Review: Hop the Next Greyhound to VIOLET

By: Jun. 14, 2015
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Leigh Ann Larkin as Violet (left) and Kevin McAllister as Flick (right).
Photo Credit: Chris Giese

Violet is new in town and so is Capital City Theatre. The faces behind the company are not newcomers and they are setting out on a journey to bring accessible, professional, musical theatre to our fair city to further Madison's artistic prowess.

CCT is beginning their adventure with a bang with not just one, but three Broadway alums as well as several professional actors with national awards under their belts. Their inaugural production, Violet, opened on Friday in the University of Wisconsin - Madison's music hall. A cozy locale for a show with a lot of heart, this cast can easily blow the roof off of that intimate space.

I was given the opportunity to view their preview show on Thursday evening. The short list of invited guests of the evening, however, did not stop this cast from giving a standout performance.

Starring Leigh Ann Larkin, known for her role in A Little Night Music on Broadway, as Violet. The story unfolds in 1963 with a young woman who was disfigured in childhood by an axe. She who ventures down to Tulsa, Oklahoma via bus in order to seek the help of a renowned televangelist. Her hope is that his divine intervention can heal her face and give her a new lease on life. During these travels she encounters two military men, Flick and Monty, who become her companions and help her to understand the wider world aorund her.

Violet must discover for herself if the disfigurement is what causes people to turn away from her or if it is the stigma she creates in her mind.

Larkin's spitfire Violet repeatedly reminded me of KaDee Strickland in her role in the television series Private Practice. Her independent spirit comingled with moments of vulnerability made Larkin impeccably strong in her part. Larkin's vocal talents are beyond what anyone could ask for in this production. Particularly when the orchestra overpowered the vocalists, Larkin never faltered - she simply increased her volume and eradicated the issue entirely.

Standing beside Larkin as her newly discovered companion Flick was multiple Helen Hayes Award winner Kevin

Larkin as Violet (left) and Jace Nichols as her father (right).
Photo Credit: Chris Giese

McAllister. McAllister's gentle demeanor makes him the ideal counterpoint to Larkin's resilience. When paired with his uncanny soulful sound, McAllister is a force to be reckoned with. As the higher ranking officer in the cast, he holds himself with dignity in a very similar way to Larkin. The big difference between the two is how they go about handling their problems.

Director Stephen Amato, hailing from New York City, has done a phenomenal job with this cast. It's a shame that they are confined to such a small venue though - a larger space could make this show even better. The choreography could grow and the seamless dance numbers with the passengers and their suitcases could take over the entire playing space. Everything about this show could stand to be expanded.

Capital City Theatre was not about to open their first season quietly. They've merged Broadway marquees with Madisonian charms. Violet has arrived in our own capital city and her layover extends through the next week. I suggest you visit her before she departs on another adventure.


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