Who should play Prince in new ‘Purple Rain’ musical? We dream about 8 choices.

We soon expect to hear who will play the Kid, the lead role in the stage adaptation of Prince’s movie “Purple Rain” that will premiere in October in Minneapolis before heading to Broadway.

The casting team has two major considerations when it comes to a headliner: pick someone who is already a star or go with an unknown who has the chops. Both have benefits and risks.

A celebrity would bring a following but that fan base may disappear when that star exits the show. And could the producers afford to pay a princely sum for a big name?

An unknown lets the focus be on the music and the show, which is probably a more sustainable model in the long run. Think “Hamilton,” and “MJ,” the Michael Jackson musical.

To be clear: No one can play Prince. No one should even try. He was the complete rock star, multitalented in so many ways. The actor will be playing the Kid, the character portrayed by the Purple One.

The upcoming musical is using the story of “Purple Rain” to inspire the production, not try to recreate it onstage.

So we decided to play casting directors and fantasize which celebs could play the lead role in the “Purple Rain” musical.

Jon Bream: Although he can sing, dance and play multiple instruments, he can’t do all of them as well as Prince. Plus, he’ll turn 40 in October. Sorry, too old to play the Kid.

RP: True, Lenny’s got that Prince-ly mystery, that charisma and natural cool. He’s talented as heck and can get into the high registers. I just worry about him doing the splits. And if does the splits, would he be able to get up after?

JB: With his New York bravado, he has often come across as a Prince wannabe. So would this be on the nose? He’s the right size and certainly has the vocal and guitar expertise. Can he dance like the Kid? Will he cut off his dreadlocks? Although Kravitz looks ageless, he is 61. Fuhgeddaboudit.

RP: She was not even in the conversation until she showed up at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to do “Purple Rain” with music director Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. So, she’s got the vocal range, the versatility and perhaps the best theatrical chops of anybody. Why not?

JB: She’s a multi-hyphenate who can do it all: convincingly become a character, sing with extraordinary passion and dance with flair and abandon. But can she play guitar? Not with those fingernails.

RP: You’re onto something, though. Prince contained multitudes, right? And he adopted the fused symbol for male and female. Besides, the appeal to a new generation is a consideration. Hmmm.

RP: We shouldn’t sleep on Ms. Keys. She has the sensibilities, the instrument talent (even though she rocks out on piano instead of guitar) and the squealy mix of innocence and power that Prince epitomized. Besides, we already know that she would slay “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore.”

JB: She definitely has the Prince connection. Remember she inducted him into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? She knows that no one can play Prince. Nonetheless, Keys brings theatrical and musical prowess. She has Tonys and Grammys to prove it. I guess if she’s stationed behind a piano she won’t have to dance much. But would that be a Purple state of mind?

JB: He’s dark and mysterious, befitting the Kid. He can sing, with a masterful falsetto, just like the Kid. But can Abel Tesfaye truly act beyond playing the kind of creepy character that is the Weeknd in videos and films? We’ve never seen him dance. Thanks for auditioning. Next.

RP: I suppose he could play Prince in his nameless, brooding Slave era but that’s in the future for this story. Prince has some downhome qualities that don’t seem innate to the Weeknd, who comes off as a little stiff and not as connected to his soul.

RP: He’s pretty, yes, and he’s a little tall. You would have to scale everything up to play the short king.

JB: She can act, she can dance, she can sing, spectacularly all. I don’t care if we don’t know about her guitar prowess. She has the size, the look, the moves, the dramatic skills and the “It” factor to be the Kid. And a bonus: She and Prince were pals and collaborators. She is my choice.