BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Comes to CMT Marquee

CMT MARQUEE will kick off its 57th Season with the local premiere of Beautiful, The Carole King Musical, performing December 6 –15, 2024 at the historical Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose. Directed by veteran Artistic Director, Kevin Hauge, Beautiful marks the beginning of Hauge’s final season after 30 years of leadership at Children’s Musical Theater San Jose.

Beautiful, the Carole King Musical had its pre-Broadway try-out in San Francisco and opened on Broadway in 2013 . The show tells the inspiring tale of Carole King and her rise to stardom from chart-topping hits she wrote for some of the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing, trailblazing success. The Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning musical phenomenon is filled with memorable songs for all to enjoy, including “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “On Broadway,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."

Beautiful is one of two Marquee Productions during CMT's 57th season. Launched in 2005, the Marquee program highlights top emerging talent from the Bay Area and beyond, including many CMT alumni. Over the years, Marquee Productions have brought acclaimed shows such as Chess, The Full Monty, Ragtime, Hairspray, Newsies, and Billy Elliot to local audiences, showcasing high-level productions with a mix of returning alumni and fresh faces.
 
Working on a musical of this scale and genre to anchor Hauge’s final season seems apropos. When he first came to CMT over 30 years ago, he had been staging productions and reviews all over the world. Over the years at CMT he has cherished similar types of work featuring local performers. Now to have a masterpiece likeBeautiful, Hauge feels right at home. “Diving into the world of a jukebox musical and musical revue are the foundation of my experience in show creation,” says Hauge. “This is where I feel most at home. I’m thrilled to bring this story to life and focus all my resources and history in this genre of work one last time.”
 
Beautiful features a cast of 30, all of whom have grown up in this organization or have been part of Marquee productions in previous seasons. The show is led by New York based performer, Francesca Ferrari in the title role, Tarif Pappu as Barry Mann, Melissa Momboisse as Cynthia Weill, and Jack Bloome as Gerry Goffin. Ivan Bracy Jr, home from Chicago, will both choreograph the show and perform as one of the Drifters. RaMond Thomas, known at CMT for playing Coalhouse Walker Jr. in its acclaimed productions of Ragtime, returns from Los Angeles to dedicate his time and talent for the production.
 
When asked about casting the show, Hauge admits he was overwhelmed with the response and eagerness to participate. “Audition submissions arrived from all over the country. I have been lucky enough to watch many careers blossom after growing up in the CMT rehearsal halls. The fact that so many talented individuals want to come home to work together one last time is a gift I do not take for granted. I feel incredibly blessed by the time I’ve spent working with these artists in the past and can’t wait to get to work again this fall with such a talented group.”
 
Season 57 marks Hauge’s 30th anniversary leading the organization. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to become a leader in youth theater gaining support from the National Endowment for the Arts for Artistic Excellence, the American Theater Wing, and the American Alliance for Theater and Education. His artistic vision of inclusivity and excellence has been transformative for hundreds of youth who participate at CMT on an annual basis.
 
“I came to this organization 30 years ago and have had the privilege to dream and create in unimaginable ways,” says Hauge. “I’ve witnessed this organization grow exponentially, and yet, at its core, the basic principles from more than a half century ago remain intact. I am incredibly proud and humbled to see my artistic vision take shape through generations of performers. Together with a team of dedicated staff, we have walked the tightrope of Artistic Excellence and inclusivity, finding new ways to stretch each young person who walks through our doors to gain new abilities and confidence. This is the heart and soul of my 30-year legacy”.
 
CMT’s 57th season runs November 2024 through August 2025 and features three performance divisions: Marquee (MQ), Mainstage (MS) and Junior Talent/Rising Stars (JT/RS). The season includes the Fall Marquee premiere of Beautiful, the Carol King Musical, and the Winter Mainstage production of Rock of Ages. A second Marquee production will premiere in the springtime and will be announced just after the new year. Two additional brand-new Mainstage titles will also be announced closer to the holidays to round out the Mainstage season in spring and summer. CMT’s Junior Talents and Rising Stars were thrilled to learn their season to include The Lion King Jr. (JT), James and the Giant Peach (JT), A Christmas Carol (RS), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (RS), Once Upon a Mattress, (RS), and Guys and Dolls (RS).
 
Under Hauge’s artistic leadership, CMT San Jose has become a nationally acclaimed theater company recognized 13 times by the National Endowment for the Arts for Artistic Excellence. In 2018, the American Theater Wing gave Kevin an honorable mention for the Tony Award for Excellence in Theater Education. Kevin is the recipient of the prestigious Lin Wright Special Recognition Award by the American Alliance for Theater and Education and has collaborated on productions in a variety of venues all over the world. His innovative approach to projects like TADA –Theater as Digital Activity – an online program created with Apple computers back in 1998 where young people created theater by partnering with multiple children’s hospitals across the nation stands out as one of the highlights of his career. For over a year, stories and chats were collected and turned into Pulse, the Rhythm of Life, a new musical that premiered at the Montgomery Theater and chronicled into an Emmy Nominated PBS Special.
 
His boundless creativity will leave a legacy boasting groundbreaking titles allowing young people to be the first in the area the chance to perform shows like The Who’s Tommy, Aida, Miss Saigon, American Idiot, 13 the Musical, and many more. Even in the wake of Covid, Hauge quickly redirected artistic teams to produce full length shows on zoom and a summer virtual experience which featured 200 performers from their homes and produced on the big screen at the Capital Drive-In. Always focused on the youth in the CMT community, Hauge helped CMT open the doors of their new Creative Arts Center in the Spring of 2021 with a custom designed and constructed outdoor theater, allowing performers and the CMT community to come back together and enjoy live performances once again.

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