Carol McCarthy: Volunteer enjoys welcoming guests to Overture
Shari Gasper
I see all the diverse visual and performing arts that Overture offers our community, and I want to be a part of it. Overture is a wonderful and exciting place, such a vital part of our community. It brings me joy to volunteer here.
At the sold-out Saturday matinee performance of Broadway’s “Come From Away,” a couple and their daughter entered the upper balcony of Overture Hall in search of their seats. The 10-year-old became visibly shaken by the height. After a few minutes, the daughter said she couldn’t make it to her seat, and the family sadly began to leave. The house manager caught the family as they descended the stairs and told them to wait until after the show’s first song while he searched for possible vacant seats on a lower level. Soon he handed the family off to volunteer Carol McCarthy, who seated the family in the Circle.
The mom wrote to Overture, “There aren't words in my vocabulary to express my gratitude to Overture for how its ushers treated us on Saturday. Overture has always been lovely, but this time was just something incredible. Thank you so much for making our experience incredible.”
These are the moments in which McCarthy loves her role the best. An Overture volunteer for the past eight years, she has seen first-hand how Overture goes above and beyond to give guests an extraordinary experience.
“I volunteer here because it’s such a nice place to work and a great group of people, so accommodating and helpful,” she said.
Before moving to Madison from Philadelphia in 2014, McCarthy had experienced Overture Center during visits here to see her daughter and her family. She visited Madison 4-6 times a year, sometimes coming downtown with her grandchildren for Kids in the Rotunda, free family-friendly Saturday performances. She was impressed by both the space and the program, made with kids in mind.
“The shows were the perfect length for children, with familiar songs and music that really engaged the little ones,” said McCarthy.
As a volunteer, she enjoys working at Kids in the Rotunda but doesn’t get the opportunity often because the program is a favorite among the volunteers, and the four slots per show go quickly. For now, she’s on the back-up list, and she’s willing to fill in with little notice since she lives within walking distance of Overture.
McCarthy usually volunteers on Saturdays and Sundays, but rarely during weekdays because she reserves her energy for her day job with the Madison Metropolitan School District, where she works most days as a substitute school nurse. She worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner for a Philadelphia school district for 30 years before her retirement.
Overture volunteers sign up online for shows about a month in advance. McCarthy is quick to nab Forward Theater and Madison Symphony Orchestra performances, two of her favorites. She also enjoys working Broadway shows and other special performances.
“I was really excited to see David Spade in January, so signed up to volunteer,” she said.
McCarthy describes the recent performances of Children’s Theater of Madison’s “The Christmas Carol,” “A Madison Symphony Orchestra Christmas” and “Come From Away” as phenomenal.
She usually serves as a seating usher or ticket scanner.
“I like to welcome people into this beautiful space,” she said. “The best is their first time in Overture. They’re awe struck. It makes me appreciate how much time I get to spend here.”
Most volunteers are dismissed 10 minutes into the show but are welcome to grab a seat in the balcony if they’d like to stay. McCarthy is grateful for the chance to see so many incredible artists and performances. Volunteering most weekends over the past eight years, except during the pandemic, she has seen more than 200 Overture shows.
She has learned a lot about Overture and its diverse programs and events, like Kids in the Rotunda and the free annual International Festival, where the community can experience 30-plus cultures through performances, cuisines and arts and crafts throughout Overture Center.
“I see all the diverse visual and performing arts that Overture offers our community, and I want to be a part of it,” she said. “Overture is a wonderful and exciting place, such a vital part of our community. It brings me joy to volunteer here.”
Overture is grateful to McCarthy and its more than 450 volunteers who welcome, guide and serve our guests on a daily basis.