Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING STORY at Argenta Contemporary Theatre

Co-written by Jim Allen

Big things are happening at the newly christened Argenta Contemporary Theater, 405 Main St, in North Little Rock, and it is no surprise that they had another sold out hit, this time with BEAUTIFUL: THE Carole King STORY, which ran from April 17-27. In fact, it was so popular that they added extra seats, and it still wasn’t enough. Because Director and Producer Vincent Insalaco combined this fabulous era of music with my favorite Central Arkansas performers, it was no wonder why this show went straight to number one.  

With Book by Douglas McGrath, BEAUTIFUL is a jukebox musical that steps into Carole King’s life around the age of 16 (1958), through the time she comes back to New York for her debut at Carnegie Hall (1971). In between this timeline, Carol (Jessica Lauren Mylonas) writes for Don Kirshner (Larry Lapaglia), meets and falls in love with fellow songwriter Gerry Goffin (Craig Wilson), becomes besties and competes with Cynthia Weil (Bridget Davis) and Barry Mann (Skye Scott), has babies, writes a ton of hits, gets a divorce, and creates Tapestry that wins her a Grammy.  

Watching these performers sing song after song was so much fun. Mylonas had radiant joy shining through her eyes and portrayed Carole with feminism strength during the struggles. So, maybe she wasn’t really playing the piano. It didn’t matter. Her skill of captivating the audience while she was singing compensated for the silent prop. 

Wilson did an excellent job at portraying a selfish, unstable partner for Carole. You could tell from his coolness at school that he was going to be trouble. Wilson and Mylonas worked well as a duo, and when Gerry had a nervous breakdown, we had mixed feelings. Do we feel sorry for him? Do we hope Carole leaves him? Wilson made it hard for the audience to hate Gerry completely. 

Davis and Scott were adorable in their pairing. Their chemistry was undeniable, however, being a real-life married couple may have something to do with that. Davis portrayed Cynthia as a strong, independent woman who was determined to succeed in a male-dominated industry. Scott’s Mann had us cracking up with his neurosis and insecurity. It was classic opposites attract type of relationship, and they made it work.  

I don’t want to leave out Lapaglia and Kathryn Pryor as Carole’s mom Genie Klein. Throughout the musical it was made known that Carole’s father was not in the picture, so it was heartwarming that Lapaglia seemed like a father figure in her life. Lapaglia gave off steady strength that was felt in the audience. Pryor’s Genie was also a caring support for Carole, and we all loved her every time she entered the scene. I am confident in stating that Pryor is beloved by all. She has that star quality that makes you light up when she’s on stage.    

The music, of course, was a major focal point of the story. The two writing pairs wrote so many songs......Some Kind of Wonderful, Take Good Care of My Baby, Up On The Roof, On Broadway, The Locomotion, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, Pleasant Valley Sunday...and so much more. The ensemble performed as The Drifters, The Shirelles, Little Eva, Righteous Brothers, Neil Sedaka and all of the other stars that graced the radio with their songs. The cast shimmied and swayed from one song to another, and all ages in the audience were having a blast with it.  

My co-writer Jim Allen said, “Even at first glance of the set, I felt like I was in the 60’s thanks to set designer Nicholas Bius. Costume designer Shelly Hall did excellent work ensuring every item fit the era, from the clothes and hairstyles down to the shoes and handbags.  The cast selection was fantastic and complimented each other amazingly. Even the members of the Drifters and the Shirelles seemed as though they had been together for years.” 

Fun was had by all, but that is normal when coming to The Argenta. This summer ACT will be focusing on their summer education classes and will present GREASE in July. I’ve seen the cast list, and I’m excited. For more information, visit their website at https://argentacontemporarytheatre.org. 

As always, I want to thank the amazing Warren McCullough for these fabulous pictures and my friend Bob Blevins for taking time out of the VIP section to say hi to me.  

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