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Video: Stars Walk the Red Carpet on Opening Night of PURLE VICTORIOUS
May 16, 2024
On September 27, the company of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch had something to celebrate at the Music Box Theatre, as the show officially opened on Broadway. In this video, watch as we take you to the red carpet with celebrity guests including Reverend Al Sharpton, Melba Moore, Nicolette Robinson and more!
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0:00
I'm excited. It's an intersection of entertainment and history
0:04
It tells a story, but it tells it in a way that we're entertained
0:08
and it tells it in a way that I think you don't see on Broadway every night
0:16
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World. Ozzie Davis' landmark play, Pearly Victorious, is back on Broadway
0:22
featuring a stellar cast, led by Lesley Odom Jr. and directed by Kenny Leon
0:27
And we're here to celebrate with the First Nighters. It is opening night. How do you feel tonight, Kenny
0:34
I feel relieved, excited, beautiful. I think that the spirits of Ozzie Davis and Ruby Dee is like embracing us
0:44
and that's a good feeling. I totally feel like this cast has done everything I've asked them to do
0:51
And so, you know, there's nothing left to be done except to see audiences come every night to embrace it
0:59
and to laugh with us and to think about the condition of our country
1:05
Oh, it is phenomenal because the play is timeless. And a dad would have loved nothing better than to have those words resound
1:14
We're hearing about young people, 15, 16, 21 years old, so moved by it
1:20
and saying that it's necessary now. And so that's how we feel about it, like we made the right decision to bring it back
1:27
And we're really grateful to you for giving it some air, for giving it some life
1:31
Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you. Yes, and it means a lot to the young people
1:37
It's what they need to hear. And we're glad that we're able to bring it to this generation
1:42
and look forward to bringing it to another generation in a few more years
1:46
I'm going to ask you about the generation, but your incidental music is flawless
1:51
It's so beautiful what you have created for this show, what that meant to you to sort of carry on the torch of your father
1:58
by adding another layer to this beautiful play, what it's meant to you
2:02
Oh, God, I didn't think it needed it. I was afraid that people would say, oh, it's good because he's Ozzy's son
2:08
and we won't, but apparently it seems to work. And the play is a classic
2:15
It is well written, and I'm so glad I'm involved as an artist and as his son
2:21
Tell me what tonight means to you. This is a dream come true for our family
2:26
This is, I mean, this feels so emotional and beautiful, and I don't know
2:31
it feels rare too. To have him back on Broadway. We lose him every now and then to film and TV
2:38
I shouldn't say lose. He goes there, but he always comes home
2:42
Yeah, I mean, both of us, we both got our starts in the theater
2:46
Our hearts live in the theater, and he's been dreaming of this show for so long
2:50
and to get to produce this show together has been such a dream, and I'm so honored and proud
2:56
I just can't wait for everybody to get to see it. It's really, really special
3:01
What a carpet. Everybody. It's a party. It's family. It's friends. I think this show is for everyone, truly
3:10
so it's exciting to see how this night goes. How excited are you to be here for the play of Pearly Victorious
3:18
I'm glad you said that. This is very exciting. It's been a long time, and I never saw the original play
3:25
so I'm going to be very excited to see it. Yeah. I have the fondest memories of watching you do Pearly the musical on stage
3:32
with the late, great Cleavon Little. Will you just tell me what favorite memories you have of doing Pearly on Broadway
3:39
and what that time meant to you? Well, the whole cast was just a family
3:44
and it really broke me into being in character and learning how to be an actress
3:50
My first play was Hair. But nobody considered that a real play
3:57
So I spent time with Sherman Hemsley for the first time because he was hilarious
4:02
I was always laughing. He was such a great actor, and he became such a great star
4:07
And then Cleavon Little was just amazing. He was a wonderful person
4:15
Everybody was just so good in it. Maybe I was impressed because it was only my second play
4:21
but looking back on it all these years later, they really were fantastic actors
4:26
They were well, well, well cast. And I guess I was very well cast as a country bumpkin
4:31
I always kept asking Miss Ruby Dee all kinds of questions. She was trying to get rid of me
4:38
I just thought it was so amazing for me to be doing the same role as she did. And to realize that Ozzie Davis actually wrote that play for them
4:46
There was basically nothing for black people on theater. There was a few things, but he wrote that especially for them
4:53
And then for them to adapt it as a musical, I just thought I was the luckiest person in the world
4:58
You know, I know this play from when I was a young woman in college
5:04
and we did the play before it became a musical. So I know this play inside and out from Ludie Bell, Gustave May Jenkins, and all
5:13
So for Kenny to even resurrect it at this point, I am over the moon
5:18
And I'm over the moon for him for having the courage to do it. Because it really is a profound piece of work
5:25
that is steeped in Ozzie Davis' sarcastic nature. And I hope that everyone has a good laugh
5:32
and know that it's all right to laugh at what's going on in there
5:36
I'm so proud of every single person of the cast of Pearly Victorious
5:40
starting with their beautiful Leslie Odom Jr. He's like a brother to me
5:44
And I'm just honored to be supporting him. I knew in 2016 that I would have the honor of spending the rest of my life
5:50
watching all of those family members fly, and that is what I'm doing
5:54
That's what we're here to do. We're here to see him give back to us
5:58
He's giving back to us. They are giving back to us something that we should never have forgotten about
6:04
and that is this amazing play. Oh, I'm so excited. I want to feel the spirit of Ozzie and Ruby
6:09
Congratulations to all these wonderful, wonderful people, producers, actors, black and brown people shining like new money
6:17
Well, you know, what it does is it makes a solid foundation
6:21
to prove how we are classic. Black work, African-American work is classical work as well
6:26
and this is an example of that
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