Purlie Victorious
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| Purlie Victorious | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Ossie Davis |
| Date premiered | 1961 |
| Place premiered | Cort Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Setting | The cotton plantation country of the Old South. |
Purlie Victorious (A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch) is a three-act comedic stage play written by American playwright Ossie Davis (1917–2005). The play tells the fictional story of Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson, a dynamic and joyful traveling preacher.[1]The played premiered on Broadway theatre in 1961 and ran for 261 performances.[2]Godfrey Cambridge was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Gitlow Judson, a role that made Sherman Hemsley a star in the musical adaptation. [3]
The play will be revived on Broadway in 2023 at the Music Box Theatre directed by Kenny Leon, marking the first production of the play since the original production closed in 1962. [4] [5]
Historical casting
| Character | 1961 Broadway cast | 1963 Film cast | 2023 Broadway cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purlie Victorious Judson | Ossie Davis | Leslie Odom Jr. | |
| Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins | Ruby Dee | Kara Young | |
| Charley Cotchipee | Alan Alda | Noah Robbins | |
| Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee | Sorrell Booke | Jay O. Sanders | |
| Gitlow Judson | Godfrey Cambridge | Billy Eugene Jones | |
| Missy Judson | Helen Martin | Hilda Haynes | Heather Alicia Simms |
| Idella Landy | Beah Richards | Vanessa Bell Calloway | |
| The Deputy | Roger C. Carmel | Ralph Roberts | Noah Pyzik |
| The Sheriff | Ci Herzog | Charles Welch | Bill Timoney |
History
The play premiered in 1961 on Broadway, initially at the Cort Theatre and finishing a 261 performance run at the Longacre Theatre. The production was nominated for one Tony Award for Godfrey Cambridge in Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. The production was directed by Howard da Silva, produced by Philip Rose, and costumed by Ann Roth. [6]Martin Luther King Jr. was photographed with the cast after attending a performance. [7]
After the New York production closed in May of 1962, Davis and Dee took the play on tour, premiering it in Chicago July 9 Thru August 5, 1962 at the Edgewater Beach Playhouse[8]
Production on a filmed version of his play, titled Gone Are the Days! which was released in 1963 and included the same cast as the Broadway production. [9]
In 1970, with little involvement from Davis, his play was turned into a Broadway musical, titled Purlie. The production was well received and was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical.
In 2002, an industry reading was held featuring Kerry Washington as Lutiebell, Whoopi Goldberg as Missy, Ruby Dee as Idella and Harold Perrineau as Purlie. [10]
References
- ↑ Purlie Victorious Samuel Frenchaccessed 06/18/2023
- ↑ Playbill Vault Original 1961 Playbillaccessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ Hemsley Stage Career, Recorder.Comaccessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ Playbill, Broadway Revivalaccessed 06/18/2023
- ↑ PurlieVictorious.comaccessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ 'New York Times 1961 Reviewaccessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ Deadline Purlie Victorious Historyaccessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ Edgewater Historyaccessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ New York Times, Purlie and his friends return again accessed 06/30/2023
- ↑ Playbill, Goldberg, Dee Read Purlie Victoriousaccessed 06/30/2023
External links
This article "Purlie Victorious" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.