A 'Beautiful' debut at Ovation
Did you feel the earth move under your feet earlier this month? It might not have just been a quake but also rehearsals for "Beautiful," the story of musical powerhouse Carole King opening this weekend at Ovation Theatre.
There's no denying the impact of the hitmaker who before forging her solo career wrote hits for the Shirelles, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Tony Orlando, the Drifters, the Chiffons, the Monkees and many more.
Director Cody Garcia has been a fan of King's since he was introduced to the songwriter's music as a kid courtesy of his uncle Mike.
"He loved playing records of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, and Carole King," Garcia wrote in an email. "I remember singing along to 'It’s Too Late' in his car on the oldies radio station and hearing it anywhere I went during the '90s — the mall, the grocery store — everywhere. That melody was inescapable."
Along with the songs, Garcia was excited to learn about the jukebox musical, with a book by Douglas McGrath, although he never would have guessed he'd be directing it someday.
He wrote, "Ovation's artistic director, Hal Friedman, thought 'Beautiful' was a perfect fit to showcase my directing style and what I’ve always had a talent for delivering — musicals that have heart, memorable music, upbeat choreography and show-stopping production numbers."
"Beautiful" covers King's early life and career, including her first husband, lyricist Gerry Goffin (Trenton Benet), and friends lyricist Cynthia Weil (VaLynn Transmeier) and composer Barry Mann (Jesse Magdaleno).
Garcia described it as "a fast-moving jukebox musical that takes you through some of the most popular songs of the '50s, '60s and early '70s — to tell the origin story of Carol Klein and how she becomes the legendary singer-songwriter Carole King that we all know and love.
"It begins in 1958 when Carole is at the age of 16, and ends at her Carnegie Hall performance in 1971, the year that her seminal award-winning album, 'Tapestry,' is released."
The role of King will be played by Bri Deras through Sept. 7 and by understudy Missy Lonsinger on Sept. 13 and 14. On Sept. 15, Lonsinger will perform in the matinee and Deras will close out the show's run with the evening performance.
"Both actresses give two amazing but very different interpretations of Carole, so you’ll have to grab two sets of tickets to see what they both have in store for you!," Garcia wrote.
The director said audiences will be amazed by the cast, noting that Magdaleno, Deras, Lonsinger and Abigail Clippinger, who sings the number "Uptown," are wonderful instrumentalists who will play either piano or guitar live in the show.
Garcia said there are many great numbers in the show including Transmeier and Magdaleno's rendition of "Waking In The Rain" and the title song "because of its lyrics and heartfelt sentiment."
The show succeeds in portraying the humility and heart of King, who saw herself as a normal girl connecting with others through her songwriting to "make people feel like they have a friend in the room," Garcia wrote.
"I think that is a huge testament to Carole’s character. She is relatable because she saw herself like every other middle-class American housewife in the '60s who was just trying to raise a family, yet she and her husband Gerry Goffin were writing these huge hits for groups like The Drifters and The Shirelles and changing the trajectory of the music industry as a whole by giving these up-and-coming African American artists an opportunity at that time to be front and center."
Garcia hopes audiences walk away entertained, enjoying a respite from the heaviness and animosity that's in the world right now.
"I want this show to inspire them to 'get up every morning, with a smile on their face and show the world, all the love in their heart,'" he wrote. "Theatre and music is all about connection and I hope this show and Carole's music gives people an opportunity to do just that."
For opening night on Friday, Ovation will host a preshow cocktail party, an idea hatched by Garcia and good friend and fellow Ovation committee member Kat Kohler to evoke the show’s retro vibe.
"We thought, a 1960s soirée with classic hors d'oeuvres would be perfect! We will also have live music featuring the incredible musician Matt Anspach and pineapple upside-down cupcakes made by Victoria Tiger. We are inviting everyone to dress up in their best '60s getup and have a great time!"