Tonya Pinkins will reprise her Tony Award-nominated performance in the upcoming London staging of
Caroline, or Change.
With book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winner
Tony Kushner (
Mother Courage adaptation
, Angels in America), music by
Jeanine Tesori (
Mother Courage, Thoroughly Modern Millie), the show will open in the Lyttelton Theatre on October 19th in a production directed by Tony Award-winner
George C. Wolfe (
Angels in America, Bring in 'da Noise...), who will make his
National Theatre debut. The cast will also include
Valda Aviks,
Pippa Bennett-Warner, Angela M Caesar,
Nora Cole,
Anna Francolini,
Richard Henders,
Ramona Keller, Ian
Lavender, Joy Malcolm,
Hilton McRae,
Malinda Parris, Nataylia Roni and
Clive Rowe.
"Louisiana, 1963, in the immediate aftermath of the Kennedy
assassination. Caroline, a black maid to a southern Jewish family, is
struggling to keep afloat both emotionally and economically, while the
young son of her employer tries to make sense of the world following
the death of his mother," state press notes.
The choreographer is
Hope Clarke. The show will feature set design by Riccardo Hernández, costume design by
Paul Tazewell, sound by
Mike Walker and lighting by
Jules Fisher and
Peggy Eisenhauer. The original and US musical supervisor is Kimberley Grigsby, while the UK musical supervisor is
Martin Lowe.
Pinkins created the role of Caroline at New York's
Public Theater and on Broadway, and received a Tony nomination for 'Best Actress in a Musical'. Her New York theatre work also includes
Jelly's Last Jam (for which she received a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics' Circle Award and the
Clarence Derwent Award),
Play On! (Tony & Jeff nominations),
The Wild Party and
Merrily We Roll Along. Her television work includes the ABC drama "All My Children;" films include
Romance and Cigarettes and
Above the Rim.
American Airlines is the airline sponsor for this production of
Caroline, or Change. It is supported by the RNT Mackintosh Musicals Fund; and The
Laura Pels Foundation.
Visit
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk for more information.
