BEAUTIFUL - The Carole King Musical has posted closing notices for 5 August 2017 at the West End's Aldwych Theatre, just before its planned UK tour opens. Will you visit the London production before it finishes? Watch here what happened when King herself visited in March...
The West End production of BEAUTIFUL – The Carole King Musical, based on the early life and career of legendary singer songwriter Carole King, will complete its run at the Aldwych Theatre on 5 August 2017.
The UK tour of BEAUTIFUL will open in Bradford on 9 September 2017 and continues in Plymouth, Southampton, Norwich, Southend, Nottingham, Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, Newcastle, Hull, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Woking, Sunderland, Bristol, Leeds, Stoke on Trent, Liverpool and Oxford, with all venues currently on sale.
BEAUTIFUL received its Broadway premiere in January 2014 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre where it continues to play to packed houses. The London premiere was in February 2015 and a US tour began later that year. An Australian production will open in Sydney in September this year.
During its two-and-a-half-year run in the West End, the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning show had two visits from Carole King, when on both occasions she surprised the cast and audience at the curtain call. Both times she was greeted with a standing ovation at the Aldwych Theatre as she took to the stage to sing her classic hit You’ve Got A Friend. Joining King for London’s opening night were fellow composers Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, whose story is also told as part of BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to her remarkable rise to stardom. Along the way, she became one of the most successful solo acts in music history, and wrote the soundtrack to a generation.
The musical features the Carole King classics including So Far Away, It Might as Well Rain Until September, Take Good Care of My Baby, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Up on the Roof, Locomotion, One Fine Day, You’ve Got a Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move, along with hits from songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil like You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, On Broadway and Uptown.
The current West End cast comprises Cassidy Janson in the title role, Matthew Seadon-Young as King’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, Stephanie McKeon as song-writer Cynthia Weil, Ian McIntosh as song-writer Barry Mann, Joseph Prouse as music publisher and producer Donnie Kirshner and Barbara Drennan as King’s mother Genie Klein.
They are joined by Gavin Alex, Georgie Ashford, Koko Basigara, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Ashford Campbell, Treyc Cohen, Natasha Cottriall, Michael Duke, Matthew Gonsalves, Jammy Kasongo, Leigh Lothian and Earl R. Perkins who play iconic musical performers and band members of the era and swings Derek Aidoo, Rosie Heath, Dominic Hodson, Emma Louise Jones, Jessica Joslin, Vicki Manser, David O’Mahony and Jaime Tait.
The book of BEAUTIFUL is by Douglas McGrath with words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The production is directed by Marc Bruni with choreography is by Josh Prince, set designs by Derek McLane, costume designs by Alejo Vietti, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations and Music Arrangements are by Steve Sidwell.
