PURLIE VICTORIOUS Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 12:00am

Can I get an "amen"?!

Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. returns to Broadway for the first time since Hamilton in a revival of Ossie Davis’s Purlie Victorious, which begins previews tomorrow night (September 7) before a September 27 official opening at the Music Box Theatre. The principal cast also features Vanessa Bell Calloway, Billy Eugene Jones, Noah Pyzik, Noah Robbins, Jay O. Sanders, Heather Alicia Simms, Bill Timoney, and Kara Young. Purlie Victorious is directed by Kenny Leon; it will play a limited run through January 7.

“A charismatic preacher aims to take back what’s his and free his people from a diabolical overseer. But if there’s one person who can win — and have a good time doing it — it’s the man with the last name Victorious. This hilariously funny play spins the tallest of tales that will keep you laughing from its opening moments to its inspiring end.”

Who’s heading to the church?

Updated On: 9/6/23 at 12:00 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 7:54am

Just looking at the seating map for tomorrow night's first preview, and the mezzanine appears to be 90% unsold. Not a great start.

[pablitonizer]

Posted: 9/6/23 at 8:46am

bwayphreak234 said: "Just looking at the seating map for tomorrow night's first preview, and the mezzanine appears to be 90% unsold. Not a great start."

and the weekend looks worse

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/7/23 at 10:51pm

So how was it?

The website lists a runtime of approximately 100 minutes, no intermission.

[Ke3]

Posted: 9/7/23 at 11:07pm

I wanna go into the city on Sunday and try to see the matinee. I am neutral on LOJ as a performer but I am always interested in seeing a Black play from before 1980 put on stage. Since it's not selling well hoping I can grab it at TKTS.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 9/7/23 at 11:30pm

I went to tonight's first preview and let me say, this was a HUGE and delightful surprise

a wonderful evening by a wonderful cast in a piece that has held up surprisingly well (or unfortunate that it holds up and is still relevant) and it is VERY funny.

My only only note is Kara Young while very good in this seems to only have one level of performance in her, and that is yelling every line in everything she is in.

Excellent supporting work by Heather Alicia Simm, Jay O. Sanders, and Billy Eugene Jones.

But boy Leslie Odom Jr, is absolutely delicious, he has a monologue towards the end that just kept going and going and going and going and it was like watching a marathon happen, absolutely will be in Best Actor in A Play conversation come next TONY awards

see this production, see it see it see it

[Eddie Hirsch]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 12:03am

Didn't know what to expect but this was a genuinely funny, joyous evening of theatre.   Haven't had this good a time at a play in such a long time.  Highest compliments to director Kenny Leon, lead actors Leslie Odom, Jr., Kara Young and the whole ensemble.  How often do you encounter a play of such glorious humor that is also a powerful and relevant piece which urges us all to come together.  Ossie Davis wrote a remarkable original comedy.   What a life he had and what an artist he was....

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 12:57am

Did they have Windowcards?

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 1:28am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "

My only only note is Kara Young while very good in this seems to only have one level of performance in her, and that is yelling every line in everything she is in.

see this production, see it see it see it"

This enthusiasm is welcome, I am planning on seeing it this weekend. Surprised at your Kara Young comment though- while I wasnt enamored as others were with her two Tony-nominated performances, in neither piece did she yell the whole time, and in Cost of Living she didnt yell at all?

[Sauja]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 8:08am

Excited to hear some good buzz. I’m really curious about the play and looking forward to discovering Ossie Davis’s writing. It’s got a hell of a cast. 
 

Not to be that person, but the running times listed are pretty variable (which makes sense as they JUST started previews). But can someone who was there last night report on when it let out?

 

It has been interesting to see how much folks are viewing this as a vanity project as opposed to a passion project. I agree that it’s a tough sell, and the early artwork wasn’t doing it any favors, but I always root for an underdog and hope this can find an audience. I’ll be checking it out in the nearish future for sure.

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 9:27am

But...if this production is good, that means that all the preening negativity in the other thread was smug miserablism?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 9:45am

verywellthensigh said: "But...if this production is good, that means that all the preening negativity in the other thread was smug miserablism?"

Your last post before this one was opening a thread about Meghann Fahy and commenting “Meghann who?” if we want to talk about smug miserablism. And your general vibe tbh.

I don’t think there’s anything smug or miserable about noting that this show’s marketing and advance sales are both virtually non-existent, and what little marketing there has been neither conveys the tone/appeal of this show, nor the draw of its existence at all - Leslie Odom, Jr. - until very recently. And even then, it’s just a picture of Leslie Odom, Jr. in front of a plain purple backdrop. It’s bad marketing.

Glad to hear the show is good though! I’m more likely to see it now that I’ve heard good word of mouth, which is clearly what they were banking on, since it sure wasn’t any kind of lead-up to first preview. And since same-day ticket purchases are more the norm these days, it may work in their favor.

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 9:52am

I don't know who Meghan Fahy is.  Most don't, tbh.

And it was much more than concern about the advertising and the usual hand-wringing about money in that thread.  There was a LOT of hate that seemed directed entirely towards Leslie Odom Jr. for having the audacity to appear as the lead in a non-musical and Kenny Leon for directing it.

But if you hear "smug miserablism" and immediately think of yourself, maybe I'm not the problem?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 10:47am

I don't know who Meghan Fahy is.  Most don't, tbh.

I love that because you don't know who she is, you've decided most people don't either. And you still can't spell her name right. Lolz.

This is such a good play, truly. But the lack of advertising and confusion of play or musical isn't helping. I'm happy to hear these reports though and can't wait to catch this this weekend. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 10:57am

verywellthensigh said: "I don't know who Meghan Fahy is. Most don't, tbh.

