Theater: Caroline or Change at the Roundabout
Photo credit: Joan Marcus
Caroline or Change, written by Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner, is a musical that originally opened on Broadway in 2004, and is now enjoying a revival at the Roundabout Theatre.
I will make the plot as simple as possible.
Caroline, a maid employed by a Jewish family in Louisiana in the early 1960’s, is relegated to the basement laundry room where her main job is to do the laundry.
Noah, the young boy in the family, who recently lost his mother, is fascinated by Caroline. His new stepmother is trying her best to fit in and be motherly to her stepson. She is focused on the loose change, left in the pocket by the young boy.
And, the change, a central part of the story, represents a lesson in responsibility, ethics, and temptation, as much as it points to class divide.
Race relations is an important theme in the play, as it is set against the civil rights movement. All these pieces are part of a weirdly patched together story, complete with inanimate characters that come to life in song. It is a mixed bag of musical styles, with an enormously long score, as most of the show is sung, operetta style.
And after a while, with endless music that was just not hitting the ear right, I tuned out.
A washing machine, a dryer, a radio, a bus, and a moon are all characters. Every so often, the ethereal and beautiful moon (played by the fabulous N’Kenge) is flown above the stage, providing inspiration and hope in song. That convention just became silly.
Although the performances, particularly those of the electrifying Sharon D. Clarke as Caroline, and stunning Samantha Williams, who plays her daughter, Emmie are stellar, the show itself feels bloated, the songs are instantly forgettable, and the piece is tedious.
I was so looking forward to seeing this musical, as it has been pointed to as an important work in musical theatre. Despite the wonderful and heartfelt performances, I just got bogged down in the heavy-handed writing of the show.
Caroline, or Change plays through Jan. 9, 2022. https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/
Valerie Smaldone is a 5-time Billboard Magazine Award winner and is well known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 on-air position in the New York radio market on 106.7 Life-FM, an iHeart station. She has hosted, produced, and created several award-winning nationally syndicated programs featuring in-depth interviews with stars like Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Mariah Carey among others. Her radio talk show "Bagels and Broadway" highlighted theatre and food personalities. She is an accomplished interviewer and voice artist heard on commercials, narrations, promos and audiobooks, as well as a sought after live announcer.
Most recently, Valerie produced and directed a film, The Thursday Night Club, featuring pop diva Gloria Gaynor in her movie acting debut. She is one of the creators and producers of a docu-series, Divine Renovation, starring Erik Estrada, on streaming networks soon.
