Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a jukebox musical with a book by Douglas McGrath with songs by Carole King with Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann with Cynthia Weil, and others. The musical is a biographical piece depicting King’s songwriting career from her hiring at Aldon Music in 1958 to her debut performance in 1971, including her marriage to Goffin and their friendships with Mann and Weil.
The original production of Beautiful received its world premiere at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, in October 2013, with direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, and starring Jessie Mueller in a Tony Award-winning performance as Carole King and Jake Epstein as Gerry Goffin. It made its Broadway debut at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in January 2014. A West End production starring Katie Brayben as Carole began in February 2015. In March 2022, a new version of the production was launched for a UK tour from the Leicester Curve.
Productions
San Francisco (2013) The show had its pre-Broadway try-out in San Francisco, California, at the Curran Theatre from September 24, 2013 through October 20, with an official opening October 8. The production was staged by Marc Bruni, with choreography by Josh Prince and musical direction by Jason Howland. Jessie Mueller played Carole King.Hetrick, Adam. "Tickets for San Francisco Engagement of 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' on Sale Beginning Aug. 16" , playbill.com, August 16, 2013 The musical sold out its entire run at the Curran Theatre.Hetrick, Adam. "Broadway-Bound 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' Sells Out San Francisco Engagement" , playbill.com, October 17, 2013
Broadway (2014–2019) The musical opened on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on January 12, 2014, after previews from November 12, 2013. In addition to Mueller as King, the cast featured Jake Epstein as Gerry Goffin, Anika Larsen as Cynthia Weil and Jarrod Spector as Barry Mann.Hetrick, Adam. "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Starring Jessie Mueller as Music Icon, Opens on Broadway" , playbill.com, January 12, 2014 King attended the April 3, 2014 performance and appeared on stage with the cast at the curtain call, singing "You've Got a Friend" together with them.Blank, Matthew. Photo Call: Carole King Surprises Cast of Broadway Musical Beautiful With Impromptu Performance" , playbill.com, April 4, 2014 Carole also surprised actress and singer Melissa Benoist during her run as the titular character, praising her for her performance, and sang a reprise of "I Feel the Earth Move" with her and the audience on July 27, 2018. On the fifth anniversary of the production's opening on January 12, 2019, Carole King appeared on stage to perform the show's closing number "Beautiful" and finale alongside star Chilina Kennedy. The production closed on October 27, 2019 after 60 previews and 2,418 regular performances. Upon closing, the production was the 27th longest-running musical in Broadway history.Gans, Andrew. "Beautiful—The Carole King Musical Sets Closing Date on Broadway" Playbill, July 17, 2019
Producers The producers of the original Broadway production include: Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffery A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet Newman Leve, Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker, Roger Faxon, Larry Magrid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions, Mary Soloman, William C. Cohen, John Gore, Barbara Freitag, Loraine Alterman Boyle, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz Jr., StylesFour Production, Corey Brunish, Brisa Trinchero, Jeremiah J. Harris, Sherry Kondor (Executive Producer), Christine Russell (Executive Producer).
West End (2015–2017) A production in London's West End opened on February 25, 2015, following previews beginning February 10, 2015, at the Aldwych Theatre. On September 25, 2014, it was announced that British actress Katie Brayben would take the lead role of Carole King, with further casting including Alan Morrissey as Gerry Goffin, Gary Trainor as Don Kirshner, Glynis Barber as Genie Klein, Lorna Want as Cynthia Weil and Ian McIntosh as Barry Mann. Beginning November 30, 2015, Cassidy Janson took the lead role of Carole King and Diane Keen replaced Glynis Barber in the role of Genie Klein. it was announced on May 23, 2017 that the London production would close August 5, 2017.
U.S. National Tours The musical began a U.S. tour starting in September 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island, at the Providence Performing Arts Center, with engagements across the United States, ending in San Francisco in August 2016. beautifulonbroadway.com, accessed May 26, 2015 The role of Carole King was played by Abby Mueller (the sister of Jessie Mueller), with Liam Tobin as Gerry Goffin, Ben Fankhauser as Barry Mann and Becky Gulsvig as Cynthia Weil.Viagas, Robert and Gans, Andrew. "Full Casting and Stops Announced for National Tour of 'Beautiful— The Carole King Musical' " playbill.com, August 10, 2015
A second U.S. National tour began September 4, 2018 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, CO. The role of Carole King was played by Sarah Bockel, with Dylan S. Wallach as Gerry Goffin, Alison Whitehurst as Cynthia Weil, and Jacob Heimer as Barry Mann.
UK National Tours A UK tour began September 2017 at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford and ended at the New Theatre in Oxford in May 2018, starring former Over the Rainbow contestant Bronté Barbé as Carole King.
A second U.K tour began on January 11, 2020, at Churchill Theatre in Bromley, and was set to run until June 2020 but the tour was cut short due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Before the tour permanently closed, the role of Carole King was played by Daisy Wood-Davis, with Adam Gillian as Gerry Goffin, Laura Baldwin as Cynthia Weil, and Cameron Sharp as Barry Mann.
