Breaking News: Abby Mueller Is Broadway's Next Carole King; Chilina Kennedy Will Take BEAUTIFUL to Toronto!

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announced today that Abby Mueller will play the title role in the Broadway company of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, beginning March 7, 2017. Mueller, who originated the role in the first national tour of Beautiful, will be taking over for Broadway's current 'Carole,' Chilina Kennedy, while Kennedy heads to her hometown to headline the show at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theater from June 27 - August 20, 2017. Kennedy will be joined in the Toronto production by Liam Tobin, who originated the role of 'Gerry Goffin' on tour. Kennedy will return to the Broadway production following the Toronto run of Beautiful.

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical is now in its fourth hit year at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street). In addition to the hit Broadway production, award-winning productions are playing in London's West End and on tour across the US. The show has announced an Australian production, set to premiere in September 2017. 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.

The current Broadway cast of Beautiful includes Chilina Kennedy as 'Carole King', Jake Epstein 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, Douglas Carpenter, Rebecca Covington, Kevin Duda, James Harkness, Sara King, Rebecca LaChance, Douglas Lyons, Rob Marnell, Gabrielle Reid, Nicholas Ryan, Rashidra Scott, Sara Sheperd, Kimber Sprawl, Yasmeen Sulieman, Nasia Thomas, Daniel Torres, Melvin Tunstall, and Alan Wiggins.

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 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).

Ticket prices for Beautiful range from $69 - $169 and are available for purchase via Telecharge.com, but calling 212-239-6200, or in person at the Sondheim Theatre box office. Beautiful plays the following schedule: Tuesdays at 7:00PM, Wednesdays at 2:00PM, Thursdays at 7:00PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 2:00PM and 8:00PM, and Sundays at 2:00PM and 7:00PM.

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical is produced on Broadway by Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, John Gore, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish/Trinchero, andJeremiah J. Harris.

Abby Mueller just finished a run as Carole King in the National Tour of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. NY: Kinky Boots (Broadway), A Minister's Wife (Lincoln Center), School of Rock (Off-Broadway Workshop, Gramercy Theatre). Regional: AbiGail Adams in 1776 (American Conservatory Theater and Asolo Rep), Fantine in Les Miserables, Ellen in Miss Saigon (Ellen), Narrator in Joseph...(Fulton Theatre), Mary Zimmerman's Candide (Huntington Theatre Company), Catherine in Pippin (Utah Shakespearean Festival), Constance in The Three Musketeers (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Fiona in Brigadoon, Cinderella in Into The Woods, Georgie in The Full Monty (Marriott Theatre).

Chilina Kennedy has played Carole King in the Broadway production of Beautiful since March 7, 2015. Other Broadway: Mary Magdalene in Des McAnuff's Jesus Christ Superstar. 1st national tour: Sophie in Mamma Mia! Selected regional: Pheobe D'Ysquith in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (CT and San Diego Critics Circle nominations), Evangeline in Evangeline (original production and album), Ross Petty's panto The Little Mermaid (Toronto Theatre Critics' Award), three seasons at the Stratford Festival including Maria in Gary Griffin's West Side Story, three seasons at the Shaw Festival and The Lord of the Rings (world premiere, Toronto). Chilina is a singer/songwriter with a debut album entitled What You Find in a Bottle. www.chilinakennedy.com

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus