Beautiful

Words Can’t Bring Her Down…

Beautiful

The Carole King Musical 

Review

In its current production, Erie Playhouse offers the audience a welcome musical re-education.  For while baby boomers may recognize the music of Carole King–whether it’s as a solo artist or with her collaborator-husband, Gerry Goffin, most younger generations have no idea who she is and how much she contributed to American pop music.

Examples? The Loco-motion. Up on the Roof. Chains. Take Good Care of My Baby. One Fine Day. I’m Into Something Good. Pleasant Valley Sunday. Go Away Little Girl. Some Kind of Wonderful. You’ve Got a Friend. (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman. Jazzman. And many, many more…

Beautiful tells the life story of Carol Joan Klein, a woman born to compose music, selling her first song at 16 to legendary record producer and publisher, Don Kirshner. She also meets her future husband at Kirshner’s office and their musical collaboration begins there. (Though certainly romantic, poetic license was invoked for the sake of the musical, however. King and Goffin actually met while attending college, to name only one.) Thank you, Wikipedia.  

Married to Goffin, the revered songwriting couple starts a family and begin writing songs that were sung by  Little Eva, The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Monkees and even The  Beatles.  

What could go wrong? Her husband. Goffin begins experimenting with drugs, suffering mental issues and straying from his wife. And, as the 1960’s progressed, musical styles changed, leaving the goofy or syrupy love songs they occasionally composed behind in the wake of socially progressive anthems. It’s only after finally leaving her husband and moving across the country, that she finds her own voice, personally and professionally, as a solo artist.   

Aside from a few audio snafus when I attended Saturday evening’s show, Beautiful was enjoyable.  However, with some songs sung by the faux Drifters and Righteous Brothers and others…well, they may’ve been singin’ it, but weren’t necessarily bringin’ it.

Overall, director Emily Cassano’s production was  entertaining as it illustrated King’s personal and professional highs and lows. Brandon Vogt as music guru Donnie Kirshner, Kyle Filbeck as hypochondriac-worrywart-lovelorn fellow composer Barry Mann and Judy Stow as Carole’s mom, Genie, provide some good yucks to keep the show light and happy; serving well as a counterpoint to Brendan Daugherty’s crucial portrayal of a frustrated and tormented Goffin.  

At the show’s center is Kate Thiem as Carole King. The actress aptly mutates from an innocent teen, to a dedicated songwriter, to a loving, concerned, and finally rebuffed wife to emerge from a chrysalis, a confident, independent woman.  Thiem’s rich vocals and presence onstage was much  appreciated by the audience.     

Carole King once asked in one of her classic songs  Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? After seeing the musical Beautiful, the answer is yes.

**Daphne Beaumont

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical  continues through October 1. For more information, visit erieplayhouse.org

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