A 'Beautiful' performance, plus more pop nostalgia
7 / 10
In recent years, Mueller has brought a shimmering soprano and finely tuned comic sensibility to a variety of quirky ingénue roles. Mueller's portrayal of King - far and away the best reason to see Beautiful, which opened Sunday at Broadway's Stephen Sondheim Theatre - is at once an affirmation of those virtues and a revelation...Beautiful seems less concerned with exploring King's story than with using it to string together familiar tunes...Granted, shows like Beautiful aren't generally sought out or valued for their nuanced drama. But more discerning fans will be grateful for the little bit of soul that Mueller and Epstein manage to bring to Broadway's latest musical nostalgia trip.

