Violet the musical - a South African debut!

VIOLET will run at The Lesedi, Joburg Theatre for a limited six performances from Friday 9 August to Sunday 11 August 2019 each day at 15h00 and 20h00. VIOLET is based on Doris Betts' short story ‘The Ugliest Pilgrim’, and is presented as a collaboration between the Oakfields College Faculty of Musical Theatre and Dance and the University of Pretoria’s Drama department (School of the Arts), under the direction of Fulbright specialist, Dr Harold Mortimer from Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at The University of Oklahoma, USA. 

Bookings: www.joburgtheatre.com 

With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Brian Crawley, VIOLET tells the story of a young woman, facially disfigured by a childhood accident, who is convinced that a televangelist can heal her. She travels by Greyhound bus on a 900-mile journey in search of a miraculous transformation through the power of faith. Along the journey, Violet forms unlikely friendships with her fellow passengers, who teach her about beauty, love, courage and what it means to be an outsider. Violet’s shame, self-loathing and quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s highlights the emphasis on physical appearance and unrealistic beauty standards that were as prevalent in the 60s as they are today.

It first premiered Off-Broadway in 1997 when it won the Drama Critics' Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical before going on to a Tony-nominated Broadway debut in 2014 with a revised version, astounding critics and audiences alike in two separate decades. VIOLET is a poignant story and a moving musical featuring show-stopping anthems, incorporating tangy flavours of country, gospel, blues and honky-tonk rock music that is bound to appeal to a wide scope of audiences.

This production of VIOLET marks its South African debut as well as the first collaboration between Oakfields College and the UP Drama Department. Prof Marié-Heleen Coetzee, former Chair of Drama at UP, states that ‘such collaboration provides students with an opportunity to learn from each other and exchange skills that may not be the focus of their particular institution and in doing so, expand their reach. It further promotes interaction between students from different institutions in order to create a network of peers who can assist each other in navigating a very demanding professional environment.’

Director of this production is Fulbright specialist, Dr Harold Mortimer, who received his doctorate and master of music degrees in vocal performance from the University of Washington and his bachelor degree in music education from Mansfield University (PA). He is currently associate dean and endowed professor at the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma. He teaches a myriad of musical theatre academic and performance classes and served as Head of the Musical Theatre program at Ball State University for eight years. He has also taught at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York and has given workshops across the USA and around the world. Over and above his numerous academic achievements, his creative credits as actor/director/musical director include professional productions such as Anything Goes, Carousel, Oklahoma!, Cabaret, Company, Die Fledermaus, Godspell, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I Love You, You’re Perfect..., Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. His former students are/were on Broadway (Mean Girls, Miss Saigon, Hamilton, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Hello, Dolly!, Phantom, Wicked, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Beauty and the Beast, Spamalot etc.), national tours as well as countless regional theatre, cruise line and theme park productions. 

Dr Mortimer said that the choice to present VIOLET in South Africa was largely influenced by the topical issues presented throughout the musical such as prejudice based on physical appearance as well as underlying components of racism and class that pervade humanity and relates to all societies, no matter on what continent one lives. ‘Violet’s journey’ he says ‘shows us that people can become better versions of themselves through love, acceptance, and forgiveness.’

Dr Mortimer’s directorial involvement in this local, South African production of VIOLET is made possible by The Fulbright Specialist Program which was established in 2001 by the by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to create unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in consultancies at host institutions across the globe. ‘These opportunities for international, skills-sharing processes is such a valuable opportunity for students,’ says JackieRens, head of department for the Oakfields College Faculty of Musical Theatre and Dance. ‘Not only does it allow young performers to gain global perspectives by working with acclaimed professionals such as Dr. Mortimer, but these processes also help solidify international relationships and build cultural exchange within the performing arts sector.’