Today Officially Named 'BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Day' in New York City

The Carole King Musical celebrated 1,000 performances on Broadway today, becoming the longest running show to play at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (formally known as the Henry Miller Theatre).

Carole King herself was on-hand to celebrate with the cast, and appeared on stage as Julie Menin, the NYC Commissioner from the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, presented a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Bill DeBlasio, declaring today, June 15, 2016, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical Day." After the presentation, the cast celebrated with a special cake designed by the Cake Boss.

The proclamation declares the following:

Whereas: New York has long been an incubator for talented performing artists, and Brooklyn native Carole King, the groundbreaking composer, singer and songwriter, exemplifies our city's phenomenal creative energy. King was captivated by music as a child and found early success at age 17 in 1959 when she co-wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" with her partner Gerry Goffin, which became a number one hit for The Shirelles. The pair wrote several additional hits before King went solo and was catapulted to stardom with the 1971 release of her Grammy Award-winning album Tapestry. During a career spanning more than 50 years, she has been honored by the Kennedy Center and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Together with fans far and wide, Chirlane and I applaud Carole King for enriching the soundtrack of our lives and shaping the music scene in New York and around the world.

Whereas: This year marks the 45th Anniversary of Carole King's iconic album Tapestry, which remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. Released in 1971, the album spoke to listeners who were enchanted by its soulful lyrics, easy-going tunes and King's distinctive voice. Featuring such unforgettable hits as "You've Got a Friend," "So Far Away," "It's Too Late," and "Beautiful," the album spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard album chart - a first for a female solo artist - and it endures as a beloved classic today.

Whereas: In January 2014, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical" opened on Broadway, and today the production celebrates its 1,000th performance, making it the longest-running show at Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The Tony Award-winning musical follows the story of Carole King and Gerry Goffin from their early days as struggling writers through to King's rise as a solo sensation with the success of Tapestry. As the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment continues to invest in our city's vital theatre industry, Chirlane and I are delighted to join in congratulating all those associated with "Beautiful" on this impressive milestone and for capturing the hearts of Carole King fans old and new.

Now therefore, I, Bill de Blasio, Mayor of the City of New York, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 in the City of New York as:

"Beautiful - The Carole King Musical Day"

Beautiful opened on Broadway on Sunday, January 12, 2014 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street), where is broke all box office records and continues to play to sold-out crowds.

The current Broadway cast of Beautiful includes Chilina Kennedy as 'Carole King', Scott J. Campbell as 'Gerry Goffin', Jessica Keenan Wynn as 'Cynthia Weil,' Ben Jacoby as 'Barry Mann,' Paul Anthony Stewart as 'Don Kirshner', Tony Award-nominee Liz Larsen as 'Genie Klein', an ensemble that includes Gisela Adisa, Josh Davis, Kevin Duda, James Harkness, Sara King, Julia Knitel, Tamika Lawrence, Douglas Lyons, Rob Marnell, Gabrielle Reid, Sara Sheperd, Kimber Sprawl, Yasmeen Sulieman, Nasia Thomas, Daniel Torres, Melvin Tunstall, Alan Wiggins, and Dashaun Young.

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. 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. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

With a book by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, Beautiful features a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical (Ghostlight Records), the 2015 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theater Album, is available on CD, digitally, and on vinyl. In addition to the hit Broadway production, award-winning productions are playing in London's West End and on tour across the US.

The creative team of Beautiful also includes Derek McLane (Set Design), Alejo Vietti (Costume Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), Brian Ronan (Sound Design), Charles G. LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Sidwell (Orchestrations and Music Arrangements), Jason Howland (Music Supervision) and John Miller (Music Coordination).

Photo by Joan Marcus