THE BASICS: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, directed by Randall Kramer, starring Maria Pedro, Gretchen Didio, Sean Ryan, Marc Sacco, Josh Wilde, and 13 others. 2/21 – 3/24 Wed – Thu 7:00 pm, Fri 7:30, Sat 3:30 and 7:30, Sun 2:00 at MusicalFare Theatre, c/o Daemen College 4380 Main Street, Suite 123 Amherst, NY 14226 716-839-8540 musicalfare.com
RUNTIME: 145 minute run time with a 15 minute intermission
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: Hear the lovely songs of Carole King, and the ones you didn’t know were Carole’s, in this upbeat, time-traveling musical. You’ll be immersed into the ’70s and learn about the start of King’s career, back when she was Carole Klein, and her first marriage with lyricist Gerry Goffin, as well as the story of her budding friendship with music icons Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Featuring unforgettable classics like “You’ve Got a Friend”, “One Fine Day”, “So Far Away”, “Take Good Care of My Baby”, “Up on the Roof”, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, and “Natural Woman,” by a top-notch cast, this is a show this season you won’t want to miss!
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:
Whether you’re a Carole King fan since the ’70s or know her best from the “Gilmore Girls” theme song like my generation does, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” at the MusicalFare Theatre was a wonderful night of music and storytelling by stellar performers.
You could hear quiet exclamations of excitement from the crowd before songs that were clearly nostalgic for them and you could feel them cooing over the warm and fuzzy feeling of reminiscent songs like “You Got a Friend.” Even during intermission when I was waiting in the women’s bathroom line, the woman behind me said to the other ladies, “Isn’t it wonderful? Doesn’t it bring back the memories?” The ’70s vibes of an awesome tangerine and aqua ripple-patterned set and countless chic outfit changes of plaid, paisley and floral ought to be enough to evoke nostalgia.
Maria Pedro was a perfect choice for the role of Carole King. Between her strong vocals, her piano prowess and her ability to authentically command the stage, she led us through the ups and downs of the story without skipping a beat. She kicks off the show strong with beloved song “So Far Away” and finishes strong with crowd favorites “Natural Woman” and “Beautiful.”
The story never dragged and always kept me interested. The musical starts with a 16-year-old Carole on stage playing “So Far Away” on a baby grand piano, a glimpse ahead to her Carnegie Hall performance in 1971. Then we flashback to 1958 at her family house in Brooklyn and she’s pushing her mother aside from their upright piano to play her the song she wrote. Carole is begging her mother for approval to take the song to the local music publisher Donnie Kirshner, played by John Kaczorowski, in Manhattan. She ends up going and selling the song “It Might As Well Rain Until September,” the first of many she sells to Donnie.
Then King meets Gerry Goffin, played excellently by Sean Ryan, a young and attractive lyricist at Queens College. They begin to collaborate on music and it turns romantic quickly, and soon after King is pregnant and Goffin asks her to marry him right before they sing a tender duet of “Some Kind of Wonderful.” The story follows their marriage and their rise to fame as a songwriter and composer duo writing chart top-charting hits for some of the biggest names in music of the time like The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Chiffons, and The Beatles.
Besides King’s songs we all know from her album “Tapestry,” you learn about all the legendary songs King and Goffin wrote together for others, like “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “The Loco-Motion.” I heard the woman in the row behind exclaim that she didn’t know King wrote so many of these famous songs, a secret about King that we should all know more about. We also learn charming facts about King’s life, like that the babysitter for her kids was Little Eva, who King and Goffin then asked to sing their new song “The Loco-Motion,” which was an incredibly fun and upbeat performance by the very talented Ember Tate and the entire ensemble.
The story also follows their competitor duo and eventually good friends, Cynthia Weil, played by Gretchen Didio, and Barry Mann, played by Josh Wilde. The two put on flawless performances, most notably their duet of “He’s Sure The Boy I Love,” which was entertaining and sung in sweet harmony. These two claimed their space on the stage as key players.
I also can’t go without mentioning the smooth voices of those who played The Drifters – David Eve, Derrian Brown, Jake Hayes, and El Tyner, and their impressive performance of “On Broadway” that got many people dancing in their seats, as well as the beautiful voices of those who played The Shirelles – Lily Jones, Janaé Leonard, Timiyah Love, and Ember Tate and their melodic performance of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” which brought back all the feels for many in the audience.
And lastly, I have to give a shout out to Brett Jackson for his charming performances of “Oh! Carol” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” sung alongside Marc Sacco, captivating the audience.
If you feel the earth moving you to see this show then don’t wait! This show has a limited number of seats left so claim your seat before it’s too late, I’m sure you’ve got a friend to go with. The end of the run isn’t so far away, you only have until March 24 to see this beautiful performance, so get your ticket now!
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!