Caroline Or Change & Birthday Candles Officially Coming In 2021

[Jordan Catalano]

Playbill article

Roundabout had said they were committed to both of these so I’m very happy to see an official announcement and especially that Sharon is still doing the show. 

[joevitus]

I've never understood the need for that incredibly awkward (and to my ears, pompous) title. Why not just call it Caroline? Or call it Change? Why make it sound like the double titled works of 19th century literature (Things as They Are; Or the Adventures of Caleb Williams/Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus/Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly) or one of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas (The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty)?

[Jordan Catalano]

You clearly either don’t know the show or don’t understand the show.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Very excited that they seem committed to producing Caroline, or Change, but I'm surprised that they plan to open both that and 1776 at around the same time. I know 1776 has been long-planned, but I figured they wouldn't want two musical revivals in the same season and would push that to 2022, especially after its A.R.T. production was cancelled (postponed?).

[Jordan Catalano]

It could be based on Paulus’ schedule, too.

[Broadway61004]

BroadwayGuy12 said: "Very excited that they seem committed to producingCaroline, or Change, but I'm surprised that they plan to open both that and1776at around the same time. I know1776has been long-planned, but I figured they wouldn't want two musical revivals in the same season and would push that to 2022, especially after its A.R.T. production was cancelled (postponed?)."

ART's website currently says that 1776 has been postponed to their 2020-2021 season, so I'm presuming this means they're still planning to offer it there in Spring 2021?  In which case, it seems likely this won't make it to Broadway until at least Fall 2021, possibly Spring 2022.

[temms]

I totally read the subject line as meaning there was a line of Caroline Or Change-themed birthday candles coming out and thought it was a very strange merchandizing move. I mean, you gotta get your title out there and I guess there's a birthday in the show, but still....

[220Basswood]

I am glad Birthday Candles is still coming to Broadway but I really wish it was going to be here in the Spring so that I could see it at the same time I travel to New York to see The Music Man.  In theory, I could change my tickets to see Hugh from April to September but I really don't want to pay an additional $98 a ticket just to change the date.   

[joevitus]

Jordan Catalano said: "You clearly either don’t know the show or don’t understand the show."

One of the goals of a title is to clarify the meaning of the piece or at least convey something of what it's about. 

[Jordan Catalano]

So if you didn’t know it and I told you to tell me what Gypsy was about - you’d know from the title?

[Jordan Levinson]

Jordan Catalano said: "Playbill article

Roundabout had said they were committed to both of these so I’m very happy to see an official announcement and especially that Sharon is still doing the show."

Surely this should compensate for Tonya Pinkins losing the Tony to Idina in 2004. 

[KJisgroovy]

This is so tired. Tonya Pinkins voice was horrible to non-existent the two times I saw the show on Broadway. There was obviously a ghost of a performance there but the actual performance had long since departed. It's possible voters just say her at that point in her performance.  

[joevitus]

Jordan Catalano said: "So if you didn’t know it and I told you to tell me what Gypsy was about - you’d know from the title?"

At the time it was first staged, I'd absolutely know what it was about. But my point is that Caroline, or Change is simply awkward and unnecessarily pretentious. It doesn't tell you anything, and the two together don't make clear the relationship between them. Why does a show need two one-word titles? Why not just one effectually descriptive one? I have trouble imagining anyone went to see this show on the basis of hearing its title, and thinking "Oh, that sounds good."

[broadwayboy223]

Tonya never claimed to be a singer first. And yes, her voice did get strained but almost everyone who saw show agreed her acting was out of this world. I didn’t get the chance to see it but her performance in the bootleg is quite good. Just my two cents

[blaxx]

joevitus said: "Jordan Catalano said: "You clearly either don’t know the show or don’t understand the show."

One of the goals of a title is to clarify the meaning of the piece or at least convey something of what it's about."

Ugh tell me about it. They were stlll making changes after opening at Frozen. 

[Valentina3]

joevitus said: "Jordan Catalano said: "So if you didn’t know it and I told you to tell me what Gypsy was about - you’d know from the title?"

At the time it was first staged, I'd absolutely know what it was about. But my point is that Caroline, or Change is simply awkward and unnecessarily pretentious. It doesn't tell you anything, and the two together don't make clear the relationship between them.Why does a show need two one-word titles? Why not just one effectually descriptive one? I have trouble imagining anyone went to see this show on the basis of hearing itstitle, and thinking "Oh, that sounds good.""

Joevitus - just watch the show if you're able to, and maybe your thoughts would change? I think the title makes all the sense.

