[Review] Beautiful, The Carole King Musical: Memorable And Empowering

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is the true story of Carole King…a woman writer who started in her teenage years and went on to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Imagine being in love in the 60’s with music as your motivating source. 

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is memorable and empowering…witnessing Carole King’s journey into self empowerment as a woman is something all, especially females, should see!

Beautiful The Carole King Musical
The Shirelles. (l to r) DeAnne Stewart, McKynleigh Alden Abraham, Alexis Tidwell and Marla Louissaint (Photo: Joan Marcus)

Carole King was the #1 source for many of the Billboard charted hits of the 60’s and 70’s including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” and “You’ve Got A Friend” and the writer of one of the top soul songs of that era, Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”

Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll.  But it wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she finally managed to find her true voice. 

Beautiful The Carole King Musical
The Drifters. (l to r) Dimitri Joseph Moïse , Deon Releford-Lee, Nathan Andrew Riley and Michael Stiggers, Jr. (Photo: Joan Marcus)

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

The stage design played a major part in setting the tone for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical . The set design included spectacular backdrops of old-time jukebox speakers with a radio broadcasting songs. Set transition from small offices or living rooms to nightclubs, sound studios or performance stages preparing you for the familiarity of music that was created.

Beautiful The Carole King Musical
“The Locomotion.” The Touring Cast of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical. (Photo: Joan Marcus)

The cast of performers effortlessly shared so much heartwarming passion in their performances.

Seeing Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is a real true music lover experience in comparison to sitting in the living room watching one of your favorite movies based in the 50’s through 70’s.  You actually get to be a part; singing out loud with the performers, snapping, clapping and tapping your foot. Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is memorable and empowering…witnessing Carole King’s journey into self empowerment as a woman is something all, especially females, should see!

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is playing the Durham Performance Arts Center (123 Vivian St – Durham) Tue, May 7 — Sun, May 12. For tickets for more information, CLICK HERE

Run Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Age Recommendation: 11+