Sutton Foster Cast in ‘Violet’ on Broadway This Spring

It seems as though two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster will once again star as the title character in the upcoming Broadway production of Violet. Rumor has it that the musical will play at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre in the spring of 2014, though no official announcement has been made. Foster previously performed in Violet for a one-night-only engagement at New York City Center’s Encores! Off-Center in July.

Foster has won Tony Awards for her performances in Anything Goes and Thoroughly Modern Millie. In addition, she has appeared in numerous other stage productions which include Young Frankenstein, The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, Les Miserables, Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Grease. Additional accomplishments include headlining in the short-lived ABC Family series Bunheads and winning the Broadway.com Choice Award.

Violet is based on the short story The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts. It tell the story of a young woman who embarks upon a quest in the hopes of being healed of her disfiguring scar she obtained in her childhood. The show also details the relationship Violet forms with two soldiers, one African-American and the other a seducer who makes promises he doesn’t intend to keep.

The production is directed by Susan H. Schulman. It features music by Jeanine Tesori, choreography by Kathleen Marshall, and a book and lyrics by Brian Crawley. The show’s score is filled with gospel, country, rock, and R&B tunes that connect with and move the audience.

Violet originally premiered off-Broadway for a limited run at Playwrights Horizons in March of 1997 with a cast led by Lauren War and Michael McElroy. The production won the Lortel Award and the Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical among other acknowledgements and accolades.

An official announcement regarding the show, the cast, and the dates is expected in the near future.