Spinning Tree Theatre’s ‘Violet’ is a musical tale of outsiders on a journey

It’s tough to imagine a production of “Violet,” a musical by composer Jeanine Tesori and lyricist Brian Crawley, with more committed performances than you’ll see at Just Off Broadway Theatre.

This production from the Spinning Tree Theatre makes for a remarkable two hours. The show, based on a Doris Betts short story, depicts the Greyhound bus journey of a hideously scarred young woman from North Carolina to Tulsa, Okla., where she believes a televangelist will heal her.

Along the way she meets two young soldiers: Monty, who is white, and Flick, who is African-American. The three become emotionally and rather messily involved, especially after a stopover at a seedy hotel in Memphis.

I saw the Broadway version with Sutton Foster in the title role last spring. Although respectably done on every level, the show felt chilly and distant. Tesori’s dynamic score signals at the outset that this musical is supposed to generate heat. The Spinning Tree show, co-directed and co-choreographed by Michael Grayman and Andy Parkhurst, certainly does that.

Lauren Braton, who established herself years ago as one of the best singers in town, delivers a deeply felt, skillfully executed performance in the title role.

You could argue that maybe Braton is a bit too radiant to play the skinny naif of Betts’ short story. But that hardly matters. Braton takes command of the role and plays for keeps.

Her voice, as usual, is flawless, but she has never been asked to perform a role as complex or as dramatically demanding as Violet. She tackles it with intensity and whets the viewer’s appetite to see her in a straight drama.

As Flick, Matthew A. King again demonstrates a beautiful voice and delivers a thoughtful, poignant portrayal as Flick’s feelings for Violet force him to consider the racial and cultural gulf separating them.

Daniel Beeman is memorable as Monty, who after getting close to Violet lacks the words to tell her how he feels except in the clumsiest way. Beeman is an impressive singer.

Crawley’s book stays faithful to the short story up until about midway through Act 2, when Violet finally comes face to face with the Preacher, played with appropriate flamboyance by Damian Blake.

Blake is fun to watch as a charlatan whose ministry long ago became little more than a show-business enterprise. He leads a pulsating gospel number, one of the liveliest in the show, called “Raise Me Up.”

The book also spends time — too much, really — with Violet’s backstory. We learn about the nature of the accident that left her scarred and her relationship with her father.

These flashback scenes, extremely well played by Devyn Trondson as Young Violet and Tim Ahlenius as Father, are touching but take our focus away from the main narrative in a way that dilutes the show’s impact. Trondson has a fine voice. Ahlenius can’t find the key at times, but the quality of his performance makes up for any inadequacies in the singing department.

Tesori’s score is an evocative mix of ingredients copped from bluegrass, blues, country and gospel. She mixes them up in imaginative ways, and there are times when you cannot resist tapping your foot.

A male quartet makes an appearance at one point. “Lay Down Your Head,” sung by Violet to the sleeping Monty, is the most affecting ballad in the show. “Lonely Stranger/Anyone Would Do,” a walk on the seedy side performed by women of the night in Memphis, is a standout, thanks in large part to Julie Shaw’s mesmerizing voice.

The versatile Shaw also plays an old lady who takes a liking to Violet on the bus and performs the role with no-nonsense believability.

Linnaia McKenzie, another fine singer, plays three smaller roles, and Bob Linebarger impressively plays a range of losers, from a racist redneck to a man with a traveling flea circus. Samantha Barboza is effective in a succession roles and shows off a strong voice.

The ensemble is filled out by Bob Wearing, Jake Bartley, Katelyn Baron and Katie Hulla.

Music director Angie Benson leads a crack band, and the company often achieves amazing multipart harmonies.

The design elements — particularly Lacey Pacheco’s lighting — are effective and serve this story of outsiders looking for a bit of grace. The show’s conclusion feels false, or at least forced, but “Violet” is a memorable slice of Americana. It isn’t perfect, but this production identifies the material’s strengths and runs with them.

This story was originally published November 9, 2014 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Spinning Tree Theatre’s ‘Violet’ is a musical tale of outsiders on a journey."