Tony Kushner works with Big Ideas. Anyone who has read or seen his best-known work - the two-part "Angels in America," arguably the defining play of 1990's America - knows that he sees the world very differently than we mere mortals. He can create connections where none seemed possible, blur the line of reality and fantasy without fracturing the believability of a narrative, and give birth to characters so human that they seem almost familiar to us. With all that in mind, I was fascinated to see what the renowned playwright would do with a musical. In "Caroline, or Change," currently receiving its regional debut at the JCC, Kushner does not disappoint. He offers up a thoroughly modern take on the musical that tells a deeply layered story examining the unsung heroes of the American civil rights movement, as well as a very personal journey from his own childhood. It's all brought to life by one of the finest casts I've ever seen in a local production.

"Caroline" tells the story of Caroline Thibodeaux, an African-American maid who works for the Gellmans, a middle-class Jewish family in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in late 1963. Caroline is a hard worker and a strong moral guide for her four children, but she is also bitter and defeated, resentful over all the ways life has failed her. Although the world is changing rapidly around her due to the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, Caroline remains resolute that her lot in life is her lot in life. Meanwhile, the Gellmans are going through their own crises of faith. After the death of his mother, young Noah develops a strong affinity for Caroline, which becomes a problem for his well-meaning stepmother, Rose, who is trying to pull the family together. But she gains little traction between the decidedly odd Noah, her emotionally distant husband, Stuart, and the stand-offish Caroline.

In one sense there's very little action in "Caroline, or Change." The major conflict emerges after Rose, in an attempt to teach Noah fiscal responsibility, instructs Caroline that she can keep any spare change she finds in the boy's pockets when doing laundry. Not exactly the stuff of high drama. But in truth, a lot is happening in this play, as Kushner explores the rapidly changing views of race from both sides of the color line, the internal struggle between the more passive and aggressive segments of the African-American community at the time, familial issues between father and son and mother and daughter, the sometimes stultifying nature of religion, and more of those Big Ideas mentioned earlier. It's a show you have to see multiple times in order to catch everything that's going on.

Kushner takes the musical side of the story as his opportunity to indulge his more imaginative, dramatic tendencies. Caroline gets a Greek chorus of sorts as the inanimate objects she works with come to life and tell her story. Don't worry; it's not like "Pee-wee's Playhouse." The washer, the dryer, the bus, and the moon are portrayed by human beings decked out in costumes that call to mind African deities (I kept seeing the Loa, although I realize they're Haitian, not African) and perform songs based on Negro spiritual music or gospel, while the radio - a trio of Supremes-esque singers dressed in gold sequin gowns - performs doo-wop in three-part harmony. In fact, each character "type" has his or her own signature type of music: Caroline sings the blues, the Gellmans break out into klezmer music, and Caroline's kids alternate between playground songs and r&b music.

There are no real toe-tappers or hummable songs to come out of the show, but that's not the point of the music here. It's to underscore the character development, and it's incredibly effective. Much of the credit there needs to go to the cast, almost every member of which is blessed with strong, expressive voices.

As Caroline, Rianne Mitchell pours her broken soul out her throat, crying to the heavens about the sorry state of her life, but never stepping over into melodrama. Mitchell's performance is raw, but controlled, and she's got undeniable stage presence.

John Queenan lives up to the challenging role of Noah, clearly based on Kushner himself as a young boy. Queenan is a good singer and holds his own opposite some intimidating adult actors. The kid is a natural.

Jodi Beckwith's sweet voice is perfect for Rose, a sympathetic figure whose best intentions land her in an almost impossible situation. Her real-life husband, Stefan Cohen, plays her husband in the show, and although he's not given a lot to do, he makes the most of it.

But the real revelation of the night was Oscia Miles as Emmie, Caroline's teenage daughter. Miles' performance starts out slowly, but as we learn more about firebrand Ellie, she practically grows before our eyes, bursting out into some of the most moving musical performances I have ever seen from an actress. I simply do not have the adjectives available to describe how good Miles is, but I can tell you I literally had goose bumps during her final song. Watch out for this School of the Arts student.

Unfortunately, some sound issues made some the performances less clear than others. Despite his booming basso profundo, I could not make out a word Reuben Josephe Tapp was saying as Dryer. As Moon, Mae Dupree's lilting voice was too often obscured by the others on stage. And the three fine singers that made up Radio (Jeanine Follette, Tiffanie Gourdine, and Mercedes McCutchen) ended up clashing rather than blending together harmoniously. Director David Henderson - who kept the entire show moving briskly and created several bits of inventive staging - assured that the sound issues were being tweaked, so hopefully all of these fantastic performers can get their due before this show's too-brief run concludes.

Caroline, or Change

JCC Centerstage

Through February 21

Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave.

$15-$22 | 461-2000 x235, jccrochester.org.