[KJisgroovy]

Someone’s voice is a part of their performance. Her voice was completely unable to serve the material, it was awful, and it got worse as the night progressed. I love Tonya Pinkins. I am aware that at some point she gave an amazing performance. You could tell. She wasn’t giving one on the days I saw the show and from what I understand I didn’t happen to go on the only two nights that happened (it is also VERY clear from the Tony performance). I’ve seen people give performances in parts that were vocally beyond them and still manage to craft a powerful performances. That didn’t happen here. She sounded like a broken tuba that was trying to sound like a piano. People can only judge the performance they saw. Part of the whole being a stage performer thing is being able to deliver a comparable performance to every audience. 

[musikman]

blaxx said: "joevitus said: "Jordan Catalano said: "You clearly either don’t know the show or don’t understand the show."

One of the goals of a title is to clarify the meaning of the piece or at least convey something of what it's about."

Ugh tell me about it. They were stlll making changes after opening at Frozen."

LOLOL. I just spit out my drink. 
 

Also, it’s a perfect title for the show and I can’t wait to see it.  

[iluvtheatertrash]

If you think it’s two one-word titles, you missed it. It’s THREE titles: Caroline, Change and Caroline or Change. Have you seen it? If you had, I think you’d understand.

[Jordan Catalano]

‘zakly.
Also, I’m 16 years past even dealing with people who talk sh*t about Tonya’s performance, one of the greatest ever seen on Broadway.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

See y’all next year when Broadway opens again. Until then, I’m hibernating.

All in serious, super happy that Caroline or Change is happening. Next spring should be exciting with revivals if 1776 even happens next spring. I can picture moving it to the fall at the last minute, so the try-outs can happen in the spring.

[Scarywarhol]

I am poking by head back onto this board just to say that it is a perfect title. 

[SouthernCakes]

One of the best musicals ever written and how Tonya didn’t win a Tony for it, I’ll never understand.

[trentsketch]

The title is great and says exactly what the show is about. It's the story of Caroline, and her life is changed forever by a child's pocket change. It also, collectively, sets up a central conflict in the show between Caroline's understanding of herself and the new rule involving what to do with a young child's pocket change. It's also set during a time of great social change, using the Civil Rights Movement and the assassination of JFK as context then literal text about what is really going on in Caroline's day to day life. It is, quite frankly, one of the most direct titles in musical theatre, as clear in intention as A Chorus Line, The Music Man, and Fiddler on the Roof.

And yes, Tonya Pinkins gave an amazing performance as Caroline. Her voice did not hold up singing that show 8 times a week and she still reduced the audience to cheers and awe with her interpretation of Lot's Wife.

[temms]

I wouldn't put it in quite so harsh terms, but I have to say that KJ's description of Pinkin's performance tracks with my own. But I think it's important to remember the context - Donna Murphy was having health problems at "Wonderful Town" and so Michael Riedel's every article that spring seemed to be about how horrible Donna Murphy was by calling out of the show so much, how she had absolutely no work ethic and was unprofessional and years of being this horrible person were finally gloriously being displayed (or not displayed) for all to see. Supposedly this was why Donna Murphy never broke through, why she was a perpetual second-tier leading lady - because she was unprofessional and unreliable and her choosing to simply blow off performances was an example of her diva behavior and terrible attitude and isn't it great to see someone so terrible finally revealed for all that she is?

Of course anyone who was worked with Ms. Murphy for more than five minutes knows that it was all BS and she's wonderful and was really having actual health problems. But nevertheless, it was the story of the season, and he kept contrasting it with the super professional Tonya Pinkins. She, according to Riedel, was the true star of the season, never missing a show and doing a much harder role than Ruth. And then the week before the Tonys, PInkins utterly had no voice whatsoever. Not her fault, everyone was sick that year and she finally got it. But if she called out, you knew that the next day Riedel would be gleefully trumpeting that Broadway has two lazy divas who don't deserve their lead roles and aren't they just horrible? Pinkins was also getting some press about her child custody/divorce problems which were framed as topical because they somehow made her similar to her character but were really just kind of mud-slingy.

And so Pinkins should absolutely have called out of the show the week before the Tonys, but public pressure meant she couldn't, I had a limited calendar to see stuff and saw one of those performances, and it was dreadful. Physically painful to listen to - and I've seen Pinkins in other stuff and know what she's got and it wasn't that. But anyone who saw one of the huff-and-puff-and-push-and-squeeze-and-pray-something-comes-out performances should be forgiven because it really was that bad. I don't blame Pinkins, I blame the system but it really was a painful evening in the theatre and I hate that it was.