WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN: CARPENTERS REMEMBERED to Play Chastain Park Amphitheatre

"We've Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered," a celebration of the Carpenters' legacy in words and music, is set for a one-night-only performance at Chastain Park Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 15 at 8 p.m. as part of the 2017 Delta Live Nation Concert Series.

Led by singer Michelle Berting Brett and accompanied by a live, seven-piece Nashville band directed by Harry Sharpe, the show recreates the Carpenters' original sound, presenting an intimate behind-the-scenes portrait of one of the most successful recording acts of all time.

"We've Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered" is a tribute in the truest sense to the music and lives of the seminal brother-and-sister duo that defined an era. The show includes performances of the Carpenters' most memorable songs, among them "Close to You," "Yesterday Once More," "Rainy Days & Mondays," "Superstar" and, of course, "We've Only Just Begun." The Atlanta engagement will mark the 81st performance of the show, which has played in 23 states to date.

The Carpenter family, including then 16-year-old Richard and 13-year-old Karen, moved to Downey, California from New Haven, Connecticut in 1963. Both siblings attended Downey High School where Richard, an already accomplished pianist, came to the attention of the school's band director, and Karen played glockenspiel in the marching band to get out of gym class. She later switched to the drums and began singing with a jazz trio formed with her brother and a school friend. By 1969, the Carpenters were signed to A&M Records and would become one of the most successful acts of the 1970s.

"We've Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered," is a product of an idea by Berting Brett, a farm girl from a musical family in Saskatchewan, conceived after being told repeatedly that she sounded like Karen Carpenter. Berting Brett, studied opera and musical theatre and then toured the world in musicals, show bands, and her own cabaret shows while based in Toronto. She was encouraged by her now-husband, producer Mark Brett, to create a one-woman show based around the Carpenters' music. The show played a small club in Toronto with Berting Brett accompanied only by a pianist. That was 2009, and now with this husband and wife team at the helm, the little SRO cabaret show has evolved into a touring production that has played major venues in the United States since 2013, including four sold-out engagements in Las Vegas. In August 2016, the show played to an SRO audience at the 800-seat Downey Theatre near Los Angeles where The Carpenters, who have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, grew up.

A CD of "We've Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered," recorded in Nashville in 2015, includes performances of the Carpenters' most memorable songs, among them "Close to You," "Yesterday Once More," "Rainy Days & Mondays," "Goodbye to Love," and, of course, "We've Only Just Begun." The CD is available for purchase at each show and online at CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon.

Tickets for "We've Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered" start at $25 and are available by visiting ChastainSeries.com. For more information, visit WeveOnlyJustBegunShow.com online or on social at Facebook and Twitter.

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