Change. It does feel in the air with the midterm elections, as we look toward the 2028 presidential elections, which already promise to be momentous, and Rockville Musical Theatre’s ambitious production of Caroline, or Change, with book and lyrics by the Tony Award-winning Tony Kushner and music by Jeanine Tesori, is tailor-made for the moment.
Set in 1963 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, this complex musical is operatic in scope as it opens on the assassination of John F. Kennedy and closes with the news of a destroyed Confederate statue in the town square, and along the way it questions the ability to change on a personal and a national level. It’s the tragic story of Caroline, a Black maid, who is underpaid, underappreciated, and suffering from a past filled with domestic violence and lost opportunities. She faces a hopeless future, even as her children, especially her daughter, are readying for change, specifically for the Civil Rights Movement that will soon spread across the country.
Her Jewish employers, the Gellmans, and notably eight-year-old Noah, who has lost his mother to cancer and, as the play opens, is now living with his father and stepmother, do not see Caroline’s pain and struggle as she toils in the basement doing laundry. And then, delightfully surreal, the anthropomorphized washer, dryer, radio, moon, and bus appear, as if to make the point that the objects in our lonely lives are often as real or important as the people who let us down, leave, or demean us.
The play’s talent meets the challenging themes of race, class, and historic injustices against African Americans. The luminescent Brenda Parker as Caroline Thibodeaux certainly meets and exceeds expectations. Her pain is present in every song. Her voice soars, though at times pushing against the overly enthusiastic 11-piece band led by music director LeVar Betts. Her duets with her best friend Dotty (Paula J. Gibbs), a mezzo-soprano with a gorgeous voice and stage presence, are heartbreaking. “Lot’s Wife,” at the very end, is worth the price of admission. Notably, Gibbs is making her adult musical debut in this production and is one to watch.
The musical opens in the Gellmans’ basement with Caroline doing laundry and the superb Washing Machine (Jasmine Jones) and the Dryer (MarQuis Fair) letting us know that this is no ordinary maid. She is a woman of dreams — angry, frustrated, thwarted, a woman of dreams deferred. In particular, the deep-voiced Fair jazzes every scene he appears in.
The radio is on. Blues and Motown soon sway into the scene with four Radio singers, perfectly costumed by Linda Swann, whose dresses, in particular, capture the early 1960s throughout the show. The Radio, played by Eren S. Brooks-LeGrande, Rowan Campbell, Rachel Johnson, and Taylor Mitchell, are pitch-perfect and so much fun to watch.
The lost-soul Noah (Jules Kanarek) soon interrupts Caroline’s brief, hard-earned reverie, and we see their uneasy connection. The imbalance in their relationship is echoed in his stepmother, Rose, played with spitfire chutzpah by Noah’s real mother, Marnie Kanarek. Rose, suffering some guilt at the inequities of their situations, encourages Caroline to take whatever change she finds in the laundry, especially change found in Noah’s pockets, to teach him a lesson. This backhanded generosity ultimately haunts all the characters when it’s no longer pocket change, but a 20-dollar bill his grandfather gives Noah for Hanukkah.
There is much to commend this production directed by Rikki Howie Lacewell and produced by Jacqueline Rocco Williams, but the second act suffers from a less-than-tightly staged scene during the Gellmans’ Hanukkah celebration. In general, this holiday is a more solemn than not occasion, and there seemed to be a lack of clarity on stage about the mood, whether to play it seriously or not. One moment there is a monologue on equality, strongly delivered by Rose’s father visiting from New York City (Bob Bryant), and the next, the Gellmans are galumphing across the stage to the overwrought klezmer clarinet of Stuart (Jim Adams).
Except for the Hanukkah scene, the choreography enriches the production, weaving in and out of the various musical styles with grace and flair. Kudos to Alexis Hooks, choreographing her first show.
Caroline, or Change features another set of standout performances — Caroline’s three children, representing that change is possible and that the future can be theirs. These three young performers are truly the future: Sophia Rose Cichetti as Emmie and the joyous Josiah Burrs as Joe and Hosea Diaz as Jackie give outstanding performances.
I recommend this musical for the entire family. With so much relevance for today’s America, so much heart in these characters, and an abundance of talent on stage, this production of Caroline, or Change should be seen, discussed, and enjoyed by everyone.
Running Time: Two hours and 15 minutes, which includes one 15-minute intermission.
Caroline, or Change plays through November 15, 2026, presented by the Rockville Musical Theatre, performing at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD. Purchase tickets ($26; $23 for students and seniors) online, by calling the Box Office (240-314-8690), or by email (boxoffice@rockvillemd.gov).
The program is online here.
