There
are two kinds of people in the world: Those who believe there are two kinds of
people in the world and those who allow for a bit more diversity. Well, both
kinds should go and see Violet, the
Jeanine Tesori musical, with book and lyrics by Brian Crawley, now at the
Lakeland Civic Theatre.
As
one of Crawley’s lyrics posits, “There are two kinds of people in the
world/Some say yes and some say no.” And this show works at sorting them out
after beginning with a horrific accident.
Thirteen-year-old
Violet is walking through her backwoods yard in North Carolina when her dad’s
axe head flies off the handle in mid-swing and slices a jagged scar across her
face. Even though the accident is all mimed and the scar is never physically
visible, it is omnipresent as Violet struggles to accept herself and others.
Composers
and lyricists continue to defy logic and write musicals about the strangest
and, on the surface, most unpleasant topics. And this one may top the list, at
least until someone writes a singin’ and dancin’ epic about irritable bowel
syndrome.
In
any case Violet, now all grown up and on her own in 1964, is understandably obsessed with her
appearance. So she is on a pilgrimage to see a televangelist faith
healer in Oklahoma to make everything cosmetically (not to mention psychologically
and spiritually) right. This journey rings absolutely true even though it may
seem fanciful to some. In fact, I knew a fiercely intelligent woman, beset with
multiple sclerosis, who went to see a “healing” preacher in Akron. Even her
well-honed, skeptical mind was won over by the apparition of hope.
So
is Violet’s, and as she travels she encounters two soldiers on the bus who each
are attracted to her in somewhat different ways. Monty is a good ol’ boy who
just wants to get in Violet’s pants while Flick, an African-American, seems to
bond with her on a deeper level.
The
story is fascinating and the music is lush and varied, combining gospel,
country and blues into a beguiling quilt that is stitched together much more
delicately than Violet’s face. Director Martin Friedman and musical director
Jordan Cooper bring out the best in this talented cast.
As
Violet, Neely Gevaart is absolutely wonderful, belting out the songs that need
it and then tenderly handling a quiet piece, such as when she croons to Monty
as they lie in bed in “Lay Down Your Head.” Gevaart looks and feels the part,
providing enough edge to her role so that the disfiguring accident doesn’t come
across as just a handy framing device.
Eric
Fancher makes Monty a character who is more than just a lug who wants to get
some, and Eugene Sumlin displays honesty and compassion as Finch, even though
his singing voice isn’t as powerful as some others. In featured roles, Nicole
Sumlin employs her rafter-shaking pipes to great effect in “Raise Me Up” and as
the preacher, Robert Pierce is a pompous pompadour until he, also, shows a
different and interesting facet.
Indeed,
the characters and the music in Violet are
both complex and believable, creating a seamless work that is fully satisfying.
As Violet and Finch grow closer, two people being judged by their outward
appearance, the play concludes by saying “Yes” to a happy ending that feels
fully earned.
Violet
Through
February 15 at Lakeland Civic Theatre, 440-525-7034
Lakeland
Community College Campus, just south of Rt. 90 and Rt. 306 in Kirtland.
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