This show is archived
Update: Special Friday Matinees added on August 16 and 23 at 1:30 pm
Before Carole King became the legendary singer-songwriter who helped define an era, she was a 16-year-old Brooklyn kid named Carole Klein trying to sell her songs to the big hitmakers in Times Square. When she meets a fellow Queens College student named Gerry Goffin, she gains the perfect lyricist for her music – and the love of her life. Soon, Carole and Gerry are churning out hits like “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Up On The Roof,” and “Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow” for acts like the Shirelles and The Drifters. Across the hall, their best friends Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil compete for the next Billboard #1 hit, as they contribute classics like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “On Broadway.” But success in music doesn’t necessarily bring happiness, and as Gerry spirals out of control, Carole will need to find the strength to take back control of her life and career.
Featuring:
Natalie Weiss (YouTube's Breaking Down the Riffs) as Carole King
Michael Perrie Jr. (Theater J's Hester Street) as Gerry Goffin
Bobby Smith (Signature's No Place To Go) as Don Kirschner
Nikki Mirza (La Jolla Playhouse's Bhangin' It) as Cynthia Weil
Calvin McCullough (Round House Theatre's Next to Normal) as Barry Mann
Book by
Douglas McGrath
Words and Music by
Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
Music by arrangement with
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Music Directed by
Christopher Youstra
Choreographed by
Ashleigh King
Directed by
Amy Anders Corcoran
Trailer: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Press and Reviews
- "She’s a YouTube-star vocal coach. Now she’ll be onstage as Carole King." - The Washington Post
- "Covering, and Uncovering, Carole King" - The Georgetowner
- "Actor overcomes car accidents to thrive in ‘Beautiful’" - The Blade
Online Program Book
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Online Program Books
Try our new digital program. We've reformatted our printed programs for a digital-first experience optimized to view on your phone. Just click on the image to open.
Natalie Weiss performs "So Far Away"
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Natalie Weiss
Carole King -
Michael Perrie Jr.
Gerry Goffin -
Nikki Mirza
Cynthia Weil -
Calvin McCullough
Barry Mann -
Kurt Boehm
Righteous Brother -
Quadry Brown
Drifter -
Simone Brown
Shirelle -
Lily Burka
Marilyn Wald -
Montel B. Butler
Drifter/Featured Vocalist -
Ariana Caldwell
Little Eva/Shirelle -
Ian Anthony Coleman
Drifter -
Jay Frisby
Drifter/Featured Vocalist -
Victoria GÓmez
Betty -
Kaiyla Gross
Shirelle -
Donna Migliaccio
Genie Klein -
Connor James Reilly
Righteous Brother -
Kalen Robinson
Janelle Woods/Shirelle -
Bobby Smith
Don Kirshner -
Catrina Brenae
Swing -
Christian Montgomery
Swing -
Marvin Wayne
Swing
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Amy Anders Corcoran
Director -
Christopher Youstra
Music Director/Director of Music Theatre -
Ashleigh King
Choreographer -
Debra Kim Sivigny
Scenic Designer -
Kendra Rai
Costume Designer -
Colin K. Bills
Lighting Designer -
Matt Rowe
Sound Designer -
Ben Walsh
Production Stage Manager -
Allison Ann Bailey
Assistant Stage Manager
On the Blog
Dramaturgy - Famous Singers of the 1960s
Community Events
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Special Event
70s Sing-a-long with Karen Vincent
Wednesday, July 31st, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Root Family Stage at Omi’s Pavilion
Tickets: $10Karen Vincent is a DC-based singer and actor who made her Olney Theatre Center debut last summer in The World Goes Round, and her Olney Outdoors debut with her Carole King cabaret in summer of 2022. She is the vocalist for The Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra, with which she recorded it’s sixth full album in April; she appears with various jazz ensembles includingThe Craig Gildner Big Band; The Melting Pot Big Band, and is currently working on a solo show about the life and music of jazz legend Anita O’Day in cooperation with the DC All Stars Jazz Band.Karen was raised singing the songs of John Denver, James Taylor and Karen Carpenter around the camp fire and can’t wait to bring that peaceful easy feeling to the Root Family Stage!
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In the Community
Story Time at the Olney Library
Sunday, Aug 18th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Olney Public Library (3500 Olney Laytonsville Rd, Olney, MD 20832)
No RSVP. Just show up!As part of our celebration of BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical, we’re sponsoring a morning of stories at the Olney Public Library. This is a free family event appropriate for all ages, especially toddlers, preschoolers, and young children. Books to be read are chosen with the help of the Olney librarian.
Past Community Events
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Behind the Scenes
Opening Night Conversation: Beautiful
Saturday, July 6th, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Roberts MainStage
Tickets: $10 / Free for membersJoin us on the opening night of BEAUTIFUL to celebrate some of our favorite local singer/songwriters! Olney Theatre Center will highlight Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Competition winners Calista Garcia (Youth 2017 winner), Integriti Reeves, and Juliet Lloyd (Adult 2022 winner). Each will perform a short sample of their songwriting, and then we'll sit down to learn about their journeys as female singer/songwriters in today's music industry. This conversation will be moderated by Cathy Bernard, founder of the Bernard and Ebb Songwriting Awards.
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BEAUTIFUL The Carole King Musical
July 3 - August 25 2024