Direct from the West End, BEAUTIFUL is a love letter to the music of Carole King.
Long before she topping the charts as a solo artist, Carole was an average girl with an extraordinary talent. This show certainly celebrates her musical genius.
She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and sold her first hit, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, at just seventeen.
By the time she reached her twenties she had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the legends like Aretha Franklin, The Monkees, The Drifters & The Shirelles.
BEAUTIFUL is a sell-out production that audiences seemingly can’t wait to watch. But why? Perhaps the memories and nostalgia of the hits outweigh the quality of the show?
For me it is just an average show, with average vocals, average sound & staging making it an average night in the theatre (for nearly £50 per ticket). It left me cold. But, what do I know – it’s a smash hit!
This is basically Jersey Boys without the killer vocals, wit, edge, energy, heart and sincerity. It does have the hits though! For me it doesn’t go anywhere as there’s no electrifying moments.
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BEAUTIFUL tells the true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit song writing team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.
There’s no doubt she’s a musical genius and her litany of hits showcased in this production are remarkable.
For me though, the show doesn’t move or touch me – it’s just ok. It is ponderous in places. There’s nice lighting, slick production but no stunning moments or WOW. It’s just nice which doesn’t fly at £49 per ticket.
This show features You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Take Good Care of my Baby, You’ve Got a Friend, So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up on the Roof, and Locomotion.
My only moment of zing was the Righteous Brothers’ “Loving Feeling…” which became so loud it became painful….although it was a perfect prelude into the interval, when I gave up and went home.
Taking the role of Carole King is Bronté Barbé (who was not in the show tonight), who was a finalist in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s BBC1 series Over the Rainbow in 2010.
Barbé is joined by Kane Oliver Parry as King’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, Amy Ellen Richardson as song-writer Cynthia Weil (also out), Matthew Gonsalves as Barry Mann, Carol Royle as King’s mother Genie Klein and Adam Howden as music publisher and producer Donnie Kirshner.
In the shows defence, I attended a bad night riddled with technical mishaps and staging ‘difficulties’. I do not believe anyone was given a refund for their £49 ticket – unforgivable.
For me it became a borefest. One edited 90 second snatch of Kings brilliance after the next. Even the hits couldn’t breathe.
The sell-out audience seemed to enjoy it though, but, if you’re looking for an 11 o’clock number – try most other musicals.
2017 Tour Dates:
24 October 2017 – 28 October 2017 – Belfast Grand Opera House
30 October 2017 – 04 November 2017 – Wales Millennium Centre
07 November 2017 – 11 November 2017 – Birmingham Hippodrome
14 November 2017 – 18 November 2017 – Newcastle Theatre Royal
21 November 2017 – 25 November 2017 – Hull New Theatre
28 November 2017 – 02 December 2017 – Edinburgh Playhouse
12 December 2017 – 06 January 2018 – Manchester Palace Theatre
BEAUTIFUL Tour UK 2018:
09 January 2018 – 20 January 2018 – Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre
23 January 2018 – 27 January 2018 – Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre
31 January 2018 – 03 February 2018 – Birmingham Hippodrome
06 February 2018 – 10 February 2018 – Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
13 February 2018 – 17 February 2018 – Glasgow Kings Theatre
20 February 2018 – 24 February 2018 – Milton Keynes Theatre
27 February 2018 – 03 March 2018 – Woking New Victoria Theatre
06 March 2018 – 10 March 2018 – Sunderland Empire Theatre
27 March 2018 – 31 March 2018 – Marlowe Theatre Canterbury
03 April 2018 – 07 April 2018 – Bristol Hippodrome
17 April 2018 – 21 April 2018 – Ipswich Regent Theatre
24 April 2018 – 28 April 2018 – Regent Theatre Stoke on Trent
01 May 2018 – 05 May 2018 – Liverpool Empire Theatre
08 May 2018 – 12 May 2018 – New Theatre Oxford
22 May 2018 – 26 May 2018 – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
29 May 2018 – 02 June 2018 – Leeds Grand Theatre
05 June 2018 – 09 June 2018 – Dartford Orchard Theatre
12 June 2018 – 16 June 2018 – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
19 June 2018 – 23 June 2018 – Blackpool Winter Gardens
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 17th October 2017.
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