Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Desert Theatreworks

For folks of “a certain age” (which I am not telling if I do or do not fall into that category), prolific songwriter and performing artist Carole King provided what could be the official soundtrack to their adolescence.  For those who have not quite crossed that age threshold, you would be surprised how well her music has endured and firmly taken its place in the American songbook, speaking to multiple generations with songs of hope, love and all that comes after.  Her songs became the backdrop to the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s.  Her ground-breaking solo album “Tapestry”, release in 1971, featured the iconic anthems “Natural Woman”, “It’s Too Late”, “You’ve Got a Friend” and the reflectively uplifting “Beautiful”.  But before all this, she was just a simple girl from Brooklyn with a dream to make music.

PHOTO BY NICK COX

Desert Theatreworks tells the story of this remarkable artist in their daring production of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, running Thursday – Sundays through March 24th.  I say daring because not only are they having to pay homage to Carole and her world in the years between 1958 & 1971, but that her world was resplendent with many of the biggest iconic music acts of the era. Tara Howard brings Carole to life from age 16, quite convincingly.  For any performer having to transcend a large period of time as a character with only the use of hair, makeup and costuming to couple with one’s own skill to reflect the passage of time is a challenge that is so easy to get wrong.  Ms. Howard evolves through the years smoothly and gracefully.  Her singing style is strongly reminiscent of Ms. King, earthy and sure of its intent. Sporting Ms. King’s signature long blond wavy hair that was NOT a wig, this actress fit the bill physically, tall and lanky.  I enjoyed her odyssey from idealism to follow her dream, to wide eyed optimism in new love and building success to the realities of love misdirected and choices irretrievably made. A major supporting character in this play was Carole’s mother, Genie Klein played by Alexana Thomas.  Portrayed here as a bit of an unsuccessful artist herself, Genie is the supportive if an all-too-willing purveyor of “I told you so”, except when she all too keenly understands the agony of betrayal. Ms. Thomas portrayal is sympathetic even while imagining Carole thinking, “Ya, Ma, whatever!”.  In the role of Ms. King’s writing partner and husband of many years, Gerry Goffin, is here played by James Flaherty.  Showing this couple’s first meeting in college and witnessing the artistic melding that occurred even before the emotional one began was well done by these players, amongst the clumsy seduction and shy demur of inexperience in the blush of first love.  Audience root for these two as they create such standards, performed between the creatives and the performers who made them famous, as “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “Up on the Roof”, “The Locomotion” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”.  Gerry’s descent into depression and chronic anxiety is accessible and terrible, but his philandering coping mechanism also doesn’t allow him too much sympathy.  His cathartic scene with Carole in Act II is heart-tugging.

PHOTO BY NICK COX

As counterpoint to this (seemingly) perfectly talented and perfect for each other powerhouse duo are Barry Mann, here portrayed by Steve Giboney and the fiery Cynthia Weil, played by Kristie Acosta.  Giboney’s Barry Mann is a bit of a second-rate talent with an allergy to everything, especially the opposite sex.  Insecure, yet highly competitive, Barry starts the show a bit rudderless until Ms. Weil takes the stage (and almost all the air out of the room).  Ms. Acosta’s energy was undeniable and dynamic in the finest Borscht-belt style.  With a belting voice that would give Ethel Merman a run for her money, this firecracker is just what Barry needs to live up to his surname.  Mr. Giboney’s character’s rather milquetoast second banana and Ms. Acosta’s titillating va-va-voom with commitment issues was compelling and, oddly, the correct match.  The perfect compliment to the golden duo as they become fast friends and devoted competitors.  The, I guess you could say, FIFTH wheel of this dynamic is Donny Kirschner, the music producer they all work for at Aldon Music, played with smarmy charm by Doug Arbulu.  Out to make the fastest buck, having a meal ticket like King and Goffin and the emerging success of Mann and Weil, Arbulu’s role had all the flash and sparkle of a con man you can’t quite get yourself to loath. Mr. Arbulu plays the role tongue-in-cheek yet, as time progresses it becomes more familial with greater emotional gravitas. Kudos out to Bonny Link’s portrayal of Kirschner’s no nonsense receptionist Lucille.  With the snide dean-pan that would make Bea Arthur proud, Ms. Link was a scene stealer.  The ensemble players pick up the slack with all the other roles over the 14 years of the play’s chronology.  Tegr Michael Powell, Steven R Lily, Kai Brothers, Kevin Foley, Matt Yenesel & Andrew Abril struck the pose as members of The Drifters, The Righteous Brothers and a myriad of other male ensemble roles while Jessica Schuler, Adah Burgen, Tamra Harkley, Cheyenne Pennington, & Kylie Mitchell took up the guise of such luminaries as The Shirelles, Janelle Woods, Little Eva and a host of other parts.

PHOTO BY NICK COX

Production Director Rebecca McWilliams and her team of Lance Phillips (Company Artistic Director / Musical Director) and Stacy Casaluci (Choreographer) had quite a task in bringing this story to life in an authentic way.  With a functional yet unique set, featuring the first video wall (not projection) that I have seen in any local venue by Ron Phillips.  Lance Phillps was also on the costuming end of the production, conjuring up 50’s apparel, Mod fashion and 60’s psychedelic garb that made me wonder if someone slipped something into my soda!  Overall, the show moved smoothly from scene to scene, with the aforementioned video wall graphics quickly helping to establish time and place and gauze covered rolling flats to allow for flexible walls, doorways and the like while not cutting out the benefits of the video wall behind. 

Whether you are at home thinking “I Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, or you want to go “Uptown”, “You’ve Got A Friend” at Desert Theatreworks production of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” which is running Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. (as of press time, the Sunday matinees are sold out) through Sunday, March 24, 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.dtworks.org or by calling (760) 980-1455. The production plays at the Indio Performing Arts Center, 45175 Fargo Street, Indio.

The remainder of DTW’s 2023-24 season consists of:

Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird (April 12-28, 2024) Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird opens in a sleepy Alabama town in the midst of the Great Depression, where Scout and her brother, Jem, live with their widowed father, Atticus Finch. Reminiscent of a bygone era, the play immerses us in a simpler time as the children play outside in the summer, act out stories and muse about their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. The facade of the seemingly peaceful town begins to crack when a young black man is accused of a terrible crime. Driven by an unshakeable moral conviction, local lawyer Atticus defends the man in a trial that sends violent waves through the community. Timeless and lingering, this hard-hitting work explores prejudice, compassion and the courage to do what is right.

DTW has announced their 2024-25 Season and the details are available at dtworks.org.

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