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| Violet feels Beautiful! (Brunk) |
In 2014, the Fab Broadway star, Sutton Foster was nominated for a TONY for Violet, but I then learned that Violet was nominated as a revival. I had never heard of this show before.
This operatic musical based on a short story by Doris Betts and adapted for the stage by Brian Crawley and Jeanine Tesori opened off-Broadway in 1997 as a TWO Act and then reduced to a 120 min One Act as a TONY nominated revival on Broadway in 2014.
Now, our friends at Artswest Playhouse in West Seattle are staging this show by bringing Intiman's Artistic Director, Andrew Russell as the director and a few of our faves are in the cast.
We see Violet (Brenna Wagner) who looks fine, but we learn she was horribly scared as a child (Eliza Ludlum) by an accident caused by her father (Brian Simmons) and decides to go on bus trip from the mountains of North Carolina to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to seek a TV faith healer (The FAB, David Caldwell, most recently reviewed in Judy's Scary Christmas) to seek a cure and a new face. Violet meets 2 Soldiers, the white Monty (Casey Raiha) and the black Flick (Jesse Smith). Violet is drawn to Flick but in the time and place where interracial relationships were taboo, while Monty pursues Violet like a dog in heat.
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| It's a Crowded Bus! (Brunk) |
The music by Jeanine Tesori is the star of this show. It’s an amazing mixture of country, rock, classical, gospel and blues. The set designed by Christopher Mumaw was wisely staged in the round with church pews on all sides with the feeling at being at a church revival.
It actually felt a little Sci-Fi, and I am sure by coincidence, with most of the actor's mics attached to their foreheads.
The theme throughout, and I truly believe, is that True Beauty is never on the outside and it is always within and those who pay attention to that are the ones who will always love you unconditionally.
'Violet' continues through April 3 at Arts West Playhouse in West Seattle. Click HERE for TIX.
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