Pinkins and Rose Return for Los Angeles Caroline, or Change, Starts Nov. 6

By Ernio Hernandez
and Kenneth Jones
06 Nov 2004

Caroline, or Change star Tonya Pinkins.
Caroline, or Change star Tonya Pinkins.
Photo by Michal Daniel

Tonya Pinkins and Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose reprise their roles in the George C. Wolfe staging of Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's musical Caroline, or Change in Los Angeles, starting Nov. 6.

The L.A. run, featuring many of the original cast members, will open at the Ahmanson Theatre Nov. 14 for a run through Dec. 26.

The Ahmanson cast includes Sy Adamowsky, Reathel Bean, Tracy Nicole Chapman, Chuck Cooper, David Costabile, Veanne Cox, Cicily Daniels, Danny Fetter, Aisha de Haas, Marva Hicks, Capathia Jenkins, Larry Keith, Paula Newsome, Benjamin Platt, Alice Playten, Kenna Ramsey, Leon G. Thomas III, Corwin Tuggles and Renn Woods.

The unique operatic pop musical "takes place in Louisiana in 1963, just before the assassination of President Kennedy and during the Civil Rights movement. Caroline is the black maid of a Southern Jewish family, consisting of a father, his new wife and his young son. The son's birth mother has recently died and the new stepmother tries to establish a relationship with the young boy, who already has a close connection with Caroline. The title of the musical has a double meaning, referring to the myriad social changes swirling around the family and a family argument surrounding the spare change perpetually found in the boy's pants pockets."

The work originated at The Public Theater, played Off-Broadway between November 2003 and February 2004 and then moved to Broadway with a large group of producers carrying it to late August.

It received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Book and Best Score. The show closed on Broadway on Aug. 29. A two disc cast album preserves the score.

Original Off-Broadway and Broadway director George C. Wolfe returns to the work with choreography by Hope Clarke. The design team include Riccardo Hernández (scenic), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting), Jon Weston (sound) and Jeffrey Frank (hair).

Tickets to Caroline, or Change at the Ahmanson Theatre, located at the Music Center at 135 North Grand Ave. in Los Angeles, CA are available by calling (213) 628 2772. For more information, visit www.taperahmanson.com.