National Tour
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO
September 4 - 9, 2018
To be fair, Beautiful was more about the creation of Carole King's immortal Tapestry album than a biography. But that is not a detriment to the show. The meaning behind each song only adds another dimension to the album. Fans will never hear it the same way again - in a good way.
Carole was only sixteen when the action begins. The audience warmed to her instantly. Very quickly her songwriting career launched and her writing partner Gerry Geffen entered the picture. After this quick exposition, the story slows down in order to set up Carole's place in music history.
The plot was perfectly set up with the introduction of fellow composers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The friendly competition made the accomplishments of each team even more impressive.
The strength of the music was on full display when characters talked about a new song and when it was revealed to the audience it was an instantly recognizable classic. The recreation of these songs as they would have been originally performed was electric.The character development moved smoothly alongside the historic music. Each character evolved into real situations audience members could relate to.
The performances were stunning throughout. Carole matured before our eyes as Gerry fell apart. The ensemble easily transitioned from sixties icons to office workers.The set appeared simple, but it adapted from songwriting warehouse to television stages. The more intimate scenes were played in front of the curtain with ease. The costumes helped to set each scene in time.
The effects of seeing Beautiful will likely last longer than many theatrical experiences. It is a reminder the songs that tell the stories of our lives first were lived by those that wrote them.
