‘Caroline, or Change’ at Cain Park Burns Bright

Colleen Longshaw as Caroline in Cain Park’s production of “Caroline, Or Change.” Credit: Photo Credit: Kierstan Kathleen Conway

Set during the Civil Rights Movement, “Caroline, or Change” is a slow burn that explores pain, anger, loss and acceptance. Cain Park’s production of the show is full of fire: the actors are passionate, emotional performers, the story is moving and relevant and the band is stocked with skilled musicians.

“Caroline, or Change” follows the story of the titular character, a Black maid working for the Gellman family in 1963 Louisiana. Caroline spends most of her time in the stifling heat of the Gellmans’ basement doing laundry. The Gellmans’ son, Noah, recently lost his mother to cancer and is having difficulty adjusting to his new, well-intending stepmother, Rose, and bonding with his vacant father, Stuart. Noah seeks companionship with Caroline, who is preoccupied with mourning a life that should have been, worrying about the ongoing Civil Rights Movement and wondering how her meager salary will support her four kids.

With music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Tony Kushner, “Caroline, or Change” first premiered on Broadway in 2004 and in London in 2007, where it won an Olivier. It was revived in the West End in 2017 and on Broadway in 2021.

Director Joanna May Cullinan’s cast is full of talent, and music director Rachel Woods leads a band that performs the Motown and blues-inspired score with skill.

Yet, theater is full of moving pieces and parts, and if every element doesn’t click into the right place at the right time, it can affect the entire production. It’s unfortunate that sound issues dampened this intensity of this production’s fire. On opening night, the audio had not yet been perfected (were a sound designer credited in the program, I would list them here).

During songs in which multiple people were singing, of which “Caroline, or Change” has many, it was nearly impossible to understand the lyrics. I often found myself wishing there were subtitles, and as a “Caroline, or Change” virgin, I needed to relisten to a decent number of the songs once I returned home in order to truly understand their significance. Based on the rumblings of other theater goers during intermission, difficulty hearing was not an issue isolated to just my seats.

Also impossible to ignore were the ear-splitting bouts of microphone feedback that plagued one song and visibly upset not only the audience, but some of the young actors on stage.

Fortunately, not all of the songs were dispirited by unintelligible sound, allowing for the talent to properly shine.

Colleen Longshaw is exceptional in her role as Caroline. Longshaw is brooding and aloof, lending her an intriguing mysteriousness. Caroline’s pivotal moment in the show occurs during the number “Sunday Morning”/”Lot’s Wife,” and Longshaw’s performance is staggering. It is so powerful and so emotionally raw that you’ll wish you could bottle it up so that you could bask in its magnificence again and again.

An adorable Dean Hollis is cast as eight-year-old Noah. Hollis has a sweet voice, carries himself well and hits all his marks. Noah is rambunctious, ornery, spoiled and cute, and Hollis gives him a good portrayal.

Nineteen-year-old Samyah Henry plays Caroline’s rebellious, aspiring daughter, Emmie. Henry is exceptionally talented. Her voice is beyond beautiful and her presence is magnetizing. She is a joy to watch, and it will surely be a joy to see where her work in musical theater will take her; based on this moving performance, we can expect her career to be bright.

Playing the stepmother is Sophia Eloise Edwards. Rose tries desperately to win the love of her stepson and the friendship of Caroline, and Edwards’ portrayal makes it easy to sympathise with her. Edwards’ voice and demeanor are reminiscent of a Disney princess, and it’s impossible not to love.

Another easy-to-love character is Dotty, portrayed by CorLesia Smith. Dotty is Caroline’s friend, but the trajectory of Dotty’s life and the stagnancy of Caroline’s situation cause rifts to form between the two women. In addition to having a great voice, Smith’s sweetness is irresistible.

To keep herself sane in the heat of the Gellman family’s basement, Caroline imagines the appliances as people. Embodying those appliances are Jason Eno as the tormenting Dryer and Kechanté as the supportive Washing Machine. Eno is intense and expressive, while Kechanté provides calm encouragement.

Jazmin Rhodes, Paris Bunch and Grace Pressley are the trio portraying the Radio. The three women serve as a Greek chorus for the show while dressed in wigs, sequins, silk and feathers suited for the 60s, provided by designer Luke Scattergood. Lauren Marousek gives them coordinated choreography à la The Supremes. Unfortunately, their vocals were heavily affected by the aforementioned sound issues, especially at the top of the show.

The scenic design by Walter Boswell is largely made up of four different platforms to portray different settings. One platform has a bed, another a music stand and one features the stylized support beam of a front porch. Most intricate is the basement area where Caroline works. Because of the simplistic dressings and constant climbing and descending of stairs to reach almost every playing space, the spaces can feel somewhat disconnected from one another. But all are united by a backdrop of a rather pretty dark sky with a glowing moon and stars. The set is dramatically lit by Billy Drury, who uses his lighting design to up the intensity a notch during emotional moments.

“Caroline, or Change” is a powerful piece that has a lot to say, and Cain Park has a talented cast to say it. Once they fine-tune their audio to do the performers and band justice, what they have to say will be well worth hearing.

“Caroline, or Change” runs through October 5 at the Cain Park Alma Theater
14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118. Visit cainpark.com or call 216-371-3000 for tickets, $28.75 to $46.75

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