Review: Sutton Foster Reinvents Herself in “Violet”
8 / 10
Those expecting to see Sutton Foster belting and tap-dancing her way through her latest Broadway leading-role should be warned: the 39-year-old actress, who won Tonys for her turns in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes, provides a restrained, intricate performance in Violet, the Jeanine Tesori-Brian Crawley musical now open at the American Airlines Theatre...It's hard to believe Violet was Testori's first musical, as her score is rich with complex melodies and delicate themes. A blend of country, gospel, blues and bluegrass, Tesori's music pay tribute to the best of the American roots. Crawley's lyrics are pure poetry, utilizing the plain-spoken language of the time to create beautiful illustrations of the difference between perception and reality...For Broadway, book writer Crawley has cut Violet from a two-act play into a one-act. At nearly two hours without intermission, Foster never leaves the stage. This is Violet's story, and Violet wouldn't dare let anyone else tell it. Which is good, because you'll fall in love with Foster so wholeheartedly, you won't want her to leave anytime soon.
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