REVIEW: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at New Victoria Theatre, Woking

My mother has assured me that even in-utrero, I was music mad. I would wriggle around when she played rock music and rest when she lulled me to sleep with the melodies of Classic FM. I may only be 23 but that doesn’t mean my music knowledge started in 1994 – I’ve been a fan of many artists, spanning back decades, but what I didn’t realise that so many of these artists have in common was that some of their biggest hits were all written by the same woman; Aretha Franklin, The Shirelles, The Drifters, Little Eva and The Monkees – she wrote for them all. This writer was none other than Carole King.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a semi-autobiographical show about the life and times of this legendary figure of music, showcasing not only her career but her personal life and those most close to her, including her husband and lyricist– Gerry Goffin. More then 1000 artists have interpreted the songs of Carole King, resulting in 100 hit singles. King is one of the greatest musical influencers you’ve potentially never heard of. I, for one, sat stunned and almost ashamed not realising just how many remarkable songs this one woman penned. 

REVIEW: Beautiful: The Carol King Musical at the Birmingham Hippodrome

A generation of girls grew up enjoying the music of Carole King and in particular her hugely successful 1971 album "Tapestry" which was listed on the Billboard 200 for over 300 weeks, was for many years the longest run by a female solo artist and has been ranked as one of the best ever albums. This slick and enjoyable production starts and ends with her first solo concert at Carnegie Hall in June 1971 and in between traces her story from her first song writing hit in 1960 for The Shirelles, "Will you love me tomorrow" through her first marriage to her song writing partner Gerry Goffin until she was confident to perform her work herself. It is a fascinating back story to the album that made her name and we learn so much about her emotional journey, the sixties writing factories and are surprised by the hits she wrote for other artistes before she had the courage to perform herself.

The core of the production is the rivalry between King/Goffin duo and Weill/Mann at Aldon Music where Donnie Kirshner regularly sets the challenge to give him a hit song for an artist by the following day. This competitive battle between the two couples defines their relationship and ultimately creates a loyal friendship between King and Weill. The production features strong performances from the leads with Kane Parry capturing the unfaithful Goffin, Matthew Gonsalves the infatuated Mann and Adam Howden the demanding Kirshner . However it is the two female leads that steal the show. Amy Richardson is a joy as Weill, putting her career before her love, with great energy and comedy but it is Bronte Barbe as King who is the star.

INTERVIEW: Lorna Want, Olivier Award winning Actress currently in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Lorna is currently playing Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, a role she won the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She made her West End debut at the age of 15 in Romeo & Juliet the Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre and her other credits include Footloose (Novello/UK Tour), Evita (Adelphi), Parade (Donmar), The Fantasticks (Duchess), Dreamboats and Petticoats (Playhouse), Annie Get Your Gun (UK Tour), Robin Hood (Cambridge Arts), Anything Goes (Kilworth House), Peter Pan (Manchester Opera House & New Victoria Woking), High School Musical (UK Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Bromley Churchill), Les Miserables (Birmingham Hippodrome). Television credits include: Casualty, Holby City, Doctors and I Dream (all for the BBC), Arcadia (ITV). Workshops include: The Little Prince (Savoy Theatre), Defect (Finborough Theatre), The Piper (Savoy Theatre), Bauhinia (National Theatre Studio).

The show has been running for a while now, what changes have you noticed to your performance from the beginning of the run?

That's an interesting question! A huge part of my job is to keep things fresh every night, as though I'm saying the words for the first time, and to tell the story in the correct way, so I've definitely found new things along the way & I'd like to think I've got better, but equally I hope that the performance has the same energy it had on opening night.

If we think back to the beginning of the process, were you aware of the show before you auditioned?

Once I got the call from my agent about auditioning, I did some research on the show and saw how successful it was on Broadway. I was obsessed with the soundtrack for the following weeks, & knew instantly that I wanted to be in it! 

Casting announced for BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Katie Brayben will play the title role in the West End production of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical opening at the Aldwych Theatre in February next year.  Alan Morrissey will play King’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, with Lorna Want as song-writer Cynthia Weil,Glynis Barber as Genie Klein, King’s mother, and Gary Trainor as music publisher and producer Don Kirshner.  London previews beginning on 10 February 2015 and with the show currently booking to 13 June 2015.  Press night will now take place on 24 February at 7pm.   Final casting will be announced shortly.

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, is based on the early life and career of legendary singer/songwriter Carole King.   Beautiful has book by Douglas McGrath with words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and is directed by Marc Bruni.  Choreography is by Josh Prince with set designs by Derek McLane, costume designs by Alejo Viettii, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan.   Orchestrations and Music Arrangements are by Steve Sidwell.  Beautiful - The Carole King Musical will be produced in London by Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical to open in the West End February 2015

The West End production of the two-time Tony award-winning Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, will open at the Aldwych Theatre in February next year.  Based on the early life and career of legendary singer/songwriter Carole King, Beautiful has a book by Douglas McGrathwith words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and is directed by Marc Bruni.  Choreography is by Josh Prince with set designs by Derek McLane, costume designs by Alejo Viettii, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan.  Orchestrations and Music Arrangements are by Steve Sidwell.  Beautiful - The Carole King Musical will be produced in London by Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Public booking for Beautiful - The Carole King Musical opens today, 5 September 2014, with London previews beginning on 10 February 2015 and with the show currently booking to 13 June 2015.  Press night is on 25 February at 7pm.