Thirty years ago, a 5-foot-2-inch black man with a one-sided perm and pencil-thin 'stache changed the face of music in Purple Rain. The soundtrack was legendary, but the movie was a so-bad-it's-bad stinker, full of violence, misogyny, paper-thin dialogue, nonprofessional acting and loads of questions that have plagued fans since 1984: Why is everyone wearing sunglasses in a club? Why does Prince play with a monkey puppet? Why is Prince living with his parents? The cast of Purple Rain: Redemption, directed by Patricia Villetto, with music by Ben Bromfield, will answer some of those and more in iO West's latest spoof. Quinta Brunson plays The Purple One himself, while the rest of the actors — including at least one drag queen — reincarnate the film's key characters, from Prince's scantily clad and vocally challenged girlfriend, Apollonia, to archrival/show-stealer Morris Day, who has the best pick-up lines. (“Your lips would make a lollipop too happy.”) Expect versions of “Let's Go Crazy,” “Darling Nikki” and “Jungle Love,” as well as some original tunes. No doves were harmed in the making of this parody. iO West, 6366 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Thu., Aug. 14 & 21, 8 p.m.; $10. (323) 962-7560, ioimprov.com/west/io/shows/purple-rain-redemption.

Thu., Aug. 14, 8 p.m.; Thu., Aug. 21, 8 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 08/21/14)

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