'Violet' in full flower at Theatre Charlotte
'Violet' runs through April 13 at Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road
This review by longtime Charlotte arts critic Lawrence Toppman was published by The Charlotte Ledger on March 31, 2025. You can find out more about The Charlotte Ledger’s commitment to smart local news and information and sign up for our newsletter for free here. Ledger subscribers can add the Toppman on the Arts newsletter on their “My Account” page
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Theatre Charlotte digs into this flawed musical's strengths and gets us to overlook its weaknesses
Director Stuart Spencer uses the whole theater in the musical drama “Violet” to give a semi-immersive experience. (Photo by Kyle J. Britt/courtesy of Theatre Charlotte)
by Lawrence Toppman
In the language of flowers, “violet” symbolizes modesty and humility. In the language of attire or decoration, it indicates nobility and power. In a way, that describes the journey the eponymous heroine makes in the musical drama “Violet.”
She starts as a shy, disfigured young woman in Spruce Pine, N.C., who considers herself unworthy of a suitor. She takes a bus trip to Oklahoma that leads to self-awareness, confidence and the promise of love. As embodied by Destiney Wolfe at Theatre Charlotte, whose nakedly emotional performance pulls out all the stops without going too far, we follow her on a journey that starts with faith in a miracle and ends with faith in herself.
Lyricist-author Brian Crawley often grounds his narrative in the reality of Southern life circa 1964 but ends with a sudden, wish-fulfilling fantasy that would’ve been impossible in that era. He has softened and somewhat distorted the source material: Doris Betts’ short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim,” which takes a more honest look at racial and sexual relations of the time. The climactic event in the play, a meeting between Violet and a televangelist she thinks will cure her (surprisingly sympathetic Henk Bouhuys), never happens in the story.
Yet on its own merits, the musical generally works. It takes faith seriously, even the lapsed faith of a once-hardworking preacher who became a TV celebrity. It reminds us beauty may be only skin-deep — though none the less desirable for that — but ugliness goes soul deep, especially if we apply it to ourselves. Violet does so, believing everyone who sees her defines her by the scar from a childhood wound. (That scar’s impossible to see from the rear of the theater, which makes horrified reactions to it onstage seem exaggerated.)
On her bus trip, she connects with two soldiers en route to an assignment in Arkansas. Gentle Flick (sweet-voiced Sean Bryant) recoils at first from her ingrained, unintentional racism but eventually bonds with her: His skin also inspires ostracism, in his case because he’s Black. Outspoken Monty (Ethan Vatske, convincingly ambiguous in his intentions) may be a better fit for Violet, but she doesn’t trust his assertions of affection.
Though neither we nor Violet understand the sources of all her pain — we never find out what happened to her long-gone mother — she eventually forgives the father who accidentally wounded her (poignant Nick Southwick) and recognizes the value of her pilgrimage.
Director Stuart Spencer uses the whole theater, especially in Act 2, to give us a semi-immersive experience. He has imported seven members of the choir from New Life Community Church of East Spencer for verisimilitude — they give pre-show concerts in the lobby on Saturdays — and this reinforces a feeling of reality, even when the play does not.
Jeanine Tesori’s songs aren’t as powerful as her Tony-winning scores for “Fun Home” and “Kimberly Akimbo,” which came later, but they capture the essences of the characters. Strong performers render them in even small roles: Toni “Aideem” Morrison as a radio singer, Shelby Annas as a melancholy hooker and especially Belinda Alexander as the head of a gospel choir. Abigail Sharpe projects the innocence and vulnerability as Young Vi that show why her older self is such a broken vessel a decade later.
If You’re Going: “Violet” runs through April 13 at Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, plus a 7:30 p.m. show on Wednesday the 9th. The New Life choir performs beforehand at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
Lawrence Toppman covered the arts for 40 years at The Charlotte Observer before retiring in 2020. Now, he’s back in the critic’s chair for the Charlotte Ledger — look for his reviews several times each month in the Charlotte Ledger.
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Thanks for providing this review. The Saturday night audience was surprisingly thin. This show deserves more support. The lead, Destiney Wolfe, puts her heart and soul into this role. She can act. Other cast members are very good singers, and the arrival of the choir is a high point.