The Public Theater

Set against the backdrop of Louisiana in 1963, Caroline, or Change speaks to the contemporary issues of culture, community, race and class.

Caroline, a black maid, and Noah, the son of the Jewish family she works for, struggle to find an identity for their friendship. The nation is reeling from the burgeoning Civil Rights movement, the Kennedy assassination, and the war in Vietnam; while the family works 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 the pockets of Noah's pants at laundry time. When he leaves a twenty-dollar bill, Caroline faces a difficult decision between maintaining her relationship with Noah, and using the money to help her own children.

The show completed a successful run at The Public Theater before moving to Broadway. It opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theater on May 2, 2004. In addition to the many awards it won Off-Broadway, Caroline, or Change was nominated for Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Tonya Pinkins), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Anika Noni Rose), and Outstanding Director of a Musical (George C. Wolfe). After the show transferred to Broadway, it received further nominations for Tony Awards in the Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Tonya Pinkins), and Best Direction of a Musical (George C. Wolfe) categories.