Following its recent critically-acclaimed season in Sydney, Blue Saint Productions present the highly desired Melbourne premiere season of Violet at Chapel off Chapel for a limited season from 3 March 2016.
Based on the short story The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts, Violet is a musical from Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change) with a libretto by Brian Crawley (The Little Princess).
Featuring show-stopping anthems ranging from gospel to soul to bluegrass, it follows a truly original young woman (Violet Karl) who, facially scarred as a child in an accident, undertakes a search for beauty amidst the image obsessed landscape and racial tensions of the American South in the 1960s.
Journeying across the country with a rag bag of fellow travelers, Violet discovers that true beauty is not always in the eye of the beholder. If Chekhov, Lena Dunham and Aretha Franklin conspired to write a musical, this would be it.
“I was knocked out by this incredible show when I saw it on Broadway, says Director Mitchell Butel. “Jeanine Tesori is one of my favourite music theatre composers – her score for the Tony Kushner musical Caroline, or Change was a landmark – but this score has even more electricity.”
“Brilliant blues, gospel and country flavours in service of a story that is tough, human, slyly comic, moving and truly transformative. Watching it, I was already dreaming of a new take on the show with an Australian cast and I’m completely thrilled to be on board to help create that new version”
Jeanine Tesori is an American composer and musical arranger. Her major works include Fun Home (2013), Shrek The Musical (2008), Caroline, or Change (2003), Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002), and Violet (1997). She is considered the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway musicals, and four Tony nominations.
“Violet is a heartwarmingly beautiful journey of healing and enlightenment.” – Broadway World
Director: Mitchell Butel Featuring: Damien Bermingham, Barry Conrad, Steve Danielsen, Samantha Dodemaide, Katie Elle-Reeve, Ryan Gonzalez, Jack O’Riley, Cherine Peck, Jordan Pollard, Deidre Rubenstein, Luisa Scrofani Musical Director: Martine Wengrow Choreographer: Amy Campbell Costume Design: Lucetta Stapleton Set Design: Simon Greer Lighting Design: Ross Graham
Violet
Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Season: 5 – 20 March 2016 (previews: 3 – 4 March)
Bookings: (03) 8290 7000 or online at: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
For more information, visit: www.violetthemusical.com.au for details.
Image: The Sydney Cast of Violet – photo by Grant Leslie