The Color Purple on stage at Stage Aurora

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Color Purple is a Tony Award winning Broadway smash musical and this weekend it is on stage right here in the River City.

Stage Aurora owner Darryl Reuben Hall says it is the first time a regional theater has put on The Color Purple in Florida and one of the first in the country.

Many of the cast members say they grew up with the movie and found multiple ways they were inspired by it.

Toni Diamond-Bingham plays Oprah Winfrey's character Sofia.

"This is a huge honor," she said, sighting that she gained confidence from the character as a child.

The Color Purple plays at Stage Aurora in the Gateway Town Center Friday - Oct. 14. Tickets are $20 advance and $25 at the door.