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Purlie
''Purlie'' is a musical with a book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis's 1961 play ''Purlie Victorious'', which was later made into the 1963 film ''Gone Are the Days!'' and which included many of the original Broadway cast, including Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Beah Richards, Godfrey Cambridge, and Sorrell Booke. Plot ''Purlie'' is set in an era when Jim Crow laws still were in effect in the American South. Its focus is on the dynamic traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson, who returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save Big Bethel, the community's church, and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on oppressive Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee's plantation. With the assistance of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, Purlie hopes to pry loose from Cotchipee an inheritance due his long-lost cousin and use the money to achieve his goals. Also playing a part in Purlie's plans is Cotchipee's son Charlie, who ultimately p ...
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Philip Rose (theatrical Producer)
Philip Rose (July 4, 1921 – May 31, 2011) was a Broadway theatre, Broadway theatrical producer of such productions as ''A Raisin in the Sun'', ''The Owl and the Pussycat (play), The Owl and the Pussycat'', ''Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?'', ''Purlie'', and ''Shenandoah (musical), Shenandoah''. His work was particularly notable for its social insight and distinctive social conscience. Art and social justice Philip Rose was born Philip Rosenberg on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, to Russian Jewish parents. As a young man, he earned money singing at weddings and funerals and later worked briefly as a bill collector. His family moved to Washington, D.C. during the Great Depression and he began working at 16 for many of the local stores in the area. While working in mostly black neighborhoods, he ended up going into people's homes and was accepted by some of the families forming personal friendships. It was there that he learned about Gospel music and Jazz. Washington, D.C ...
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Cleavon Little
Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He began his career in the late 1960s on the stage. In 1970, he starred in the Broadway production of ''Purlie'', for which he earned both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. His first leading television role was that of the irreverent Dr. Jerry Noland on the ABC sitcom ''Temperatures Rising'' (1972–1974). While starring in the sitcom, Little appeared in what has become his signature performance, portraying Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy film ''Blazing Saddles''. In the 1980s, Little continued to appear in stage productions, films, and in guest spots on television series. In 1989, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his appearance on the NBC sitcom '' Dear John''. He later starred on the Fox sitcom '' True Colors'' (1991–1992). Early life Little was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, the son of Malchi Little and DeEtta Jones Little. He was the brother of singer DeEt ...
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Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 – July 24, 2012) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as George Jefferson on the CBS television series ''All in the Family'' (1973–1975; 1978) and ''The Jeffersons'' (1975–1985), Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series ''Amen'' (1986–1991), and B. P. Richfield on the ABC series ''Dinosaurs''. Hemsley also played Judge Carl Robertson on the NBC series ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. For his work on ''The Jeffersons'', Hemsley was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. Hemsley also won an NAACP Image Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series or Special ("The Jeffersons") in 1982. Biography Early life, education and service Hemsley was born and raised in South Philadelphia by his mother, who worked in a lamp factory. Hemsley did not meet his father until he was 14. Hemsley graduated from Barrat Middle School. For high school, Hemsley attended Central High School for ninth grade and Bok Tech ...
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Gone Are The Days!
''Gone Are the Days!'' or ''Purlie Victorious'' is a 1963 American black and white film starring Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Godfrey Cambridge. It is based on the 1961 Broadway play ''Purlie Victorious'', which was written by Davis. Davis, Dee, Cambridge, Beah Richards, Sorrell Booke and Alan Alda (in his film debut), reprised their roles from the play. Cast * Ossie Davis as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson * Ruby Dee as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins * Godfrey Cambridge as Gitlow Judson * Hilda Haynes as Missy Judson * Beah Richards as Idella Landy * Alan Alda as Charlie Cotchipee * Charles Welch as Sheriff * Ralph Roberts as Deputy * Sorrell Booke as Ol' Cap', Stonewall Jackson Cotchipee Reception ''The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...'' review stat ...
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The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre (formerly Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss's Broadway Theatre, Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre, and Ciné Roma) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 1681 Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway (near 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, the theater was designed by Eugene De Rosa for Benjamin S. Moss, who originally operated the venue as a movie theater. It has approximately 1,763 seats across two levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The Broadway Theatre is one of the few Broadway theaters that is physically on Broadway. The Broadway's facade was originally designed in the Italian Renaissance architecture, Italian Renaissance style and was made of brick and terracotta. The modern facade of the theater is made of polished granite and is part of the office building at 1675 Broadway, completed in 1990. The auditorium contains an orchestra ...
