In his first Broadway show since his Grammy and Tony Award-winning turn in Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. will return to Broadway in Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch this summer.
The legendary Ossie Davis’ play will be staged by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon who recently directed the critically acclaimed productions of Ohio State Murders by Adrienne Kennedy and Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog this season. The revival of Purlie Victorious is scheduled to begin performances on Broadway in late summer 2023.
The creative team will feature scenic design by Tony Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge, MJ), costume design by Tony Award nominee Emilio Sosa (Trouble in Mind, A Beautiful Noise), and lighting design by Adam Honoré (Ain’t No Mo’, Chicken & Biscuits).
The play Purlie Victorious premiered on Broadway in 1961 at the Cort Theatre (now the James Earl Jones Theatre), directed by Howard Da Silva, and starred Ossie Davis as Purlie Victorious Judson and his wife and frequent collaborator, Ruby Dee as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins. Original cast members also included Alan Alda, Godfrey Cambridge, Sorrell Booke, and Beah Richards. For its 100th performance, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the company and celebrated the milestone with them. The play was later adapted into the musical, Purlie, which premiered on Broadway in 1970 at the Broadway Theatre.
Davis and Dee were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, were awarded the National Medal of Arts, and were recipients of the 2004 Kennedy Center Honors. Davis was also inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994.
“Ossie Davis gave the American theater an American hero in Purlie Judson,” said Leslie Odom, Jr. “I have loved this piece and its author, Mr. Davis, for well over half my life. His writing and acting, his integrity, the commitment he and his brilliant wife made to nurturing young talent, and the example of citizenship have meant so much to me! I am thrilled beyond measure to be part of this revival company. Mr. Davis’ pages are full of joy and rhythm, laughter and hope. We will endeavor to live up to the demands of a challenging text and the legacy of a great American.”
The Dee-Davis family stated the following: “The Dee-Davis family is so excited that Purlie Victorious will return to Broadway. Dad’s genius with words was never more evident than in the voice of Purlie Victorious Judson, who takes a humorous look at a serious subject. His call to justice is timeless and needed now more than ever. Thanks to producers Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, and Leslie Odom, Jr., and to director Kenny Leon for bringing Reverend Purlie to his feet once again. With Leslie Odom, Jr. in the role, Purlie will rise with magnificence.”
Theatre, dates, additional casting and creative team members will be announced at a later date.
