Purlie Victorious.

The problem with "Purlie Victorious" at The Music Box is two fold. The first problem is that director Kenny Leon has some of the actors at time inaudible; most strikingly so is Kara Young (Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins). While Leon reaches desperately for the laughs, many of the jokes are not heard among the audience and we are constantly playing catch up to try to hear where we are in this farce that at times is slow and flat. The second problem is that the play is confusing. We are never sure if we are in the early 60"s or whether we are at the turn of the 19th century.

The book by Ossie Davis has the audience wondering where they are in time. He mentions Martin Luther King but the Ol' Cap (Jay O. Sanders) talks to his slaves as he does. His son, Charlie (Noah Robbins) is very miscast; he has not one ounce of Southern in him... he is more New York City Jewish than a true Southern boy.

"Purlie" is not all lost, however, Leslie Odom Jr. as Purlie Victorious, Billy Eugene Jones as Gitlow Judson, Heather Alicia Simms as Missy Judson are all excellent. But even these actors cannot carry the play that has its setting on a cotton plantation in the old South and has the time in the recent past. Some of the other positives are the set design by Derek McLane, the lighting by Adam Honore and the costume design by Emilio Sosa.

The play is almost two hours without intermission. At the center of the show it becomes very slow and lackluster. As it picks up steam from the mid point, it never really has a great climax nor a fulfilling falling action. The play never gains solid traction and is one that can be missed especially with a great fall lineup coming to Broadway.

Leslie Odom Jr, Eugene Jones, Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious, Heather Alicia Simms, The Music Box Theater, Broadway, New York City, Tony Awards, Kara Young, Kenny Leon, Ossie Davis, Broadway World, Harmony by Barry Manalow, Melissa Etheridge, Merrily We Roll Along, Six, & Juliette, Hamilton, The Lion King, Hadestown, The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter, Sweeney Todd, MJ The Musical.

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Up next, Melissa Etheridge "Come To My Window at the Circle In The Square. Look for my review early this week as I review her show. It was both audience and critically acclaimed at The New World Stages this summer. Etheridge is both a Grammy and Academy award winner. The show is similar to when Bruce Springsteen did hid Broadway show. Etheridge, a big fan of Springsteen, has a similar show where she sings, talks about her life and engages the audience with her songs.

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I think the two shows this season will be "Merrily We Roll Along" and "Harmony" Both are coming uptown from the spring season. "Merrily" comes out of NYTW and "Harmony" from the Wall Street area. If I had to bet, my bet would be on these two great shows winning many awards come Tony Season. The buzz is radiant on Broadway with these two opening soon. Guttenberg too is one that I am looking forward to. Prayer For The French Republic intrigues me and a real sleeper, "I Need That" with Danny De Vito and his daughter on the same stage at the American Airlines Theatre. The return of "Doubt" is another show that I am looking Forward to seeing.

"Enemy of The People will be coming later to Broadway and an oldie but goodie, "Spamelot" will be making its return to The Great White Way later this season.

Bruce Springsteen, Melissa Etheridge, Danny De Vito, "Doubt", "I Need That", "Guttenberg", "Spamelot", "Prayer for The French Republic",Broadway World, Telecharge, Republic", Tony Awards, Hamilton, "Merrily We Roll Along, Harmony, Rock and Roll Man, "Enemy of The People", NY Post, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, www.nimbusmagazine.org, My Life Publications, Mann About Town.