The jukebox musical gets a little extra heart and soul with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, making a D.C. stop on its second U.S. tour at the National Theatre. For a musical that dabbles in infidelity, mental illness, and drug use, the show, packed with musical hits by King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, has a very easy, inoffensive appeal.
This musical, with a peppy book by Douglas McGrath, takes a journey through King’s early career as a 16-year-old musical wunderkind to her becoming part of composer and songwriting team with her then husband Goffin (played by Dylan S. Wallach) as they churned out an incredible number of hit pop and Motown songs of the ’50s and ’60s. King and Goffin’s career success and personal challenges are compared and contrasted with their friends, the songwriting team of Mann and Weil.
The majority of the first act is filled with small scenes between the two couples that lead into them coming up with such hits as “Up On the Roof,” “On Broadway,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow, ” and so many more. Those musical numbers are performed by a supremely strong ensemble that quick changes seamlessly into different musical groups. They nicely emulate the sounds and choreography familiar to many from such musical groups as the Shirelles, The Drifters, and The Righteous Brothers.
Carole King has a distinct way of singing and gesturing, and actress Sarah Bockel nails both. Throughout the show, Bockel elegantly builds King from a boisterous and ballsy young songwriter into a self-effacing but intensely passionate solo performer. Her performance radiates warmth and familiarity, especially in a satisfying scene in which she stands up to her Goffin to pursue her own bliss. She’s easy to root for.
Jacob Heimer and Alison Whitehurst also turn out strong performances as, respectively, Mann and Weil, with playful banter that echoes a bubbly 1950s Doris Day-type film pair. As Goffin, Wallach feels at times like a bit of a weak link in the quad. He plays charming very well in the beginning of the show, but comes off a bit flat in meatier dramatic moments.
Some of the most fun moments of the show are the high-energy musical numbers. The only big disappointment is that there aren’t even more of King’s solo hits to enjoy. There’s are great moments in the show for “Natural Woman” and “You’ve Got a Friend” but “Tapestry” and “Where You Lead” get only orchestral teases. It’s a shame that there’s not enough space in the show for King’s solo career. But that feeling of wanting more will send audiences to Spotify to listen to Carole King’s albums—that’s a pretty perfect encore.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs through December 30 at the National Theatre. Tickets $54-$114. Runtime approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission.