A third U.K Tour opened at the Curve Theatre, Leicester on 28 February 2022. Produced by the Made at Curve, Theatre Royal Bath and Mayflower Southampton, directed by Nikolai Foster, the production is choreographed by Leah Hill, with a creative team featuring set designer Frankie Bradshaw, costume designer Edd Lindley, lighting designer and Curve associate Ben Cracknell, sound designer Tom Marshall, associate director Jennifer Lane Baker and casting director and Curve Associate Kay Magson CDG. The role of Carole King is played by Molly-Grace Cutler (The Worst Witch) with Tom Milner (Holby City) as Gerry Goffin, while Seren Sandham-Davies (Crazy For You) and Jos Slovick (Once) will play husband and wife song-writing duo Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. After its run in Leicester the show visited Bath, Brighton, Edinburgh, Southampton, Newcastle, Dartford, Malvern, Cambridge, Cardiff, Eastbourne, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Belfast, Nottingham, Manchester, Blackpool, Peterborough, Coventry, Cheltenham and Liverpool, finishing at the New Theatre, Oxford on 26 November 2022. This new version of the show received positive reviews.
Australian Tour (2017–2018) An Australian tour began in Sydney on 24 September 2017 at the Lyric Theatre. Esther Hannaford led the production, playing Carole King. The musical opened in Melbourne at Her Majesty's Theatre on 22 February 2018. In Brisbane, performances began at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC on Friday 13 July 2018 running through to Sunday 2 September 2018.
Other notable productions Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine, produced the US Regional Theatre Premiere, which played September 30, 2022 through October 30, 2022. The production starred Sarah Bockel as Carole King, Taylor Aronson as Cynthia Weil, Anthony Festa as Gerry Goffin, Suzanne Grodner as Genie Klein, Ben Jacoby as Barry Mann, and Matt Loehr as Don Kirschner. The production was directed by David Ruttura and choreographed by Joyce Chittick, recreating the original Broadway direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince. Nick Williams served as musical director.
Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ produced a new staging by Casey Hushion, which played June 5, 2024 - July 3, 2024. The production starred Kyra Kennedy as Carole King, Samantha Massell as Cynthia Weil, Marrick Smith as Gerry Goffin, Jacob Ben-Shmuel as Barry Mann, Suzanne Grodner as Genie Klein, and Bryan Fenkart as Don Kirschner. Choreography by Jen Werner and musical direction by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett. https://www.jerseyarts.com/stories/beautiful-carole-king-musical-extends-its-run-paper-mill-playhouse
The Green Room Community Theatre in Newton, North Carolina, produced the North Carolina Community Theatre Premiere, which played September 1, 2023 through September 17, 2023. The production starred Carol Anne Hartman as Carole King, Holley Dagenhardt as Cynthia Weil, Corey Knighton as Gerry Goffin, Rachel Knighton as Genie Klein, Lucas DeVore as Barry Mann, and Mark Rose as Don Kirschner. The production was directed and music directed by Jeff Hartman and choreographed by Gina Duckworth.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre included Beautiful - the Carole King Musical as part of its 2024 summer repertory season. It was directed by Sam Hardie and starred Olivier-nominated Kirsty Findlay as Carole King. The production was nominated for 3 CATS Awards including a win for Findlay in the Outstanding Performance category.
The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri (the oldest and largest outdoor theater in the US) produced a critically acclaimed production with performances from June 12 – 18, 2024. The production was directed by Tony and Drama Desk-nominated director Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The cast included Sara Sheperd (Carole King), Steven Good (Gerry Goffin), Jackie Burns (Cynthia Weil), and Jarrod Spector (Barry Mann). The show has other ties to The Muny and St. Louis. The original Broadway production was conceived in St. Louis when former Muny Executive Producer Paul Blake, who worked at The Muny for 22-years, developed the idea for a show based on Carole King’s music and life story. Blake became the lead producer on the project.
Synopsis From the Beautiful: The Carole King Musical cast recording booklet
Act I At Carnegie Hall in 1971, Carole King sings "So Far Away". Then, in Brooklyn 1958, 16-year-old Carole tells her mother, Genie, she is going into Manhattan to try to sell a song to music publisher Donnie Kirshner. In the long tradition of mothers, Genie is opposed to her daughter's wish and in the equally long tradition of teenagers not caring about their mother's opinion, Carole goes anyway. At 1650 Broadway, she hears the "1650 Broadway Medley". She then sings her new song "It Might As Well Rain Until September". Donnie says he will take it and hopes she has others. At Queens College, Carole meets a handsome young lyricist named Gerry Goffin. They agree to collaborate, musically and romantically, which in both cases turns out to be a fertile arrangement. When they go to Donnie's to play their new song, Carole confesses to Gerry that she is pregnant. Gerry asks her to marry him. It gives her an extra depth of feeling when she sings their new song for Donnie, "Some Kind of Wonderful", which The Drifters then record.