Casting Announced For Theater Latte Da's VIOLET at the Guthrie; Previews Begin 2/26/2010

Theater Latté Da today announced casting for Violet, the rarely-produced musical which it will present in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie, February 26 - March 21, 2010. Under the direction of Theater Latté Da artistic director Peter Rothstein, the production features a score by Tony Award nominee Jeanine Tesori, the composer whose music brought Tony Kushner's book and lyrics for Caroline, or Change to life. Britta Ollmann - a childhood star of The Children's Theatre Company who originated title roles in Pippi Longstocking, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz - will play the title role. Ollman recently returned to the Twin Cities after completing her studies at New York University and appearing in the Broadway premiere of A Catered Affair.

The first-rate cast will also feature Randy Schmeling (Monty), who recently appeared in Theater Latté Da's hit production of The Full Monty, Maeve Moynihan (Young Violet), who is currently playing the title role in Cinderella at The Children's Theatre Company, Dieter Bierbrauer (Father), who is currently starring in the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre's production of Oklahoma!, and Lynnea Doublette (Lula), who played The Radio in the Guthrie production of Caroline, or Change. The company will also feature Janet Hansen (Old Lady), Alan Sorenson (Preacher) and Nathaniel Irvin (Billy Dean).

Violet, based on The Ugliest Pilgrim, a short story by Southern writer Doris Betts, won the Obie Award, New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical when it premiered Off-Broadway in 1997. Set against the backdrop of the Deep South in the early days of the civil rights movement, Violet is an uplifting musical about a young white woman who is physically and emotionally scarred. She sets out on a journey to find a cure and along the way meets a young black soldier who teaches her about beauty, courage and what it means to be an outsider.

"It is a provocative and powerful story set to an incredible score," said Rothstein. "The musical is both intimate, with much of the story is set on a Greyhound bus, and epic in its exploration of race, beauty and religion. It will be a unique theatrical experience in the Dowling Studio." Music Director Denise Prosek says, "The Twin Cities had a wonderful introduction to Tesori with the Guthrie's recent production of Caroline, or Change. I have no doubt that Violet will astound our local critics and audiences with its powerful story and Tesori's Gospel, Rock, Country, and Rhythm and Blues score, as it did in its Off-Broadway premiere."

Tickets for Violet are available for $18-$34 and are on sale now at www.guthrietheater.org or by calling 612.377.2224. Group discounts are also available.

About Theater Latté Da:
Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect artists, audiences and communities through diverse stories that are both entertaining and enlightening. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater. The 12th season also included the hit musical The Full Monty at the Ordway Center McKnight Theatre, October 15-November 8, 2009, and the return of the new holiday classic, All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at the Pantages Theatre, December 17-20, 2009. For more information, visit www.latteda.org.

About the Guthrie
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Guthrie is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Led by Director Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie opened a new three-theater home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in June 2006.

The Guthrie is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis. To purchase tickets or season subscriptions call the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224 or toll-free 877.44.STAGE. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.guthrietheater.org.