Purlie is a Broadway musical with music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell and book by Ossie Davis, Peter Udell and Philip Rose. The show opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 15, 1970 and ran for 690 performances. It was produced and directed by Philip Rose.

Songs

• "The Barrels of War"
• "Big Fish, Little Fish"
• "Charlie's Songs"
• "Down Home"
• "First Thing Monday Mornin'"
• "God's Alive"
• "Great White Father"
• "The Harder They Fall"
• "He Can Do It"
• "I Got Love"
• "New Fangled Preacher Man"
• "Purlie"
• "Skinnin' a Cat"
• "The Unborn Love"
• "Walk Him Up the Stairs"
• "The World Is Comin' to a Start"

• John Heffernan as Ol' Cap'n
• Cleavon Little as Purlie
• Melba Moore as Lutiebelle
• C. David Colson as Charlie
• Sherman Hemsley as Gitlow
• Linda Hopkins as Church Soloist
• Helen Martin as Idella
• Novella Nelson as Missy