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.
Along the way, King made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation. “Beautiful” features a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including “I Feel the Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend” and the title song.
“Beautiful – The Carole King Musical,” the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway hit about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter Carole King, makes its Nashville premiere with a one-week engagement at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Andrew Jackson Hall May 23-28, 2017.
With a book by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, “Beautiful” 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.
“Carole King might be a native New Yorker, but her story of struggle and triumph is as universal as they come – and her music is loved the world over," said producer Paul Blake. “We know that audiences throughout the country will embrace this show just as Broadway and London audiences have.”
“I fell in love with this glorious musical when I saw it on Broadway,” says Kathleen O’Brien, TPAC president and chief executive officer. “It reintroduces you to the iconic and beautiful music of Carole King, and you learn more about her life and how her experiences shaped her songs. After seeing it, there is no doubt why King is one of the most successful, prolific and beloved songwriters and performers of our lifetime.”
“Beautiful” opened on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in January 2014, where it has since broken all box office records and recently became the highest-grossing production in the Theatre’s history. “Beautiful” opened in London at the Aldwych Theatre in February 2015 and launched its First National Tour in September 2015.
