Caroline, Or Change

Set against the backdrop of Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1963, this award-winning musical centers on Caroline Thibodeaux, an African American maid, and Noah Gellman, the son of the Jewish family for whom she works. The nation is reeling from the burgeoning Civil Rights movement, Kennedy’s assassination and the war in Vietnam, just as the Gellman family attempts to redefine itself after the death of Noah’s mother and his father’s remarriage. To teach him the value of money, Noah’s stepmother tells Caroline to take the change she finds in Noah’s pockets at laundry time. When he leaves a twenty-dollar bill, Caroline faces a decision between maintaining her relationship with Noah and using the money to help her own children. Featuring a virtuosic score by Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie), this musical bends blues, gospel, klezmer and traditional Jewish melodies, creating a breathtaking medium for Kushner’s provocative and personal story.