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Spotlight on Caroline, or Change Creative Team.

Book & Lyrics Tony Kushner

Set & Costume Design Fly Davis

Sound Design Paul Arditti

Musical Supervisor Nigel Lilley

Choreographer Ann Yee

Lighting Design Jack Knowles

Orchestrations Rick Bassett, Joseph Joubert, and Buryl Red

Music Director Chris Fenwick

What is the show about?

Caroline Thibodeaux is a Black woman working as a maid for a Jewish family in 1963 Louisiana, as the civil rights movement is transforming America. From Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner and Tony Award® winner Jeanine Tesori comes the show that pulses with the same urgency and passion shaping the world today.

WHERE

Lake Charles, Louisiana

WHEN

November – December 1963

Who: Meet the characters.

The Thibodeauxs

Caroline Thibodeaux
39 years old. Works as a maid for the Gellman family. A divorcée with four children who is resistant to change in the world. Bitter, tired, devoted.

Emmie Thibodeaux
16-17 years old. Caroline’s only daughter. Observant, rebellious, and outspoken.

Jackie Thibodeaux
10 years old. Caroline’s son. Sweet and naïve.

Joe Thibodeaux
Eight years old. Caroline’s son. Outspoken and skeptical.

The Gellmans

Noah Gellman
Eight years old. The son of Stuart Gellman. Shy, forgetful, and often looks to Caroline for comfort.

Grandma Gellman
Noah’s grandmother and Stuart’s mother. Concerned about her son’s melancholy and admiring of his new wife.

Grandpa Gellman
Noah’s grandfather and Stuart’s father. He is unconcerned with the social changes occurring in the South.

Rose Stopnick Gellman
Mid-to-late 30s. Recently married to Stuart and moved to the South. Very concerned for Noah’s well-being.

Stuart Gellman
Mid-to-late 30s. A clarinetist, recently widowed and remarried to Rose. Still mourning the loss of his first wife and struggling to connect with his son and new wife.

Mr. Stopnick
70s. Rose Stopnick Gellman’s father. A politically progressive man who has no qualms about sharing his dissenting opinions.

Caroline’s Friends

Dotty Moffett 
Early 30s. Caroline’s high-spirited friend and a fellow maid. Recently started back at college and is embracing the progressive times.

The Washing Machine, The Dryer, The Radio, The Moon, & The Bus
Embodiments of the objects in Caroline’s life, these figures serve as her confidants, reflect her opinions, and give her someone to talk to in her lonely life working for the Gellmans.

Tony Kushner

Book & Lyrics

TONY KUSHNER (Writer). Tony Kushner’s other plays include Angels in America, A Bright Room Called Day and The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. He is a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award and the Olivier Award, among others. He wrote the screenplays for Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Lincoln. In 2012, Kushner was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, Mark Harris.

Fly Davis

Set & Costume Design

FLY DAVIS (Set and Costume Design). Theatre: Caroline, or Change (Olivier Award nomination for Best Costume Design), Beginning, Groan Ups—all West End; La Bohème Gothenburg Opera House; Ocean at the End of the Lane, Pericles,I Want My Hat Back National Theatre; Appropriate Donmar (Evening Standard Award nomination for Best Set Design); Tao of Glass with Philip Glass Manchester International Festival; Image of an UnknownWoman Gate (Winner Off West End Award Best Set Design); The Glass Menagerie Headlong; A Streetcar Named Desire, OurTown Royal Exchange; Macbeth RSC and Barbican; The Winter’s Tale Royal Lyceum; Othello Shakespeare’s Globe.

Paul Arditti

Sound Design

PAUL ARDITTI (Sound Design). Recently: The Visit (National Theatre, London); The Inheritance (Broadway; Olivier nomination Best Sound Design); The Jungle (New York, San Francisco); A Very Expensive Poison (Old Vic, London); Tree (Manchester International Festival & Young Vic); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge, London). Awards: Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier awards for Billy Elliot; Drama Desk Awards for The Pillowman and Four Baboons Adoring the Sun; Tony nominations for Mary Stuart and One Man, Two Guvnors; Olivier Award for Saint Joan; Olivier nomination for Amadeus.

Nigel Lilley

Musical Supervisor

NIGEL LILLEY (Musical Supervisor). Theatre credits: Caroline, or Change (Playhouse, Hampstead, Chichester); Romantics Anonymous (Shakespeare’s Globe, Bristol Old Vic, U.S. tour); Oklahoma! (Chichester); Follies (National Theatre); Fun Home (Young Vic); The Go-Between, Bend It Like Beckham, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (West End); My Fair Lady, Company (Sheffield Crucible); Ragtime (Regent’s Park); SpringAwakening (European premiere, Lyric & Novello); Sweet Charity (Menier & Theatre Royal Haymarket): La Cage aux Folles (Chocolate Factory & Playhouse); Piaf (Donmar & Vaudeville); The Bacchae (National Theatre of Scotland); Acorn Antiques (U.K. tour). TV: “Gentleman Jack,” “Victoria,” “That Day We Sang,” Victoria Wood’s “Christmas Special.”

