Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Theatre Memphis

According to Executive Producer Debbie Litch, Theatre Memphis is in the midst of its most successful season since being founded in 1920! Can you even fathom what that means? It means more people are lining up to see what TM has to offer than ever before. It means this season’s batch of shows are more popular than the previous one hundred. It means getting a ticket is so hard to come by, you’ll have a better chance of hearing about their shows than ever seeing them. Who gets better after turning a one hundred? Theatre Memphis is who, and they are showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Every show this season seems to sell out faster than the previous one and your chances of getting in to see their current offering (BEAUTIFUL: THE Carole King MUSICAL) are unfortunately, “So Far Away,” but still, try as you might.

To be clear, this jukebox musical may actually be the best of the “jukebox musical genre,” but that’s not necessarily saying a lot. While most in the category desperately try to cram a flimsy plot (with bunch of nonsensical dialogue) around already well-established songs, this musical (thankfully) feels more organic in that the songs themselves are not striving to advance the plot, but rather to serve as an homage to some of the 60’s and 70’s biggest pop hits. Still though, the “drama” surrounding these enormous songs barely justifies calling this a “musical” in the traditional sense. Yes, there is a “story” of how Carole King went from being Carol Klein (a Jewish girl growing up in Manhattan in the 1940’s with the dream of writing music) to becoming one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 20th century, but it’s really not that “dramatic.” In the story, now onstage through March 30th, young Carol goes from, “Ma, I want to be a songwriter, not a schoolteacher,” to immediately getting signed by uber music producer, Don Kirshner in the span of about five minutes. It is literally that uneventful. There is no “rags to riches” or an overcoming of impossible odds to achieve some type of success story here. No, BEAUTIFUL: THE Carole King MUSICAL is really more of a concert using Act I to put the spotlight on the songs made famous by King and her writing husband Gerry Goffin (alongside the also married songwriting duo of Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann) before shifting to King as a solo artist singing some of her biggest hits in Act II. As a traditional “musical,” BEAUTIFUL is good, but as a “concert” it’s stellar.

Under the direction of perennial “hit maker” Cecelia Wingate, Theatre Memphis’ production maximizes all it possibly can by bringing in Memphis’ most gifted performers and designers. Overall, the show looks good and sounds even better. The creators of the show were smart in not only showcasing King and Goffin’s biggest hits (“So Far Away,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, etc.,” but also manufacturing a reason to hear even more hits from the era by including songs by Neil Sedaka (“Oh! Carol”), Gene Vincent (“Be-Bop-A-Lula”), Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann (“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “On Broadway”). Again, this is really a concert masquerading as a traditional musical.

If you’re going to produce a show with the name Carole King in the title, you best find a performer who at least somewhat resembles the legend, and this is NOT what TM did. No, instead TM somehow manipulated the time/space continuum and found a way to put the actual Carole King into this production. Okay, I’m exaggerating. They haven’t put the real Ms. King into the show-just a woman who looks, acts, moves and sounds JUST LIKE HER! I defy you to look at picture of Carole King in her younger days and compare it to real-life actor Cameron Crawford and figure out who is who. Even better, close your eyes and listen to Ms. Crawford belt out “It’s Too Late” or “Beautiful” and tell me you’re not in the presence of the real deal. It’s astonishing. It’s remarkable. It’s even a bit frightening-in the best of ways. Incredible performance.

In an effort to imbue a little “conflict” into the story, Nathan McHenry takes on the role of King’s first husband, Gerry Goffin. He’s a writer who falls for the 16-year-old musician while still in college and the couple go on to achieve tremendous success, but McHenry’s character is relegated to being a stereotypical male with an unquenchable wondering eye who often chases, and indiscreetly catches, several other women in the music industry. Although it’s supposed to offer heightened drama to the trajectory of King’s life and career, it instead simply checks a box for what happens to many (if not most) marriages. McHenry’s “dramatic arc” can be seen coming from a mile away and “flatlines” more than ever really getting off the ground.

Kinon Keplinger steps in as the music producer, Don Kirshner and presents himself more as caricature of a 1930’s gangster (think Jimmy Cagney, see?) rather than as a fully dimensional character who speaks with a cadence and rhythm like everyone around him. This worked well for Keplinger’s recent performance in TM’s BLITHE SPIRIT, but proves to be a distraction here.

Creating the most compelling and interesting characters of the night are Bentley Black and Whitney Branan as the married writing team (Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil) who share the same office with King and her husband while forever remaining in competition with them. Black’s Mann is a bit of a goofball with a high, nasally voice and a heart of gold, while Branan’s Weil is a larger-than-life lyricist who cares deeply for everyone she meets. Together, they are funny, charming and both have dynamite voices. Their duet “Walking in the Rain,” is, like them, sweet, warm, and sentimental. They are both, in their own unique ways (and together) fantastic.

The rest of the cast members are tasked with pulling off a multitude of iconic groups including: The Drifters, The Chiffons, The Shirelles and The Righteous Brothers. There is not a weak link in any of them as they find ways to almost top each other’s performances as the night goes on. Let’s just say, it’s not clear if the audience knew they weren’t watching the original groups shake, rattle and roll, but they certainly responded as if they were.

A special shout out must go to Jason Eschhofen as musical director and his mighty band of eight. They provide a full sound that electrifies the crowd and keeps the building hopping. The recent Broadway production of NEW YORK, NEW YORK allowed audiences to give the band their due at the curtain call by raising the orchestra pit to be seen in all their glory. Wingate does the same here which adds even more energy to an already raucous affair (I vote for bringing the orchestra up to the surface for every TM production)!

Technically, the show is strong (as usual). Reyn Lehman’s sound design is solid and allows for every word to be heard throughout. Amie Eoff’s costumes clearly accentuate the decades of the 60’s and 70’s (especially love the red sequin jackets for The Drifters). Nicole Northington’s lighting meshes well with Jack Netzel-Yates scenic design-the lighting effects framing the proscenium added the perfect flair. As you walk into the theatre, Netzel-Yates set captures, not only the era with its floral shaped patterns throughout (Think the TV show “Laugh In” or “The Dating Game”), but also the feel of a recording studio with the linear boxed sound-proofing walls scattered throughout. In order to create an inordinate number of scenic locales, the show employs a roundtable set that revolves from scene to scene. The device is “flashy” and fun to watch…the first few times. However, by ACT II, the gimmick wears thin and becomes just annoying. Perhaps, the plan was to emulate a spinning record, but the speed and frequency with which it turns simulates a 78-rpm vinyl instead of a more judicious 33 (look it up kids).

BEAUTIFUL gives audiences exactly what they want. It's a retrospective to the soundtrack of our lives. Like all great songs that have lasted the test of time, hearing them again, not only offers the comfort of familiarity, but also elicits all the memories that were underscored by those classic hits back in the day-first kiss, first love, first everything. Nostalgia is a powerful thing and this show washes over you with all the feels of youth and possibility. TM’s production is filled with talent galore performing songs that will move you in powerful ways. In fact, it might just have you feeling the earth move under your feet.

Photos by Carla McDonald

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