Drury Lane Theatre’s production of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” is a resounding triumph, offering audiences an unforgettable journey through the life and music of an iconic American artist. Running from January 29 to March 23, 2025, this jukebox musical captures the essence of Carole King’s rise to stardom with both heart and authenticity.
Unlike other jukebox musicals, this one focuses much more on the creators and creation of each song, unspooling a parade of hits and how the lives of the principles influenced their content. It makes sense. It’s not just a bunch of songs crammed into some flimsy plot. The plot is the lives of the artists, and even though Carole King is the focal character; the lives of Gerry Goffin, Carole’s ex-husband and lyricist of so many of her hits, lyricist Cynthia Weil and composer Barry Mann are also profiled. It’s a snapshot of creativity in New York, while these writers wrote signature songs of the sixties and seventies for many famous groups.
At the heart of the production is Samantha Gershman, whose portrayal of Carole King is nothing short of mesmerizing. From the innocence of youth to the complexities of fame, Gershman embodies King’s spirit, delivering powerful renditions of some of her lesser-known early work as well as classics from Tapestry like “I Feel the Earth Move” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She does a great job with King’s accent and even though her voice is sweeter and less nasal than King’s – it’s objectively better, her pronunciation and vocal styling is very close to the original article. Just really well done.
Alex Benoit delivers a compelling and tragic performance as Gerry Goffin, Carole’s husband and songwriting partner. His nuanced portrayal captures his personal struggles and bipolar disorder and the incredible musical triumphs of their partnership, adding depth to the narrative.
The dynamic duo of Andrew MacNaughton as Barry Mann and Alexandra Palkovic as Cynthia Weil brings both humor and heart to the stage. They make perfect breezy foils for the rather tragic pairing of Carole and Gerry. Their incredible songwriting is also highlighted with famous numbers like, “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” “On Broadway,” “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” and “We’ve Gotta Get Out of this Place”.
Michael Lawrence Brown shines as Don Kirshner, the music producer who played a pivotal role in Carole’s career, while Rebekah Ward offers a heartfelt portrayal of Genie Klein, Carole’s supportive, but critical mother.
The ensemble, featuring talents like Averis Anderson, Lydia Burke, Raeven Carrol, Ian Geers, Alanna Lovely, Chamaya Moody, Austin Nelson, Jr. and among others, adds vibrancy and energy to the production, bringing the 1960s and 70s to life with impeccable choreography and harmonies as they stand in for groups like the Drifters, Shirelles and The Righteous Brothers.
Sadly, it seems to be a feature and not a bug with all the performances I’ve seen of this show that when the performers were recreating well-known radio hits as they were supposed to have been performed, none of them sounded like the originals. Nobody studied period style. Nobody made any effort to recreate those iconic performances. They did nice, expertly executed covers. It sounded like a cover on Glee instead of an authentic 1960s era performance. It’s especially glaring when you have Gershman up there doing such a great job with Carole King’s style. I have no idea why nobody does this with this show.
Under the expert direction of Jane Lanier, and with great minimalist set design by Misha Kachman and terrific period costumes by Nicole Boylan this version of “Beautiful” is a must-see. The cast and orchestra are absolutely phenomenal even if the arrangement of the cover versions are a bit far from the originals.
Get your tickets at the Drury Lane Theatre Box Office.
Photos by Brett Beiner, screencaps from film by HMS Media.
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