Beautiful - The Carole King Musical (UK Touring)
It's hard enough to create a successful and popular musical but, to bring to the stage the rich diversity required to depict a life and more importantly the life of a popular music icon who is very much still with us and loved by generations of music lovers, is almost one step too far.
However that musical exists and is currently touring the UK after over two years in residence at the Aldwych Theatre in London's West End. Starring the totally stunning Bronté Barbé as Carole King and at this performance Grant McConvey in a highly controlled and completely believable interpretation as her partner in marriage and songwriting Gerry Goffin.
Gerry Goffin & Carole King were married in 1959 at which point she was 17 and he was 20 and went on to write a string of hits (she the music, he the lyrics) for numerous artists. Their first being 'It Might As Well Rain Until September', originally created for Bobby Vee but, released by Carole herself and although it only reached No.22 in the US Chart, reached No.3 in the UK.
Providing many of the songs for the girl groups of Dimension Records founded by Don Kirshner and played with suave sophistication by Adan Howden, it would be challenging for any audience member not to recognise track after track, no matter their age, just proving the timeless nature of these songs.
They say genius is usually flawed in some way and the partnership of Goffin & King hardly follows a path without complexity both domestically and professionally. Living through much of this period with them are another musical partnership writing for Kirshner, Barry Mann an energetic yet subtly comic portrayal by Matthew Gonsalves and Cynthia Weil an authentic and sublimely voiced portrait by Amy Ellen Richardson.
It’s difficult not to want to mention every member of a stellar cast, to name just a few, Carol Royle as a wittily cutting Genie Klein (Carol’s mother), Khalid Daley, Simeon Montague, Matthew Elliot-Campbell and Matt Mills who get The Drifters just right and Emma Lucia with a great ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ as Marilyn Wald.
When you have an audience hanging on every moment, you know you have a hit on your hands and with a renowned score from Goffin & King, some considerate direction from Marc Bruni and genuinely honest choreography from Josh Prince this is that show.
If you only get to see one more musical in the next twelve months, make it this one and if you can see it more than once do so, Beautiful tours until 23rd June 2018.
Book Here
However that musical exists and is currently touring the UK after over two years in residence at the Aldwych Theatre in London's West End. Starring the totally stunning Bronté Barbé as Carole King and at this performance Grant McConvey in a highly controlled and completely believable interpretation as her partner in marriage and songwriting Gerry Goffin.
Gerry Goffin & Carole King were married in 1959 at which point she was 17 and he was 20 and went on to write a string of hits (she the music, he the lyrics) for numerous artists. Their first being 'It Might As Well Rain Until September', originally created for Bobby Vee but, released by Carole herself and although it only reached No.22 in the US Chart, reached No.3 in the UK.
Providing many of the songs for the girl groups of Dimension Records founded by Don Kirshner and played with suave sophistication by Adan Howden, it would be challenging for any audience member not to recognise track after track, no matter their age, just proving the timeless nature of these songs.
They say genius is usually flawed in some way and the partnership of Goffin & King hardly follows a path without complexity both domestically and professionally. Living through much of this period with them are another musical partnership writing for Kirshner, Barry Mann an energetic yet subtly comic portrayal by Matthew Gonsalves and Cynthia Weil an authentic and sublimely voiced portrait by Amy Ellen Richardson.
It’s difficult not to want to mention every member of a stellar cast, to name just a few, Carol Royle as a wittily cutting Genie Klein (Carol’s mother), Khalid Daley, Simeon Montague, Matthew Elliot-Campbell and Matt Mills who get The Drifters just right and Emma Lucia with a great ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ as Marilyn Wald.
When you have an audience hanging on every moment, you know you have a hit on your hands and with a renowned score from Goffin & King, some considerate direction from Marc Bruni and genuinely honest choreography from Josh Prince this is that show.
If you only get to see one more musical in the next twelve months, make it this one and if you can see it more than once do so, Beautiful tours until 23rd June 2018.
Book Here
Comments
Post a Comment