Fantasia heads to broadway

It happens every season on "American Idol" -- prickly judge Simon Cowell dismisses a contestant's performance as "a bit too Broadway."

He means it in a negative way, of course, but to producers along Broadway, there's nothing bad about the idea.

Musicals from "Hairspray" to "Rent" have boosted their box office in recent years by hiring some of the aspiring singers rejected by TV's No. 1 show.

Now, an actual "Idol" winner is headed to Broadway -- North Carolina's own Fantasia.

She'll join the cast of Broadway's "The Color Purple" on April 10 in the lead role of Celie. The story, based on Alice Walker's novel of the same name, follows the life of Celie, her friends and family as they deal with issues of slavery, race and sexual abuse in the early 1900s.

Another single-named actress, LaChanze, originated the role on Broadway and won a Tony Award for the part. Whoopi Goldberg played Celie in Steven Spielberg's 1985 film version.

Fantasia, who has recorded two albums since her "Idol" win, has a powerhouse voice, though her acting has been limited. She played herself in Lifetime TV's "The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale" last year.

Even before she steps on the Broadway stage, Fantasia is promoting "The Color Purple" to the vast "Idol" audience: On Feb. 22, she sang the song "I'm Here" from the musical on "Idol's" Thursday night results show.