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As the first note of “Let’s Go Crazy” hits — the opening song in the stage adaptation of “Purple Rain” — the audience erupts in cheers as a shadowed figure steps into the stark stage lights.

Actor Kris Kollins utters his first line of the show: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” As he delivers those words made famous by Prince, he’s also asked to shoulder the emotional weight of the show — a task Kollins doesn’t seem fully prepared for.

For the next two and a half hours, Kollins steps into the role made famous by Prince in the 1984 film. The show’s book, by Tony winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, asks a lot of the actor. His character’s storyline centers on mental health struggles tied to past trauma, including unmet expectations and domestic abuse.

as it tests for Broadway success

The character’s arc would be difficult for any actor. It requires the Kid to move from a lovesick singer to a tortured artist on the brink of collapse.

Kollins sings with power, and his voice at moments closely resembles Prince’s. But this is still Kollins’s professional acting debut, and his inexperience shows; the emotional core of his character doesn’t always land. 

Kollins is at his best when portraying a hungry artist falling in love. But even in these scenes, he stars opposite the more experienced Rachel Webb as Apollonia — she is coming off playing the lead in the national tour of “& Juliet.” 

When the Kid is rejected by Apollonia at the end of Act One, Webb’s determination stands in contrast to Kollins, who plays the moment with irritation rather than the deep humiliation the scene calls for.

There are moments in the show where other characters take the spotlight, giving the show's complex story a bit more confidence. Jared Howelton, as the villainous Morris Day, hams it up and cracks corny jokes to lighten the show's overall dark themes about generational trauma and the weight of incredible talent. 

The choreography is also vibrant, mixing a variety of styles to aid in the visual appeal of the show. But at its core, the story follows a young artist struggling to navigate heartbreak, pressure and self-doubt. Add in the fact that the role was originated by Prince in a major motion picture, and the show is often simply asking too much of its inexperienced star — even a strong supporting cast can only carry so much of that weight.

There is, however, a strong moment when Kollins fully meets what the musical demands.

At the end of the show, when he has isolated everyone in his life and is just starting to make amends, he appears in all white, seated at a piano (as if purified in the waters of Lake Minnetonka).

He’s reborn and begins to play the show’s title song. It’s emotional, and it serves as a fitting cap to his journey of confronting his past and apologizing to those closest to him. 

Here, as in occasional other moments in the show, we feel him at his rawest. This is where the show should look for its success.

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Jacob Aloi

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A new stage adaptation of “Purple Rain” delivers strong ensemble work and flair, but its first-time leading actor can’t always carry the emotional weight of a role defined by Prince.

Review: 'Purple Rain' musical shines in moments, but its lead struggles under Prince’s shadow

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