Scarface

If Phantom of the Opera taught the theater crowd anything, it's that people love a good musical about facial disfigurement and love triangles. Jeanne Tesori and Brian Crawley were paying attention to that fact when they penned and opened Violet off-Broadway in 1997. It follows a girl on a quest/roadtrip to receive televangelical help in healing a traumatic facial scar, but also tosses in conflict concerning Vietnam, racial prejudice during the Civil Rights Movement, religious questions, the aforementioned triangle, flashbacks and, um, five-card draw. The musical hits as many emotions as stops on Violet's bus trip. And it does so using bluegrass and R&B in a score that could have swayed over to easily written country pap, but thankfully didn't. WaterTower brings Violet to its Addison stage and in doing so gives Friday Night Lights fans a treat: Stacey Oristano, aka Tyra's pole-dancing sib on FNL, stars in the lead role. See her carefully applied "hatchet face" and assess her musical skill as Violet runs Thursday through February 1 (7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays) at the Addison Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road. Tickets are $22 to $40. Call 972-450-6232 or visit watertowertheatre.org.
Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Jan. 15. Continues through Feb. 1, 2009