Leslie Odom, Jr. sets Broadway return in revival of PURLIE VICTORIOUS, directed by Kenny Leon.- Page 4

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/30/23 at 10:10pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "TotallyEffed said: "You said it first. That mailer is so beyond horrendous, I can’t believe shows are paying thousands of dollars to market their shows like this. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Say what you want about Scott Rudin, but that man had taste. I wish commercial theatre didn’t look so damn embarrassing."


The ad agencies cannot be blamed entirely. The producer is calling the shots and making the decision about which creative is used, driving the edits, approving the copy, etc. The agency's first choice is sometimes not the producer's first choice, or a lot of compromises and frankensteining has to be done.

While we're at it, the attempted "photos within abstract piano keys" of Harmony looks dreadful, too. (A video of its producer sitting next to the designer at the agency dictating the final edits was the ultimate cringe.) And for every good piece of Rudin advertising there was a MOCKINGBIRD.

And it's not just commercial theatre --- don't get me started on 2nd Stage, which is even worse!"


Fair points!

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 7:43am

Just a cursory glance of the first five previews on Telecharge show the orchestra is, at best, 50% full and the mezzanine is practically empty (each performance only shows about 2-3 dozen scattered seats sold upstairs).

NONE of this bodes well for a show that's opening in 7 days and I'm holding out to see what the papering services will drop to get a ticket since it's all but a guarantee.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 10:27am

Well someone did DIRECT those performances ... so there's that.

[Voter]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 11:09am

I feel as though Kenny Leon isn't a draw for me anymore. Not when there are other directors like Steve Broadnax III, Stevie Walker Webb, Ken-Matt Martin, and others. Not being rude intentionally, but I can't remember the last Kenny Leon directed piece where the show felt... well, directed.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 12:55pm

Voter said: "I feel as though Kenny Leon isn't a draw for me anymore. Not when there are other directors like Steve Broadnax III, Stevie Walker Webb, Ken-Matt Martin, and others. Not being rude intentionally, but I can't remember the last Kenny Leon directed piece where the show felt... well, directed."

I like much of Kenny's recent work (missed his Hamlet), but he is SO busy that he might be spread too thinly.

In that VULTURE piece, Odom mentioned that the rights were tied up until 2021 by another producer who wasn't interested in considering him. Have to wonder if Scott Rudin was trying to get this off the ground with someone like Chris Rock or a too-old Samuel L. Jackson.

[Wardelljclark2018]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 1:42pm

It was definitely Scott Rudin, with Chris Rock attached to star and a white female director helming the project. It would have been a very different production from what it is now. 

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 1:49pm

Wardelljclark2018 said: "It was definitely Scott Rudin, with Chris Rock attached to star and a white female director helming the project. It would have been a very different production from what it is now."

Was it the same white female director who helmed Rock's Broadway debut?

[Wardelljclark2018]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 2:00pm

Correct.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 2:18pm

Wardelljclark2018 said: "It was definitely Scott Rudin, with Chris Rock attached to star and a white female director helming the project. It would have been a very different production from what it is now."

I heard that as well. What an event this would have been if Chris Rock was starring. Stacks on stacks. The sales for this are embarrassing as of right now though. 

 

Updated On: 8/31/23 at 02:18 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 4:28pm

I had sort of hoped this endeavor would become less of a head scratcher the closer it got to previews but… it’s somehow just gotten even more baffling. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 4:55pm

Idk if Chris Rock would have been GOOD, but he would have sold boatloads of tickets and people would go in knowing it’s a comedy. 

[Voter]

Posted: 8/31/23 at 5:06pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Idk if Chris Rock would have been GOOD, but he would have sold boatloads of tickets and people would go in knowing it’s a comedy."

Instead we have Leslie Odom Jr, and everyone going in thinking it's a musical

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 5:41pm

I walked by the theatre today and there certainly has been a glow up with the marquee and facade instead of just that lousy purple/white scheme with the half-baked marquee.

Granted, I wonder how much it costs to replace the marquee since this is now the third one they’ve had up. (The difference between the first and second was they increased the font size of Leslie Odom Jr’s name.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 6:14pm

Updating a digital marquee costs virtually nothing.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 6:34pm

BoringBoredBoard40: Kenny Leon is not why Topdog/Underdog won best revival it was 110% the performers laying it out night after night.

