Winfrey backs ‘Purple’ musical

Oprah Winfrey, who made her name as an actress in the 1985 film “The Color Purple,” will co-produce a new Broadway musical based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book.

The producers said Monday that Winfrey would make a “seven-figure investment” in the musical version of “The Color Purple,” which draws on both the book and the film. The show opens in New York in December after running in previews starting Nov. 1.

The musical tells the story of a young black girl growing up in the early 1900s and will feature gospel, jazz, ragtime and blues. The show’s other producers include music impresario Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders, who has said the production will cost more than $10 million to develop.