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Ossie Davis
Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame; were awarded the National Medal of ArtsLifetime Honors – National Medal of Arts
and were recipients of the . He was inducted into the in 1994.


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Raiford Chatman ...
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Melba Moore
Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) in New York City to Gertrude Melba Smith (1920–1976), who was a singer professionally known as Bonnie Davis and Teddy Hill (1909–1978), a big band leader. Moore grew up in the Harlem section of New York until age 9 when her mother remarried jazz pianist Clement Leroy Moorman and the family relocated to Newark, New Jersey. For high school, Moore attended Newark Arts High School , graduating in 1958. In 1970, she graduated from Montclair State College with a BA in music. Early career Moore began her recording career in 1967, cutting the track "Magic Touch" which was left unreleased until 1986. In later years it became an enormous track on the Northern Soul Scene, eventually leading to Moore performing it live in ...
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August Wilson Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street (Manhattan), 52nd Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, the theater was designed by C. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim and was built for the Theatre Guild. It is named for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson (1945–2005). The August Wilson has approximately 1,225 seats across two levels and is operated by Jujamcyn Theaters. The facade is a New York City designated landmark. The facade is designed as a variation of a 15th-century Tuscan villa, with a stage house to the west and an auditorium to the east. The facade has a stucco surface and openings with quoins, as well as a loggia. The placement of window openings reflected the theater's original interior arrangement. The front of the theater had facilities for the Theatre Guild, inclu ...
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Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when it was completely remodeled by Herbert J. Krapp. Due to the size of its auditorium, stage, and backstage facilities, it is favored for large musical productions. It has 1,600 seats and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The auditorium interior is a New York City landmark. The Winter Garden Theatre was adapted from the old building of the American Horse Exchange, completed in 1896. Its original facade consisted of several arches on Broadway, which were subsequently converted to a brick wall with a large sign. The interior is covered with detailing in the Adam style. Though the auditorium contains a single balcony above the orchestra level, the boxes are arranged in two levels above the orchestra. The auditorium contains a ribbed ...
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Novella Nelson
Novella Christine Nelson (December 17, 1939 – August 31, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She established her career as a singer, both on the off-Broadway and Broadway stage and in cabaret-style locales. Career Starting in 1961, Nelson had a decades-long stage career, performing, directing and producing, primarily in New York. She was a featured performer on Broadway in 1970 in the musical ''Purlie''. In 1975, Nelson directed the play ''La Femme Noire'' at The Public Theater. Her film career began at age 39 with a small part in 1977's ''An Unmarried Woman'', and continued for the next several decades with roles in movies and television. She may be best known for her role as Mrs. Tate in the 2002 movie ''Antwone Fisher''. Early life Nelson was born on December 17, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, to James and Evelyn (formerly Hines) Nelson. Her father was a pastor and a taxi driver. Her mother was an executive assistant at magazine publisher Women's Wear Daily. An African ...
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Godfrey Cambridge
Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge (February 26, 1933 – November 29, 1976) was an American stand-up comic and actor. Alongside Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, and Nipsey Russell, he was acclaimed by ''Time'' in 1965 as "one of the country's foremost celebrated Negro comedians." Early life Cambridge was born in New York City on February 26, 1933, to Alexander and Sarah Cambridge, who were immigrants from British Guiana. His parents, dissatisfied with the New York Public School System, sent him to live with his grandparents in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, during his primary school years. When he was 13, Cambridge moved back to New York and attended Flushing High School in Flushing, Queens. In 1949, Cambridge studied medicine at Hofstra College, which he attended for three years before dropping out to pursue a career in acting. Stage and screen career While pursuing an acting career, Cambridge supported himself with a variety of jobs, including "cab driver, bead-sorter, ambulance driver, ga ...
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Alan Alda
Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war comedy-drama television series ''M*A*S*H'' (1972–1983). He also wrote and directed numerous episodes of the series. Alda is also known for recurring roles on television series, such as ''The West Wing'' and ''Ray Donovan'', and received critical acclaim for his appearances in films such as '' Same Time, Next Year'' (1978) alongside Ellen Burstyn and for his directorial debut film '' The Four Seasons'' (1981). Other film appearances include ''Crimes and Misdemeanors'' (1989), '' Flirting with Disaster'' (1996), the Cold War drama '' Bridge of Spies'' (2015), and ''Marriage Story'' (2019). In 2004, Alda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' The Aviator''. Alda has also received three Tony Award no ...
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