Violet, which recently received four Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Foster), has music by Tesori and book and lyrics by Crawley. The musical is based on Doris Betts' story about a disfigured woman's journey to visit a faith healer she hopes will make her beautiful.
The album was released digitally May 20.
Directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman, Violet opened on Broadway April 20 at the American Airlines Theatre. The Broadway production is based on a one-night concert presentation, which was staged as part of the inaugural season of Encores! Off-Center, which is dedicated to revisiting Off-Broadway productions. Tesori is the artistic director.
Violet was first produced at Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons in 1997 and was preserved on a single disc. The PS Classics two-disc album preserves additional, previously unrecorded material.
Tommy Krasker, co-founder of PS Classics and album producer, told Playbill.com, "Violet was one of those times when we see something we love, commit to recording it before it's even opened — and then, happily, the critics and awards committees think just as highly of it as we did. It was also a blissful recording to make — everyone was in glorious voice and high spirits — so much so that we breezed through post-production over a week ahead of schedule. So we're happy to begin shipping to our web customers — many of whom have been buying directly from us since record one — almost a month ahead of street date." "All to Pieces" is performed by Sutton Foster as Violet, Colin Donnell as Monty and Joshua Henry as Flick. On the CD, it segues directly into "Water in the Well," sung by Emerson Steele as Young Violet, which is heard briefly here as well. Music direction is by Michael Rafter; the orchestrations are by Rick Bassett, Joseph Joubert and Buryl Red.
Listen to "All to Pieces" below:
The production stars two-time Tony winner Foster, who has starred on Broadway in Anything Goes, Shrek the Musical, Young Frankenstein, Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Her TV work has included "Bunheads," "Psych" and "Flight of the Conchords."
Joining Foster are Donnell and Tony Award nominee Henry.
Donnell, whose stage credits include Anything Goes, Jersey Boys and Love's Labour's Lost, plays Monty. Henry returns to the role of Flick, which he played in the 2013 New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production of Violet. Henry's stage work also includes The Scottsboro Boys, Porgy and Bess and American Idiot.
The full track listing follows:
DISC 1
. Water in the Well
2. Surprised
3. On My Way
4. M&M’s
5. Luck of the Draw
6. Question ’n’ Answer
7. “It was my mama’s...”
8. All to Pieces
9. Water in the Well (Reprise)
10. A Healing Touch
11. “I saw you writing in that book again...”
12. Let It Sing
13. “There’s your first miracle...”
14. Anyone Would Do
15. Who’ll Be the One (If Not Me)
16. Last Time I Came to Memphis
17. Go to It
18. Lonely Stranger
19. Lay Down Your Head
DISC 2
. Anyone Would Do (Reprise)
2. Hard to Say Goodbye
3. “Little girl got it all figured out...”
4. Promise Me, Violet
5. Raise Me Up
6. Down the Mountain
7. In the Chapel
8. Raise Me Up (Reprise)
9. Look at Me
10. “Don’t try to quote to me...”
11. That’s What I Could Do
12. “I want to bless you...”
13. Surprised (Reprise)
14. “I tried to tell you...”
15. Promise Me, Violet (Reprise)
16. Bring Me to Light
The cast also includes Alexander Gemignani (Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd) as Father, Ben Davis (A Little Night Music, Anna Nicole the Opera) as Preacher, Annie Golden ("Orange Is The New Black," Assassins) as Hotel Singer/Old Lady and Emerson Steele (A Christmas Carol, Annie) as Young Violet.
The ensemble includes Austin Lesch (Billy Elliot, Altar Boyz), Anastacia McCleskey (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Hair), Charlie Pollock (Urinetown, 9 to 5) and Rema Webb (The Book of Mormon, The Lion King). Jacob Keith Watson and Virginia Ann Woodruff (The Color Purple, Leap of Faith) are swings.
"Violet tells the story of a young woman’s quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s," according to the Roundabout. "Facially disfigured in a childhood accident, Violet (Foster) dreams of a miraculous transformation through the power of faith. Convinced that a televangelist in Oklahoma can heal her, she hops a Greyhound bus and starts the journey of a lifetime. Along the way, Violet forms unlikely friendships with her fellow riders, who teach her about beauty, love, courage and what it means to be an outsider."
Violet features choreography by Jeffrey Page and original orchestrations by Joseph Joubert and Buryl Red. Michael Rafter is music director.
The creative team includes David Zinn (sets), Clint Ramos (costumes), Mark Barton (lights) and Leon Rothenberg (sound).
Tickets and more information are available by calling (212) 719-1300 or visiting roundabouttheatre.org.
*
Founded in 2000 by Tommy Krasker & Philip Chaffin, and an eight-time Grammy nominee (for its cast albums of Assassins, Nine: The Musical, Grey Gardens, Company, A Little Night Music, Sondheim on Sondheim, Follies and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess), PS Classics celebrates the heritage of Broadway and American popular song through award-winning cast recordings; solo albums by such artists as Maureen McGovern, Victoria Clark, Steven Pasquale, Liz Callaway and Christine Andreas; and restorations of long-lost musicals, including Sweet Little Devil, Sweet Bye and Bye and Strike Up the Band 1930. Recent releases include Far From Heaven, Philip Chaffin's Dorothy Fields Album "Somethin' Real Special" , Rebecca Luker’s solo disc "I Got Love (Songs of Jerome Kern)," the world premiere recording of Anthony Rapp’s one-man show, Without You, and the revue Noel and Cole. Recent albums include the cast recordings of Fun Home and Yank!
