The new Broadway musical based on the life and works of
Carole King is currently in previews at the Steven Sondheim Theatre in New York
City. Fresh off an almost completely
sold out trial run in San Francisco, Beautiful does not disappoint. I went into the show not anticipating much except to enjoy the music and seeing Jake Epstein on stage again. (Author's note: I have an extreme dislike for shows with
three guys wearing the same jacket and snapping and doing the electric slide in
unison.) However, this show was more than
just a juke box/doo wop musical; it was full of passion and heart. It was well written, witty, and completely
captured me.
Jessie Mueller plays the role of Carole King. She is a dynamic force and her performance is
riveting. Her voice and energy bring
Carole completely to life and there were many times I found myself convinced
that she actually was King. Mueller also
ages in this show from a naïve teenager to a full grown strong independent
woman. The minute changes she makes in
her body movements and characterizations and even her speech patterns make her
aging completely believable. Jake
Epstein portrayed the troubled Gerry Goffin.
Goffin and King married in their teens when King became pregnant. Over time Goffin’s emotional troubles led to
him being diagnosed as bi-polar. Epstein
played this role with an intensity of feeling and did not treat Goffin merely
as a womanizing asshole. Mueller and
Epstein have a wonderful chemistry onstage.
Their emotions have a spontaneity that lends itself to wonderful
unrehearsed realism.
The role of Cynthia Weil was played to perfection by Anika
Larsen. She was not merely beautiful but
enchanting as the outspoken Weil.
Larsen’s comedic timing was spot on often granting levity to a scene
that might have otherwise ventured into the maudlin. Another
standout performance came at the hands of Jeb Brown. His Don Kirsher was alternately slimy music
executive and caring mentor. He was
simultaneously charming and oily. Marc
Bruni’s direction of this show was excellent.
The staging of the actors and the way they interacted shows the hard
work of an intensely talented director.
He took this story and music and and made it fresh and exciting and took
it out of the realm of American Bandstand and Doo-Wop musicals and made you
care about more than just hearing hits from the golden era of rock and roll.
The technical aspects of this show deserve high praise as
well. There were so many wonderful
things going on with the set it was basically a techie wet dream. Every set piece moved on its own, gliding effortlessly
on stage and off. The piano that Mann
and Weil and Goffin and King use alternates back and forth between their
offices and the way that the actors work with it as it moves was perfection. The set had height and depth but it was used
smartly, not just to overwhelm and say “Hey, look at us we’re on Broadway and
spent a shit ton of money on big shiny things!!”. However it is deceiving in its apparent
simplicity. The whole set worked
together and definitely lent that little bit of theatre magic that every show
needs.
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| Getting ready for the show to start! |
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| The AMAZING Jessie Mueller |
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| The always fantastic JAKE Epstein |
