Directed by Leigh Silverman and featuring music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Brian Crawley, Violet will begin performances March 28 at the American Airlines Theatre. The production, which is based on Doris Betts' short story "The Ugliest Pilgrim," will officially open April 20.
Joining Foster are the previously announced Colin Donnell and Tony nominee Joshua Henry. Donnell, whose stage credits include Anything Goes, Jersey Boys and Love's Labour's Lost, will play Monty. Henry returns to the role of Flick, which he played in the 2013 New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production. Henry's stage work also includes The Scottsboro Boys, Porgy and Bess and American Idiot.
The cast will also include the newly announced 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.
The Broadway premiere is based on the 2013 New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production of Violet, which starred Foster and was directed by Silverman. Violet premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1997; it won the Obie Award, Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical. "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."
Foster 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."
Click here to read Playbill.com's interview with Foster about the Encores! Off-Center production of Violet.
Violet will feature 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.
