The musical composition of Caroline, or Change highlights specific qualities of musicality for each character. Composer Jeanine Tesori developed a specific musical vocabulary to help the characters express themselves within their individual worlds and the greater world of the entire piece. Throughout the play, you’ll notice musical motifs that transform to reveal vulnerability and depth of character, and motifs that repeat to make moments feel familiar. Let’s explore four unique musical sequences from the play; if you happen to glance at this prior to the performance, try to see how the musical qualities may contrast with or complement the story or the characters on stage.
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Early on in the show, the musical composition begins to explore the differences between the human characters like Caroline and the anthropomorphic characters that amplify her inner thoughts, each with their own musical styles. We’re introduced to The Moon, who has a very gentle, airy, lullaby-like musicality that hovers, offering safety to Caroline. As Caroline continues to wait for the bus and Dotty reflects on the changes her friend is experiencing, lullaby tones begin to play against both Caroline and Dotty’s soulful blues melodies. Here, Tesori demonstrates the multiple types of blues inspiration that she will paint into the sounds of many of her characters. All three characters are interrupted by the deep gospel sound of The Bus—which reflects his lyrics, “the earth has bled”—leading to the reveal of John F. Kennedy’s tragic death. Listen for the deep, soulful turn The Bus experiences and how he interrupts the lullaby of The Moon.
Throughout the musical, Caroline's daughter Emmie eagerly accepts the changes occuring in the world around her, whereas her mother resents those changes. After the Gellmans’ Chanukah celebration, Emmie takes a moment to reflect on the things that she wants. The simplicity in the music as the song begins reflects Emmie’s gentle nature. There is also the sense that the music is waiting for something—perhaps waiting for Emmie to grow, to become stronger, and to fight for what she wants. Listen to how the music highlights the vocal power of the actress playing Emmie and how it swells with Emmie’s growing desire for materialistic things.
The fast-paced, energetic strings heard in this song become a continuous theme for the Gellman family. Rose’s quick tempo changes amplify her inner monologue, where she is constantly questioning her choices in comparison to the slow, gentler conversational moments she has out loud. Tesori also implements the instrumentation of the clarinet and cello section to define the Gellman family—not only because Stuart and Noah play those instruments, but also because they become a clear contradiction to Caroline’s musical themes. Notice how each of the Gellmans has their own musical riff as they interrupt one another and how the music drastically changes with Caroline’s entrance.
As the story progresses, we experience Caroline’s distress and constant inner pain. She struggles to deal with change in the larger world and change within her family. Here, Tesori combines a spiritual working song with a contemporary blues song. Tesori describes it as “ultimately a song about a mother’s love and understanding that she has to go underground so that her kid can live in truly oxygenated air.” The constant harshness in the orchestration pulls at Caroline’s heartstrings while continuing to manipulate the tempo and soulful vocal qualities of the song. Notice how Caroline finally expresses all of her pain in the final moments of the show and how these final moments represent the musical climax that she deserves.