Photos: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Opens At Paper Mill Playhouse

Paper Mill Playhouse has released opening night photos for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

Beautiful features a book by Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award nominee Douglas McGrath and words and music by Gerry Goffin & Carole King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil.

The production is directed by Casey Hushion, choreographed by Jennifer Werner and music directed by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett. Beautiful plays through July 3, 2024 at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive). 

Beautiful stars Kyra Kennedy (First National Tour: Waitress; Ogunquit Playhouse: Mystic Pizza) as Carole King, Marrick Smith (Broadway: Fun Home; National Tour:  Dear Evan Hansen) as Gerry Goffin, Samantha Massell (PMP: The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof, La Bohème) as Cynthia Weil, Jacob Ben-Shmuel (National Tour: The Book of Mormon; Off-Broadway: Amid Falling Walls) as Barry Mann, Bryan Fenkart (PMP: My Very Own British Invasion; Broadway: Memphis; First National Tour: Waitress) as Don Kirshner, and Suzanne Grodner (PMP: Fiddler on the Roof; Broadway:  Beautiful, Bye Bye Birdie) as Genie Klein.

The ensemble of Beautiful includes Tavis Cunningham, Seth Eliser, Kevin Hack, Jana Djenne Jackson, Andrea Levinsky, Prentiss E. Mouton, Jay Owens, Olivia Palmer, Thomas Ed Purvis, Isaiah Reynolds, Tavia Riveé, Aaron Robinson, Danielle Summons, Bronwyn Tarboton, Giselle Amarisa Watts, and Mikayla White.

This Tony-nominated musical follows the early life and career of Carole King on her journey from teenage songwriter to chart-topping solo artist. King wrote for many of the biggest names in music, often alongside her husband, but it wasn’t until she made the leap from the writer’s room to the stage that she truly found her voice. This inspiring story of love, heartbreak, and empowerment features over two dozen hits, including “One Fine Day,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Natural Woman.”

The production features scenic coordination and additional design by Kelly James Tighe (PMP: Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music; Off-Broadway: Martin Luther on Trial, Shadowlands), costume design by Jen Caprio (PMP: Clue, Songs for a New World; Broadway: The Heart of Rock and Roll,  Spamalot), lighting design by Jess Creager (As Associate: PMP: Hercules, Chasing Rainbows; Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along; Illinoise), sound design by Sun Hee Kil (PMP: Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music; Broadway Associate Designer: Choir Boy, Suffs), and wig, hair and makeup design by Roxanne De Luna (Ogunquit Playhouse: The Sound of Music, Tootsie; Cleveland Play House: Amadeus, Light It Up!). Casting is by Geoff Josselson of JZ Casting. Andrea Cibelli is the Production Stage Manager. Scenery originally designed by Roman Tatarowicz and built by Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia PA.

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