And it was much more than concern about the advertising and the usual hand-wringing about money in that thread. There was a LOT of hate that seemed directed entirely towards Leslie Odom Jr. for having the audacity to appear as the lead in a non-musical and Kenny Leon for directing it.

But if you hear "smug miserablism" and immediately think of yourself, maybe I'm not the problem?"

You are actually referencing maybe a few people in a thread in which many participated but phrased it as if it was everybody in that thread that was saying these things. The fact remains that the marketing has been terrible and there is  confusion over Odom, most known for his singing, appearing in a play that very famously has a better known musical adaptation (I can’t even count the number of people I’ve spoken to who have said, “Wait, it’s not the musical?&rdquo.

I’m glad the production seems to be good but there is absolutely no denying it is starting extremely behind. It’s not conjecture- we can see the houses via Telecharge. We can see that what little marketing there is is vague and not compelling. This is simply bad producing and questioning and discussing it is valid. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 11:07am

Ah, well!  I was always excited about this vanity project directed by that hack Kenny Leon, who had nothing to do with Topdog/Underdog's success. 

Fear not, The Concerned, we still have Days of Wine and Roses coming up to be super, super concerned about.

Until then, let Purlie be Victorious!

[WestEndGal]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 4:34pm

Sutton Ross said: "I don't know who Meghan Fahy is. Most don't, tbh.

I love that because you don't know who she is, you've decided most people don't either. And you still can't spell her name right. Lolz.

This is such a good play, truly. But the lack of advertising and confusion of play or musical isn't helping. I'm happy to hear these reports though and can't wait to catch this this weekend."

To be fair, most people probably don’t know who Meghann Fahy is! 

[jdrye222]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 8:54pm

I guess I’m the only one who was somewhat baffled by Leslie Odom Jr’s performance, but even more, the play itself …. Which - in the end - results in what I thought we were not doing anymore - “white savior” …. The young son of the plantation owner becomes the open hearted hero, and in the scene where this is revealed, one of the black characters literally takes the roll of $500 and puts it in her cleavage. Weren’t we told that this type of story ending is “harmful”??  
I am genuinely not trying to be rude…. The play was often funny (though it needs a faster pace).  But I can think of about 12 actors who’d be more energetic in the lead role (LOJ seemed quite self-conscious and tepid), and Kara Young was doing Noises Off or something- she was doing the play like an SNL skit or something, it was entirely distracting …. 

Updated On: 9/8/23 at 08:54 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/8/23 at 9:39pm

verywellthensigh said: "I don't know who Meghan Fahy is. Most don't, tbh.

And it was much more than concern about the advertising and the usual hand-wringing about money in that thread. There was a LOT of hate that seemed directed entirely towards Leslie Odom Jr. for having the audacity to appear as the lead in a non-musical and Kenny Leon for directing it.

But if you hear "smug miserablism" and immediately think of yourself, maybe I'm not the problem?"

To be fair, no one judged the show - as it hadn’t started - but did judge his ability to sell a show which is still in question. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/9/23 at 10:17am

Rush for tonight’s show was ridiculously easy. Got front row aisle (A101) for $35. Only one person in front of me

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/9/23 at 12:52pm

I enjoyed this production very much but producers should take note that there were two audience members near me who had seen PURLIE in the 70s and believed that they were at a revival of the musical before it started. It's a tough show to market, but the materials have not been good. They kind of rely on you knowing what the name means, and yet many who do know the name Purlie will mistake which show it is.

It seems to me that they should lean into communicating the charismatic and unique qualities of these comedic characters. Show us who Purlie and Lutiebell are. The racial satire is a lot sharper and more thoughtful than a lot of recent plays, but the tone of the marketing does not set it apart from many of those commercial failures that have a ~perception~ of being boring and preachy. 

What was nice was that the crowd there actually was very diverse for a Broadway house. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

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

Not surprised by the two people you heard who thought they were at the musical. They won’t be the only ones thinking they’re at a different show when the lights go down. 
Not that they could get refunds - the box office has their money - and hopefully they’ll have a good enough time at the play to recommend it to friends anyway. 
 

But still, any feeling of confusion like that - even if it’s your own fault - is never nice when you’re a captive audience. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 9/9/23 at 2:20pm

Scarywarhol said: "I enjoyed this production very much but producers should take note that there were two audience members near me who had seen PURLIE in the 70s and believed that they were at a revival of the musical before it started. It's a tough show to market, but the materials have not been good. They kind of rely on you knowing what the name means, and yet many who do know the name Purlie will mistake which show it is.

It seems to me that they should lean into communicating the charismatic and unique qualities of these comedic characters. Show us who Purlie and Lutiebell are. The racial satire is a lot sharper and more thoughtful than a lot of recent plays, but the tone of the marketing does not set it apart from many of those commercial failures that have a ~perception~ of being boring and preachy.

What was nice was that the crowd there actually was very diverse for a Broadway house."

 

That's funny as our friends also thought it was a revival of the musical starring Leslie Odom. 

Purlie the musical

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOn3Vpksk0w

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 9/9/23 at 3:21pm

Speaking of marketing or lack thereof, the poster art for the original Broadway production of PURLIE VICTORIOUS made quite a statement. 

 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/9/23 at 4:50pm

CarlosAlberto said: "Speaking of marketing or lack thereof, the poster art for the original Broadway production of PURLIE VICTORIOUS made quite a statement.



"

This is gorgeous! Lord, how far we've fallen. I can't take another celebrity head photoshopped in front of a desktop background.