the show on Jan. 9, 2008.

Khan, who released the sublime aural platter 'Funk This' today, will play Sofia opposite Winans in the Harpo role.

Jones will play the part of the Church Soloist, who opens the show with the rousing gospel number "Mysterious Ways" at all evening performances, and Sofia at all matinee performances.

Jones' first performance will actually be December 19, and will play the Church Soloist at all performances through January 6, 2008.

This is great way to help kick off the show's third year on The Great White Way.

'American Idol' winner Fantasia currently stars in the lead role of Celie in the show -- and had been a box-office draw.

"I went and saw it honey, it aint no joke," Khan shared during a phone interview with The BV Newswire. "Fantasia kicked ass. I'm so glad I dont got to play her part. I tell you. If they wouldve asked me to do her part, I would've said 'Hell to the naw." Absolutely not. I am not a workhorse, I am not doing that shit every night."

Khan, who is no stranger to the stage, has some theater background. Back in the 1990's she starred in a London tour of 'Mama, I Want to Sing.' For her star-turn, the Chicago native (legally known as Yvette Marie Stevens) she won London's Best Actress Capitol Radio Listener's Poll Award.

"I got the part trying not to get the part," she revealed, going into a story about an early morning meeting where she described herself as being "evil." The pitchman from the show were so dazzled by her diva-tude, they proclaimed that she was "so the one."

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it," she shared.

The 'I'm Every Woman' singer is in The Big Apple this week doing a marathon of promotion for the new album, which People magazine gave three and a half stars and the Associated Press raved was "real soul, with a good dose of funk mixed in."

Stops at 'The TODAY Show,' 'Late Night with David Letterman,' 'The Wendy Williams Experience' and 'Martha' are juxtaposed with a battery of promotional performances and dates throughout the city.

Being back in New York City is something Khan says she's going to have to get used to again for 'Purple.'

"It's going to be hard," she confided. "I'm not going to lie. I love this city for a week. I've lived here for ten years and one day, I got up and I came down out of my penthouse and the city hit me in the face and I said, 'Oops, it's time to go.'"

chaka khan Being on the stage is something she knows she's built for, she attested, it's just the "hum drum aspect of it" that concerns her.

She remains positive, looking forward to chopping up her scenes with Winans, who she said was a "fool."

"It's going to be fun [because] he's brilliant."

Winans, who has plans to release a new double-disc set, titled 'Cherch' next month, actually appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 Broadway musical 'The Civil War.'

The two music giants last shared the microphone during Winfrey's star-studded Legends Luncheon in the spring of 2005 -- during an open-mic segment of a gospel brunch where The Hawkins' Singers sang their signature tunes.

"I'm looking forward to doing this," Khan concluded.

Chaka Khan