‘American Idol' Star to Reprise Role in ‘The Color Purple'

"American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino will reprise her lead role of Celie in the first North American touring production of "The Color Purple" when the Broadway musical opens in Washington.

The Kennedy Center announced Thursday that Barrino will join the cast for the five-week engagement in June.

Barrino was the first ever "American Idol" winner to star on Broadway.

The single mother and high school dropout from North Carolina has rapidly ascended to stardom after winning the third season of "American Idol" in 2004.

More recently, though, she ran into trouble when one of her houses in Charlotte, N.C., was nearly put up for auction after a company said Barrino failed to repay a loan to cover her 2006 taxes. The two sides reached an agreement in January to prevent the auction.