By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

Last year, The BV Newswire broke the news that India.Arie was negotiating to star in a Broadway bound revival of the groundbreaking play 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf.'

Now, it's official.

The two-time Grammy Award neo-soul songbird (born India Arie Simpson) is the first to be announced for a Whoopi Goldberg-produced production of the show, which was nominated for a Tony Award in 1977 for Best Play.

The role marks the Broadway debut for Arie, who has recorded two albums for Motown Records since 2001. Her hit singles include 'Brown Skin,' 'Little Things,' 'Ready for Love' and 'I Am Not My Hair' (featuring Akon).

Shirley Jo Finney will direct the production, while three-time Tony Award winner Hinton Battle has signed on as choreographer.

Battle recently choreographed the OutKast musical movie 'Idlewild' and has been a beloved staple of the Broadway scene, appearing in shows such as 'Sophisticated Ladies,' 'Miss Saigon' and 'Chicago.''For Colored Girls' is based on Ntozake Shange's book of the same name and presents the stories of seven women of color from the African Diaspora. Consisting of a series of poems performed through a cast of nameless women, known only by a color, the riveting plot dealt with such subjects as love, abandonment, rape, and abortion.

The play garnered much acclaim, including a coveted Obie Award win, transferred into an Emmy Award nominated television special and is still being performed around the world.

Trazana Beverley, who played "The Lady in Red," won a Tony Award in the category of Best Featured Actress in a In A Play, along with a Theatre World Award.

Others in the original Broadway production included Laurie Carlos, Risë Collins, Aku Kadogo, Janet League, Paula Moss and Shange.

Full casting for the new revival has yet to be announced but previews of 'For Colored Girls' will begin on or about July 15 with an opening on or about Aug. 2, according to Playbill News.