Jarrod Spector & Anika Larsen to Depart Broadway's BEAUTIFUL; Replacements in the Wings

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announced today that Ben Jacoby, previously seen in the US Tour of Phantom of the Opera, will step into the role of 'Barry Mann' in Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, beginning the week of February 29, 2016. Jacoby will take over for Tony Award nominee Jarrod Spector, whose last performance is scheduled for Sunday, February 28, 2016. Beautiful - The Carole King Musical plays at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street).

Producers also announced today that Jessica Keenan Wynn, who filled in for Tony Award-nominee Anika Larsen for six months in 2015, will return to take over the role beginning April 26, 2016. Larsen's last performance is scheduled for April 24, 2016.

The current Broadway cast of Beautiful includes Chilina Kennedy as 'Carole King', Scott J. Campbell as 'Gerry Goffin', Tony Award nominee Anika Larsen as 'Cynthia Weil', Tony Award nominee Jarrod Spector as 'Barry Mann', Paul Anthony Stewart as 'Don Kirshner', Tony Award nominee Liz Larsen as 'Genie Klein', and an ensemble that includes Gisela Adisa, J. Daughtry, Josh Davis, Kevin Duda, James Harkness, Brittney Johnson, Sara King, Julia Knitel, Douglas Lyons, Rob Marnell, Gabrielle Reid, Rashidra Scott, Sara Sheperd, Kimber Sprawl, Yasmeen Sulieman, Daniel Torres, Melvin Tunstall and Alan Wiggins.

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, which has broken all box office records and recently became the highest grossing show in the history of the Sondheim Theatre, Beautiful opened to rave reviews at London's Aldwych Theatre in February 2015, where the show won two Olivier Awards, and launched its First National Tour in September 2015.

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.

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 7:00 PM, Wednesdays at 2:00 PM, Thursdays at 7:00 PM, Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM.

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, and Jeremiah J. Harris.

Photo by Joan Marcus