Jukebox musicals — shows that are built around pre-existing songs, like “Mamma Mia” — are often used to tell biographical stories about the artists behind the music. “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” is one of the most popular. Since the show premiered on Broadway in 2014, the Rochester Broadway Theatre League has hosted two national tours and last season, JCC CenterStage mounted a production. The latest opportunity to see the show staged regionally is at Geva Theatre, in co-production with Pioneer Theatre Company in Utah, through June 29.
The show opens with Carole (Samantha Gershman) at a baby grand piano wearing a paisley dress and curly blonde wig, about to begin a Carnegie Hall concert. Gershman is a fine vocalist, performing each word with clarity and nuance, as though the songs are old friends. When the show jumps back to the 1950s, she convincingly transitions from the confident, award-winning solo performer to an insecure teenager cringing her way through conversations with her crush.
After seeing her ex-boyfriend Neil Sedaka (William Spinnato) perform his original song “Oh Carol” on TV, 16-year-old Carole convinces her mother (a stern but endearing Mary Fanning Driggs) she too has what it takes to sell her own songs. She goes to 1650 Broadway and quickly wins over Don Kirshner (played by Aaron R. Duclos with a contemplative resting face and keen comic timing), who scoops her up to write for his music factory of songwriters churning out hits.
She has an ear for melody, but needs help with the lyrics. Enter Gerry Goffin (a smoothly charming Anthony Sagaria), a good-looking playwright and lyricist at her college, who condescends to her with just enough charm to win her over. They begin a romantic relationship as “research” for their writing collaborations, and before long Carole is pregnant and the two wed.
As with traditional musicals, a secondary couple acts as a foil to the main romance. For a jukebox musical, it’s an opportunity to include more hit songs. Barry Mann (a womanizing hypochondriac Stephen Christopher Anthony) and Cynthia Weil (played with the flair of a diva by Lee Harrington) appear as a counterpart songwriting couple. The duos maintain genuine admiration and affection for each other even as they compete for artists to perform their songs and number one hits. Their professional rivalry is mimicked in the set design (Jason Simms), which features two rotating sets of stairs that slide together and apart throughout the show (and provide a rooftop platform for “Up On the Roof”).
The book by Douglas McGrath covers two decades of Carole’s life in two and a half hours, necessarily speeding through major events: Carole and Gerry become partners in both writing and kissing within moments of meeting; their marital problems emerge just as abruptly. Though ostensibly about Carole, much of the conflict stems from her husband’s desire for polyamory and mental health struggles.
As Carole’s career takes off, her songs are presented in rousing production numbers that give audiences a taste of what it may have been like to hear hits like “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “The Locomotion” for the first time. The Shirelles (Hannah Camille Hall, Grace Ellis Solomon, Elexis Morton, Tyler Symone) perform “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” in sparkly pink dresses singing into standing mics with upbeat choreography (Gerry McIntyre) below a disco ball.
The Drifters (Travis Keith Battle, Chris Richie, Nathan Andrew Riley, Tyrick Wiltez Jones) are standouts, each with a distinct personality and rich vocals, as they relish in dreamy falsettos and synchronized sways. Their crowd-pleasing “On Broadway” makes one wish these charismatic performers were given meatier roles, rather than merely entertaining interludes to the drama of the white songwriters. The ensemble is a mix of seasoned national actors and Nazareth students, who infuse the show with the energy of young talent on the cusp of their careers.
Under the direction of Karen Azenberg, the production is a visual and nostalgic feast. Costumes by Kara Harmon evoke the changing decades, from the pastel dresses and sweater vests of the 1950s to the flowery blouses and plaid pants of the 1970s. The hair and wig design by Kate Casalino complements the story, with Carole’s hair showing a transformation from ordinary teen (straight hair in a ponytail) to self-assured performer (explosively curly hair).
The scenes move quickly, with couches and chairs coming on and off stage amidst the rotating set pieces. At its best, these movements capture the hectic excitement of live music performances filmed for TV; occasionally, the movement of huge set pieces feels excessive and clunky. The lighting design by Dawn Chiang features a backdrop of beautiful vibrant colors to heighten Carole’s moods, from young love to heartache.
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” offers great performances of iconic songs alongside a feel-good story of a woman finding her voice. It may not be the type of groundbreaking theater that makes the earth move under your feet, but as far as feel-good jukebox musicals go, this show may as well have been crafted in a music factory to be a crowd-pleaser.
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” plays at Geva through June 29. Tickets and more info here.
Katherine Varga is a contributor to CITY.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
