VIOLET Boston Conservatory grad Alison McCartan shines as a young North Carolina woman who takes a bus journey across the South in 1964, clinging to the conviction that a TV preacher can heal her disfigured face. Director Paul Daigneault deftly pulls together the disparate pieces of this idiosyncratic musical. Through Feb. 6. SpeakEasy Stage Company at Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.speakeasystage.com

DISGRACED Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer-winning drama about a Pakistani-American attorney who has repudiated his Islamic faith plunges right into the choppy currents of contemporary discourse. Akhtar finds tragedy in the dilemma of a man locked in an unwinnable war with himself, his heritage, and the assumptions the wider world makes about him. Through Feb. 7. Huntington Theatre Company in association with Long Wharf Theatre at BU Theatre, Boston. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM Leigh Barrett and Aimee Doherty are the standouts in this fine revue, though the real star is Stephen Sondheim. The nonpareil composer-lyricist is seen frequently in videotaped interviews that offer an illuminating blend of backstage anecdotes, autobiographical insights, and glimpses of his creative process. Through Feb. 21. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com DON AUCOIN

Don Aucoin can be reached at aucoin@globe.com.