The 'Color' of money
Barrino's Oprah appearance pumps play
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"The Color Purple" got a major national publicity push when third-season "Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino appeared on the show Feb. 22 and announced she would do a stint in "Purple" beginning April 10.
About a week later, on Feb. 28, Barrino talked about her new Broadway gig during a spot on "Oprah."
"Purple" had experienced some rough weeks at the box office this winter, but once the Barrino news hit, the show's advance rose by $2 million, according to producer Scott Sanders.
And the majority of that -- about $1.5 million -- came after Barrino's appearance on "Oprah."
"Even the Chicago wraps tripled," says Sanders of sales for the national tour, which kicks off in Chi on April 17 with Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child.
The secret to Winfrey's dominance in legit sales? Demographics.
Middle-aged females are the prime demo for theatergoing, and tend to be the ones who actually choose shows and buy the tickets.
The young fanbase of "Idol" buys theater tickets much less often. They're far more likely to ask for tickets from their moms -- who are all watching "Oprah."
