Theater: Stephen Sondheim Theatre / 124 West 43rd Street, New York, NY, 10036
Synopsis:
Beautiful tells the story of Carole King from her early days as a Brooklyn teenager (named Carol Klein) struggling to enter the record business to her years spent as a chart-topping music legend.
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January 12, 2014: For purposes of transparency in advertising, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” should probably be titled “Brooklyn Girl.” This renaming would allow theatergoers to know exactly what to expect of the friendly, formulaic bio-musical that opened on Sunday night at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, starring an immensely likable Jessie Mueller.
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January 12, 2014: When the kitschy musical about the record producer behind the Shirelles, Baby It’s You, showed up briefly on Broadway in 2011, that 1960s girl group’s No. 1 breakthrough hit, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” was conspicuously absent. Turns out withholding the song rights for the far superior Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was a prescient move. Following in the footsteps of crowd-pleasers like Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical, this is entertaining boomer bait that elevates its by-the-numbers narrative with great songs. It’s also a tremendous showcase for the talented Jessie Mueller as she embodies King’s blossoming from songwriter-for-hire to empowered performer of her own material.
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January 12, 2014: It’s been widely reported that Carole King will not be attending any performances of Beautiful, the new Broadway musical about her career as a singer-songwriter, allegedly because it depicts painful moments from her life. Well, she can rest assured that Beautiful,” a sentimental and sympathetic biography led by a poignant, extremely winning performance from breakout star Jessie Mueller, is slickly staged, genuinely touching and very enjoyable.
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January 12, 2014: What makes Beautiful, the new Broadway musical covering the rise of Carole King's music career, is all of the little details that come together so brilliantly on the stage. It's fitting that such an under-appreciated talent is represented in an extraordinary show like this one.
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January 12, 2014: A spin through “Tapestry” — the Carole King record with those chart-topping hits such as “It’s Too Late” and “So Far Away” — is no less satisfying today than it was decades ago. Happily, it’s an equally rich thrill to sit for the new musical Beautiful, which tracks the Brooklyn-born songwriter’s early life and career up until the making of that seminal LP.
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January 12, 2014: Watching Beautiful, the new jukebox musical celebrating the remarkable life and work of Carole King, you may not feel the earth move under your feet. But the new Broadway show emerges as a slick and joyous celebration of female empowerment.
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