The best musical that no one has talked about bringing to the screen is Caroline, or Change and therefore it is my subject for today’s adaptation. The musical had a short run on Broadway when it opened in 2003, but it made a star out of Anika Noni Rose, relaunched Tonya Pinkins career, and had one of the greatest scores ever written for the theater. So what would the movie version look like?

Pros: Actressexuals will LOVE it, a new, angrier take on being a domestic, the best theater score of the past 15 years, Tony Kushner wrote the book, was nominated for a ton of Tonys, could blend

Cons: Wasn’t successful on Broadway, completely sung through, how many times do we want to watch a black movie about maids, how do a singing dryer/washing machince/radio/bus/moon without it being cheesy?

Caroline, or Change is THE musical all Black actress should be clamoring to get made and would certainly be an Oscar vehicle for whichever one landed the role of Caroline. It is also the best modern musical score bar none, the tunes are phenomenal. Given that Tony Kushner was involved, you can bet the material is there. In the hands of an imaginative director, the elements like inanimate objects coming alive could easily work.

Audra McDonald as Caroline: Audra is a goddess and showed in Porgy and Bess that she could channel a character that was far from her sunny disposition. I’d love to see her take on this role which can tap into her angry side a bit more…can you just imagine how epic her version of Lot’s Wife would be?

Cymphonique Miller as Emmie: Emmie was the role that won Anika the Tony and the part could easily grate, so you need an experienced actress like Cymphonique to hand it.

Anika Noni Rose as Dottie: I gotta bring back the Tony winner but this time as Dottie, Caroline’s only friend and the representation of what Caroline could be if things were different.

Brian Stokes Mitchell as the Dryer/Bus: Listen, let me tell y’all how I am already laid down at the mere thought of this man singing the big number that the bus gets.

Sara Ramirez as the Washing Machine/The Moon: I love Ramirez’ voice and she’d be a perfect fit for this character.

Others
Kevin Spacey as Stuart Gellman
Allison Janney as Rose Stopnick
Noah Gellman would have to be a complete unknown cause I have no idea who could play this.
The Girls from Hairspray as the Radio

Director: Me. Ok I’m going to stop putting myself in these but I LOVE this musical too much to not want to take the reigns. Alt: Robert Zemeckis.