A Fine Time with Caroline at Zach

It’s rare for a production to offer a full-fledged meditation on grief, race/class struggles, greed, the questionable influences of technology, and the crippling effects of fear on human dynamics. It’s rarer for a large cast to offer such stellar performances that it’s nigh impossible to choose a standout. And it’s even rarer for these achievements to include Motown-inspired original songs that give beat and rhythm to an unpredictable story and a wide range of emotions.

Caroline, or Change, Tony Kushner’s new musical brought to you by Zach Scott Theatre, tells the story of Caroline Thibodeaux, who works as the Gellman family’s maid in St. Charles Louisiana in 1963. A fitting story for our Gulf Coast hearts, the opening song declares, “There is no underground in Louisiana, there is only underwater.” As the burgeoning Civil Rights movement gathers steam in the wake of Kennedy’s assassination, Caroline’s daughter challenges her determination to tough out her circumstances. Janis Stinson brings Caroline’s strength to life with a voice that captures all the fire and will that make her a warrior in a maid’s apron.

In a spellbinding performance that belies his young age, Matthew Moore plays Noah Gellman, a boy still grieving his mother’s recent death. His father, who rushed into remarriage, ignores his emotions, while his stepmother insists that a smile-as-a-bandage goes a long way. Meredith McCall captures her good intentions and flawed attempts beautifully.