Review: It's One Fine Day to See BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Broadway At Music Circus

It’s officially summer stock season! Kicking off my favorite time of the year is Broadway at Music Circus’ production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Its Broadway premiere in 2014 garnered seven Tony Award nominations, with two wins for Best Leading Actress and Best Sound Design. While I tend to have a healthy reservation of jukebox musicals, Beautiful puts that to rest with its peppy pace, feel-good music, and message of empowerment.

Beautiful tells the story of Carole King who, with her signature chutzpah, sold her first song to producer Don Kirshner at age 16. It’s a personal glimpse into the determination, ambition, and heartbreak that shaped one of America’s greatest songwriters. It’s also an inspiring reminder to stay true to yourself because no one else will chase your dreams for you.

Kaitlyn Davis’ Carole King opens the show with a concert at Carnegie Hall, performing “So Far Away” from her Grammy winning album, Tapestry. Davis is a joyful and thoughtful King, showcasing her clear and sometimes-twangy voice that, honestly, sings King better than King. Davis then segues back to the past, where a friendly and hopeful teenage King meets her songwriting partner and soon-to-be-husband, Gerry Goffin (Billy Cohen). Even being pregnant and married at 17, King and Goffin produce a string of hits under Kirshner’s (John Scherer) label, including “Up on the Roof” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.” While there, King and Goffin develop a friendship with another songwriting duo, Cynthia Weil (Kirsten Scott) and Barry Mann (James Michael Lambert). A healthy competition ensues to see who can pen the most number one hits, of which are born “On Broadway” (Weil/Mann), “The Locomotion” (King/Goffin), “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” (Weil/Mann), and “One Fine Day” (King/Goffin). At the peak of this success is when Goffin starts to exhibit signs of anxiety. Feeling suffocated in his marriage, he turns to other women to relieve the stress of trying to keep up with an ever-changing music scene and the responsibilities of family life. Finally, King has had enough and tells Gerry (to the delight of the audience), “The girls deserve better. And you know what? So do I.” Through a lot of tears and self-doubt, she is reminded by her mother that a girl existed before Gerry Goffin. One who determinedly set out to make a name for herself in the music industry alone. And so she does again, this time with two young daughters in tow to Los Angeles, where she becomes the voice of a generation of women who are also breaking free of patriarchal bonds.

Davis, who was previously in the National Tour of Beautiful, comes across as earnest and likable, solidifying King’s place in our hearts as a vulnerable and honest helmswoman of the feminist movement. We go through all the stages of grief with her on the stage, cheering when she finally tells Goffin that “It’s Too Late,” and moves past him when she successfully incorporates his song onto her new album, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” King is every woman, and that is part of her charm.

A talented ensemble rounds out this production, with beautiful choreography by Justin Keyes that evokes a simpler time. It’s a time of boy bands in uncomfortable yet classy suits, and girl groups in matching technicolor dresses and heels. Everyone moves in perfect sync and uncomplicated lyrics are full of innocence. It’s an epic singalong of 1960s hits that inspires nostalgia and invigorates the senses. If you enjoyed the National Tour, you’ll love this even more. Broadway at Music Circus’ intimate setting lends itself to the subject matter, drawing us in to King’s private struggles and ultimate triumphs, and encouraging us to follow our dreams and reminding us all that, “You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful as you feel.”

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical plays at Broadway at Music Circus through June 18. More information and tickets may be found online at BroadwaySacramento.com, by phone at (916) 557-1999, or in person at the Box Office at 1419 H Street in Sacramento.

Photo credit: Kevin Graft

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