Purlie
Billy Rose Theatre
Previews Began: -
Opening Night: December 27, 1972
Closing Night: January 7, 1973
Music: Gary Geld
Lyrics: Peter Udell
Book: Ossie Davis
Philip Rose
Peter Udell
A black man dreams of being a preacher and works to take control of the church in his small Georgia community despite the community’s difficult relationships with neighboring whites.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Walk Him Up the Stairs………………………….Company
New Fangled Preacher Man………………………..Purlie
Skinnin’ a Cat…………………………Gitlow, Field Hands
Purlie…………………………………………….Lutiebelle
The Harder They Fall…………………..Purlie, Lutiebelle
Charlie’s Songs: The Barrels of War/The Unborn
Love………………………………………………….Charlie
Big Fish, Little Fish…………………….Ol’ Cap’n, Charlie
I Got Love………………………………………..Lutiebelle
Great White Father………………………..Cotton Pickers
Skinnin’ a Cat………………………………Gitlow, Charlie
Down Home…………………………………..Purlie, Missy
ACT TWO
First Thing Monday Mornin’……………..Cotton Pickers
He Can Do It……………………………..Missy, Lutiebelle
The Harder They Fall (Reprise)……………Gitlow, Missy,
Lutiebelle
The World Is Comin’ to a Start……….Charlie, Company
Walk Him Up the Stairs (Reprise)………………Company
CAST
OPENING NIGHT
Robert Guillaume Purlie
Patti Jo Lutiebelle
Darlene Blackburn Dancer
Deborah Lynn Bridges Dancer
Laura Cooper Missy
Raphael Gilbert Dancer
DeMarest Grey Singer
Linda Griffin Dancer
Every Hayes Field Hand
Dancer
Sherman Hemsley Gitlow
Reggie Jackson Dancer
Swing Dancer
Barbara Joy Singer
Ursuline Kairson Singer
Alton Lathrop Dancer
Helen Martin Idella
Robert Martin Dancer
Karen E. McDonald Dancer
Lonnie McNeil Field Hand
Dancer
Shirley Monroe Church Soloist
Singer
Douglas Norwick Charlie
Debbie Palmer Dancer
Andre Peck Dancer
Zelda Pulliam Dancer
Alfred Rage Singer
Beverly G. Robnett Singer
Ted Ross Field Hand
Singer
Frances Salisbury Singer
Vanessa Shaw Singer
Art Wallace Ol’ Cap’n
David Weatherspoon Singer
Joe Williams Singer
Standby: Joe Hammil (Charlie), Bill Nunnery (Ol’ Cap’n)
Understudies: Ra Joe Darby (Purlie)
REPLACEMENTS
Louise Stubbs Lutiebelle
