Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Beautiful is billed as The Carole King Story but in reality, it is so much more than that. Yes, the plot follows King’s rise from a prolific teenage songwriter to the multi-award-winning voice of a generation which we know her as today. But more than that, it acts as a paean to a short but golden era of songwriting. One which set the bar for the rest of the sixties, and indeed for the entire latter half of the twentieth century.
Most shows will leave you with one stand-out song which you’re humming on the way home…this show is full of them.
King’s songs are at the centre of a love letter to the historic musical hub – the Brill Building, New York. I won’t list them here, but part of the joy of this show is realising quite how many iconic songs she had a hand in creating. Carole King began her career at the age of 17 – writing songs for the pop groups of the day – songs that surpass generations, and which most people could still sing back to you today.
After partnering with, and later marrying, Gerry Goffin, the pair conquered the charts with classics such as ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ and ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’. After their marriage broke down due to Goffin’s multiple infidelities and mental instability, King experienced a creative rebirth as a solo writer. She began performing her own songs and quickly became a darling of the Laurel Canyon scene.
The pacing of Beautiful becomes a little frenetic at times, but this is to be expected with the number of hits (and the number of plot points) to be fitted in. This is all ably handled by the talented ensemble of actor-musicians, who transfer the songs from their pop music roots into numbers that can fill a theatre, upping them in size but never overwhelming the sincere and delicate emotions at their core.
Molly-Grace Cutler is a magnetic central presence as Carole King.
Molly-Grace Cutler is a magnetic central presence as Carole King, with an uncanny vocal resemblance that manages to capture King’s spirit without ever descending into a tribute act. Act One closes with a genuinely haunting visual metaphor of Goffin’s mistress miming ‘One Fine Day’ whilst King sings it behind her – the perfect illustration of the very real heartbreak behind the hits. The supporting performances are occasionally patchy in terms of vocal or comedic timing, but this never threatens to derail the show and the cast received a well-deserved standing ovation on the night I attended.
The thing that shines through most in Beautiful is the genuine affection for these timeless songs. Most shows will leave you with one stand-out song which you’re humming on the way home. Thanks to the boundless talent of Carole King, this show is full of them.
-Daniel Shipman
Beautiful runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 15 October 2022.