Character guide
Violet Newstead
from 9 to 5: The Musical
Violet Newstead is one of the three sharp-witted office workers at the heart of 9 to 5: The Musical, the 2009 show built around Dolly Parton's music.
- Show
- 9 to 5: The Musical
- Broadway premiere
- 2009
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Dolly Parton
Violet Newstead: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1980 film
The stage Violet gets a love life the movie never gave her. In the 1980 film, Lily Tomlin plays Violet as a widow with four kids who has worked at Consolidated for twelve years. In the musical, she is a widow with a son who has not dated since her husband died three years earlier, and Joe, who has been asking her out all show, finally wins her over in the duet Let Love Grow; the epilogue says they stay together for the next 30 years.
Allison Janney originated Violet on Broadway in 2009 and earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. The stage version also gives her a bigger payoff: the film promotes her to vice president, while the musical makes her President of the company.
Who is Violet Newstead?
Violet is the seasoned, capable office supervisor who has spent years watching less qualified men get promoted ahead of her. She knows the ins and outs of the company better than anyone, and her frustration with being passed over fuels much of the story's comic and dramatic momentum.
Alongside her coworkers Doralee and Judy, Violet ends up scheming against their overbearing boss, Franklin Hart Jr., in a plot that mixes workplace satire with genuine warmth. Her competence and quick thinking make her the de facto leader of the trio.
Playing Violet on stage
Violet is one of the show's three leads, and the role demands a performer who can balance comic timing with real vulnerability, since Violet's ambition is played for laughs but her underlying frustration is entirely sincere. She needs strong vocal chops to handle Dolly Parton's country-pop influenced score, along with the presence to anchor group numbers alongside her two co-leads.
Audiences tend to connect with Violet because her story, being underestimated and overlooked despite doing excellent work, still resonates well beyond the plot's late-1970s office setting.
Violet Newstead: frequently asked questions
What show is Violet Newstead from?
Violet Newstead is a lead character in 9 to 5: The Musical, which premiered in 2009.
Who wrote the music for 9 to 5?
Dolly Parton wrote the music and lyrics for 9 to 5: The Musical.
Is Violet Newstead a lead or supporting role?
Violet is one of the three lead roles in the show, alongside Doralee Rhodes and Judy Bernly.
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