Vanessa Carlton to make Broadway debut as Carole King in 'Beautiful'
Vanessa Carlton can feel the earth move under her feet.
Producers announced today that the pop singer is poised to make her Broadway debut this summer stepping behind the piano as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
The “A Thousand Miles” singer begins performances on June 27 at New York’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Carlton will be with the show for 10 weeks.
“It is a privilege to tell Carole’s story,” Carlton said in a statement. “She wasn’t just a great pianist and writer, she was on the frontier of women in power positions in the music industry. Her courage and sacrifice, not to mention fierce sense of self, paved the way for artists like myself to have a shot. Being a pianist, writer, and mother myself, I am thrilled to honor her and bring to life the story of a fellow woman balancing it all.”
Both Carlton and King have extensive experience as singer-songwriters. Carlton shot to fame for her debut album Be Not Nobody, which is certified platinum and features the iconic single “A Thousand Miles.” A major hit of 2002, the song was nominated for three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Beautiful has been a bonafide Broadway hit for five years running. Telling the story of Carole King and her journey from a teenage songwriter to a best-selling artist in her own right, the musical won two 2014 Tony Awards, including Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for star Jessie Mueller.
The show features a wide array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including You’ve Got a Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “Up on the Roof,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Natural Woman.”
In celebration of the news, Carlton performed a special mash-up of her song “A Thousand Miles” and the Carole King hit “Beautiful.” Watch the video above for more.
PEOPLE exclusively reported the news first here.
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