Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROL KING MUSICAL at Olney Theatre Center

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical has the look and feel - and certainly the sound - of a summer blockbuster for Olney Theatre Center, running now through August 25th.

Beautiful tells the story Carole King and Gerry Goffin, of one of the greatest songwriting duos in pop music history, tracking their collaboration (and marriage) from the late 1950's through King's emergence as a solo superstar in the early 1970's. Highlighting the friendly rivalry between King and Goffin and fellow songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, the show features a cavalcade of the biggest hits of the golden age of Rock and Roll. Along the way, Douglas McGrath's book interweaves many of the standard elements of a jukebox musical - teen pregnancy, artistic differences, mental breakdowns and marital infidelity among them. Fortunately, Beautiful is heavy on the oldies, with just enough behind-the-scenes drama to make it a robust and compelling musical.

And what a musical it is! Musical director Christopher Youstra leads a tight, 10-piece orchestra backing a cast that features superb singers, from top to bottom. From the moment Natalie Weiss (King) takes the stage to sing So Far Away, it's a buffet of stellar renditions of classic hits like Take Good Care of My Baby, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Up On the Roof, The Loco-Motion, It's Too Late, and You've Got a Friend - all perfectly executed by this talented ensemble.

Standout performances abound. Donna Migliaccio (Genie Klein) brings just the right touch as King's prototypical New York Jewish mother, without ever going over the top. She has a wry, dry delivery that provides both comic relief and some of the show's most poignant moments. Michael Perrie Jr (Gerry Goffin) foreshadows the tortured artist personality that will eventually lead to Goffin's mental breakdown, along with the serial infidelity that ultimately results in King divorcing him. Nikki Mirza (Cynthia Weil) brings a sparkling energy to every scene, and her chemistry with Calvin McCullough (Barry Mann) across the arc of the story is genuine and believable. Bobby Smith (legendary producer Don Kirshner) is by turns gruff and business like, but with a soft spot in his heart for the young songwriters in his employ.

The creative and technical elements perfectly compliment the talent on stage. Director Amy Anders Corcoran moves the actors smoothly around on the minimalist set designed by Debra Kim Sivigny. Kendra Rai's costume are period perfect - the matching outfits for the Motown vocal groups are appropriately sophisticated and flashy, and the everyday fashions are spot on. Lighting Design by Colin K. Bills flows seamlessly between the performance segments and the office/home scenes, and the sound design (by Matthew Rowe) and execution were flawless - every note of music and line of dialogue was crisp and clear.

A show this polished on opening night is only going to get better as the run goes on, and it is sure to sell very well. Make plans now to spend an evening humming along to some of the greatest rock and roll songs ever written, before this stunning show closes. It's a wonderful trip down memory lane for boomers, and a great introduction to classic oldies for everyone else.

Beautiful: The Carol King Musical runs through August 25th, and is suitable for audiences of all ages. Running time is 2:35, with one intermission. For more information about Olney Theatre Center, click here.

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