Let me just add a bit of love too for Suzan-Lori as well.

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 7:26pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Updating a digital marquee costs virtually nothing."

Only half of the marquee is digital. The other half is still a poster (since I think that side kept malfunctioning when Dancin’ opened and so they put a poster up)

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 8:05pm

Discount offer from TeleCharge received in my [California] mailbox today.  No mention of dates in the copy.  Lead quote from noted theatre critic Eleanor Roosevelt: "If you have not seen Purlie Victorious I  think it is well for you as an American citizen to see it."

Oy gevalt.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

 

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 8:33pm

Could this show close before Opening Night?

I can't even remember the last time that Broadway has seen as blatant (and misguided) attempt at a vanity project where no one was steering the ship.  Maybe that golden classic The Blonde in the Thunderbird starring Suzanne Somers? 

 

Updated On: 9/1/23 at 08:33 PM

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 8:51pm

What a gargantuan missed opportunity! I’m not a big fan of Leslie Odom, Jr., but I’m sure he’ll be just fine in this. Had this been a revival of the musical, it could’ve been his ascendancy to musical leading man (I know there are better words for this… ).

This is like putting Bette Midler in a revival of THE MATCHMAKER…but a least the title confusion wouldn’t exist.

[Voter]

Posted: 9/5/23 at 5:49pm

Samuel L. Jackson, Phylicia Rashad, Kerry Washington & More Join PURLIE VICTORIOUS as Producers

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Samuel-L-Jackson-Phylicia-Rashad-Kerry-Washington-More-Join-PURLIE-VICTORIOUS-as-Producers-20230905

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/5/23 at 5:54pm

Voter said: "Samuel L. Jackson, Phylicia Rashad, Kerry Washington & More Join PURLIE VICTORIOUS as Producers

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Samuel-L-Jackson-Phylicia-Rashad-Kerry-Washington-More-Join-PURLIE-VICTORIOUS-as-Producers-20230905"

The last minute celebrity producers? Sounds like there’s trouble down at Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee's place…

As we’ve seen with Chicken & Biscuits (Mr. & Mrs. Nick Jonas), A Strange Loop (Billy Porter, Jennifer Hudson, Alan Cumming), and Ain’t No Mo (RuPaul and Mr. & Mrs. Dwayne Wade) - this usually means trouble.

I wonder if fortunes would look slightly better if this was a non-profit run. Studio 54 is sitting empty and Roundabout or MTC

Updated On: 9/5/23 at 05:54 PM

[betyourass]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 12:24pm

I'd kill to see Chris Rock in this role. Seems fresh and Exciting....And, I know he's an awful human yet it could have been cool to see what Scott Rudin would have done with the marketing.l He was so good at it. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 12:50pm

The last minute celebrity producers? Sounds like there’s trouble down at Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee's place…

Not necessarily, black artists like supporting black artists/black art. It's incredibly important to do so and they are underrepresented on Broadway. It's a great play, but they've made a lot of missteps so far. You have to do everything you can to get people to come to your show these days. From talking with people on the street to a killer social media campaign. I haven't seen barely anything. 

So people involved, DO SOMETHING! 

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 2:40pm

I know there's no way of really knowing yet, but anyone think it's likely I'll be able to snag a cheap ticket for Saturday evening day of? I won't be able to get there until 3PM, but it's so poorly sold...I'd imagine they will have some kind of rush by then. I almost alway buy my tickets at least one day in advance because I'm coming from central NJ, but times is hard.

Updated On: 9/6/23 at 02:40 PM

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 2:51pm

JSquared2 said: "Could this show close before Opening Night?

I can't even remember the last time that Broadway has seen as blatant (and misguided) attempt at a vanity project where no one was steering the ship. Maybe that golden classicThe Blonde in the Thunderbirdstarring Suzanne Somers?"

Glory Days, anyone? Anyone remember that craptastic show? It’s a great example of a blatant (and misguided) attempt at a vanity project! It opened and immediately closed.
I hope Leslie’s show isn’t on the same path. At least his show has producers with deep pockets