Leslie Odom Jr. and Kara Young are thrilling in Ossie Davis' satire 'Purlie Victorious.'
“Purlie Victorious” opens in Southern Georgia in a rundown farmhouse, home to generations of Black sharecroppers. Purlie Victorious Judson bustles through the front door. Sharply dressed and clearly in a hurry, Purlie, who the audience quickly learns has the gift for gab, calls out for anyone who might not be in the fields yet.
Purlie’s visit isn’t exactly recreational. A man who values freedom above all else, he’s returned home on a mission to buy back his family’s church and integrate it. However, he’ll need the money inherited by his recently deceased cousin, Bee, to achieve his goal. Since Bee is no longer alive to collect the $500, which happens to be in Cotchipee’s possession, Purlie has enlisted an unassuming Lutiebelle to step into Bee’s high heels, nylons and pressed dresses.
In addition to the dialogue, the entire cast is terrific, with Odom adapting the cadences of Davis’ oration. In his first Broadway performance since “Hamilton,” Odom electrifies as Purlie. Infusing a charismatic energy into a man who knows what he deserves but is forced to navigate countless prejudices to achieve it, the Tony Award winner is in his element here.
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