Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, is an entertaining blend of charm, nostalgia, and showmanship. The show’s overall feel and musicality
will resonate greatly with a generation of baby boomers (as well as younger
audiences). Jessie Mueller, who
plays the pop icon, gives an impressive performance, both for her embodiment of
the singer-songwriter as well as for her rousing musicianship on the
piano. The show, unlike recent
jukebox musicals, has a mostly compelling book (think Jersey Boys), that traces
the artist’s formative years in the music industry, from a bashful, yet
assertive 17 year old, through the defining moment of her career, the release
of her solo album, "Tapestry," still one of the biggest selling albums
in music history with over 25 million sold. The story of Beautiful is not always uplifting as King deals
with an early marriage, divorce, single parenthood, and a crisis of confidence
during these years.
King, alone and with then husband
Gerry Goffin, penned dozens of hit songs, which form the basis for much of the
show’s score. They include their first number one
record, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” for the Shirelles, “Some Kind of
Wonderful,” “Up on the Roof,” “The Locomotion,” and a generous helping of songs
from the landmark LP, Tapestry.
But while this is a musical spotlighting Carole King, book writer
Douglas McGrath has smartly woven into the mix the friendly, playful, and
competitive esprit de corps Goffin and King had with songwriters Cynthia Weil
and Barry Mann. This allows for a
generous dollop of their hits which include “Walking in the Rain,” “On
Broadway,” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” (the most played song of the
20th century).
While the book provides a cohesive
plot and allows for a firmly developed point-counterpoint between the
songwriting teams, the overall results for Beautiful are problematic,
primarily, because McGrath has so much material to choose from. The question boils down to what to
include/condense/omit within the roughly twenty-year time frame of the musical. This allows, for example, only glimpses
into the creative process where, even occasionally, a more expansive exploration
would have been satisfying. The
introduction of musical acts, performing some of the hits quickly referenced in
the show, are well-done, but break-up the momentum of the production,
especially in Act I.
The four actors portraying the two
song writing teams are engaging and appealing individually and as a group. Jessie Mueller’s portrayal of the
legendary singer is a career-making role.
She personifies King’s vulnerability, charm, and chutzpah. Her smile, from the very first notes of
the show, to its rousing finale, lights up the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Jake Epstein gives Gerry Goffin a brash
and self-confident air, at first, but then effectively changes direction as he
is consumed by insecurities and self-doubt. Anika Larsen is self-assured and vibrant as Carolyn Weil
while Jarrod Spector, who played Franki Valli in Jersey Boys for over 1,500
performances, adds a fine comic touch as the composer Barry Mann.
Director Marc Bruni adroitly guides
the production, skillfully presenting the abridged version of King’s early
career. While the
machinations of Act I prove somewhat unwieldly, the director regains his
footing during the more straightforward narrative of Act II. He’s at his best when working with the
songwriters either in tandem or all together.
Derek McLane’s two-story set gives
one the sense of the close quartered, frenetic, and free-wheeling activity
artists worked under at Aldon Music, the hit-making factory of music producer
Don Kirshner, who shephered both Goffin-King’s and Weil-Mann’s early start.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical,
a highly pleasing trip down memory lane.
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