Ann Yee

Choreographer

ANN YEE (Choreographer). Broadway: Sunday in the Park With George. West End: Caroline, or Change; The Commitments; Urinetown. Theatre: Oklahoma! (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), The Taming of the Shrew (The Public), Woyzeck (St Ann’s Warehouse), Life After (Old Globe), La Bohème (Göteborg, Sweden), The Threepenny Opera: Mackie Messer (Salzburg Opera Festival). Old Vic: The American Clock, The Duchess of Malfi. National Theatre: Julie, Blurred Lines, She Stoops to Conquer, The Comedy of Errors. Donmar Warehouse: Shakespeare Trilogy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Trafalgar Studios: Macbeth, Bent. London: War Requiem, Mr Burns…. Education: Boston Conservatory of Music, Harvard Summer Dance Center and Ohio State University.

Jeanine Tesori

Music

JEANINE TESORI (Composer). Broadway: Fun Home (Tony Award, Pulitzer finalist), Violet, Shrek, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Twelfth Night, A Free Man of Color (LCT). The Public: Soft Power, Mother Courage, Romeo and Juliet. Opera: Blue (WNO); A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (Glimmerglass); The Lion, the Unicorn and Me (WNO); Grounded. Along with Missy Mazzoli, Ms. Tesori is one of the first women to be commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera. Founding artistic director of City Center’s Encores! Off- Center. Producer: Sunday in the Park With George (Broadway, West End). Supervising vocal producer: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Lecturer: Yale. Her daughter, Siena, is a senior at Brown University.

Jack Knowles

Lighting Design

JACK KNOWLES (Lighting Design). Broadway debut. Trained: Central School of Speech and Drama. Recent credits: Top Girls, Barber Shop Chronicles (Knight of Illumination Award), Beginning (National Theatre); Venice Preserved (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Duchess of Malfi, Three Sisters, Shipwreck (Almeida); Bluebeard. Kill. Glass. Imp, The End of History (Royal Court); Light Falls, The Producers, Death of a Salesman (Royal Exchange); Junkyard, Pygmalion (Headlong); 4.48 Psychosis, Reisende auf einem Bein, Happy Days (Schauspielhaus Hamburg); The Forbidden Zone, Lungs, Yellow Wallpaper (Schaubühne); La Bohème (Gothenburg Opera).

Rick Bassett

Orchestrations

Rick Bassett: Broadway: Violet, Twelfth Night. Blue, Washington National Opera. Sutton Foster: Take Me to the World (CD). Boston, NY Pops. BMI Harrington Award.

Joseph Joubert

Orchestrations

JOSEPH JOUBERT is a native New Yorker and Grammy nominated musician who’s well known as a pianist, arranger, orchestrator, Broadway conductor, and music director. Mr. Joubert currently is music supervisor, orchestrator and co-arranger for The Wiz revival that’s touring and coming to Broadway in April. In addition he’s co-orchestrating Alan Menken’s Hercules. His Broadway orchestration credits include: Caroline, or Change, The Color Purple (Drama Desk Nomination), Disaster, Violet(Drama Desk Nomination), and Leap of Faith. He was Musical Director for Berry Gordy’s Motown The Musical and was assistant conductor for Nice Work If You Can Get It and Billy Elliot. He was guest conductor for Encore’s Tap Dance Kid. He has orchestrated and played for Respect starring Jennifer Hudson as well as conducting the score for Kris Bowers. Mr. Joubert is a sought-after music director for Broadway stars and has collaborated with Cynthia Erivo, Deborah Cox, Ken Page, Norm Lewis and recently did a PBS special with Melissa Erico. Mr. Joubert was music supervisor and orchestrator for Classic Stage Company’s Carmen Jones starring Anika Noni Rose to rave reviews. As a record producer and arranger/orchestrator he has worked with Diana Ross, George Benson, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston, Jennifer Holliday, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Norm Lewis and Diane Reeves as well as classical singers including Denyce Graves, Esther Hinds, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Simon Estes, and Kathleen Battle. His orchestrations are used by symphonies across the USA including The New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia orchestras. He is a founding member of MUSE – musicians united for social equity He received a Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement Accompanying A Vocal for the Broadway Inspirational Voices “Great Joy.” Mr. Joubert’s extensive recording catalog can be found here: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joseph-joubert-mn0000784075/credits

Buryl Red

Orchestrations

Buryl Red: Broadway: Violet. Musical director CenturyMen CD: Beautiful Star, Grammy nomination. Composer: CelebrateLife. Producer: Great Joy, Broadway Inspirational Voices. Making Music, Silver Burdett/Pearson/Sony.

Chris Fenwick

Music Director

CHRIS FENWICK (Music Director). Broadway: music supervisor, Once on This Island (2017 Tony Award, Best Revival); music director, Sunday in the Park With George starring Jake Gyllenhaal, music supervisor of the upcoming West End production; Fun Home (2015 Tony Award, Best Musical), music supervisor of the national tour and London production. Founding music director, City Center Encores! Off-Center. Off-Broadway: music director, Soft Power, Giant, Queen of the Mist, See What I Wanna See. Music director for Patti LuPone at Carnegie Hall and more. Film: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

Michael Longhurst

Director

MICHAEL LONGHURST (Director) is the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, directing Europe and Teenage Dick in his inaugural season. Broadway: Constellations (also West End, Royal Court & U.K. tour; Evening Standard Award, Best Play). Off-Broadway: If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet. National Theatre: Amadeus featuring the Southbank Sinfonia (also NT Live). West End: The Son (& Kiln); Caroline, or Change (also Chichester & Hampstead); Bad Jews (& U.K. tour). Off West End: Gloria (Hampstead), Carmen Disruption (Almeida), Linda (Royal Court), ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore and The Winter’s Tale (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), A Number (Young Vic).

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