Beautiful: The Carole king Musical

So, for the younger generation, who may not know who Carole King is, she had some big hits in the 70s. Songs like’ It’s Too Late’, ‘I Feel the Earth Move’, ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ and ‘Where you Lead’. These songs are worth remembering, so if you can’t recall or have not heard of them, a quick Google search will get your toes tapping. There were other big hits that Carole King wrote or cowrote, which were performed by popular singers and bands of the day. She had a hand in writing ‘Love Potion #9’, ‘The Locomotion’, ‘Oh Carol’ and even ‘Splish Splash’.
Apparently, Carole’s love of music was instilled in her by her mother. Born Carole Klein, she changed her name to Carole King early on. She was always a songwriter but didn’t perform or record her own songs until later. She started writing music in her teens and married Gerry Goffin in 1959 while she was still a teenager. They were a great team, at least when it came to writing music. Their life together was not as successful as their musical collaboration, but eventually Carole found her own strength and quite literally found her own voice. Her unique singing voice made her album ‘Tapestry’ soar to the top of the charts.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story up to this point, but that was not the end of Carole King. Her popularity waned in the 90s but surged once again in the early 2000s with the release of her ‘Live at the Troubadour’ album with James Taylor.
I loved this play. My smiling muscles had quite a workout as we took a musical trip down memory lane. Every musical number was pure joy. I have come to expect the highest caliber of performances at Stage West, and I was not disappointed. The voices, the choreography, and the costuming were all wonderful. Kaylee Harwood was a very convincing Carole King and has a beautiful voice. All the singing was excellent.
The costumes were on point. I’m always impressed by the small details like the sweater vests on the men. Of course, the Drifters and some of the other groups who were represented in this production were all decked out in their finery. There were matching velvet suits in purple, or black and red. Even their bowties matched. We were treated to hits by the Shirelle’s, the Drifters, and the Righteous Brothers. I always enjoy the choreography with the signature moves of the decade.
This was much more than a story about Carole King. It was a reminder that although we do not live in a perfect world, we have come a long way toward recognizing that women are just as capable as men. It told the story of how a woman was not destroyed by her husband’s broken vows, but rather carried on creating an even more memorable legacy. The show dealt with loyalty, friendship, romantic love, infidelity, heartbreak and ultimately the inner strength and resolve shown by Carole. She followed her passion for music and I for one am very grateful for that.