BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL | THEATRE REVIEW
****
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Tues 31 Nov
We’ve all seen our fair share of cheesy musicals. From Guys loving Dolls to Grease being the word, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, in its very essence, fulfills the criteria of ultimate cheese. Yet from the outstanding acting ability to the faultless musical accompaniment, I was in awe of the raw talent of the production.
Providing the audience with a whirlwind of emotion and feeling, Ed Goggin’s and Alistair Knight’s direction of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical elegantly showcases the music and lyrics of the legendary singer/songwriter through a story of love, faith, friendship and sadness in a captivating and relatable way.
Bronté Barbé excels in her role as Carole King as she successfully manages to mirror her ornately unique voice, whilst also holding her own and leading the show with a performance infiltrated with pure emotion; she really captured the life and soul of King’s personality with ease.
From Carole King’s meeting with songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin (played by Kane Oliver Parry) to their hit singles with The Shirelles, The Drifters and Little Eva, songs such as (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman, Fine Day and Will You Love Me Tomorrow allow the audience to remember the hits produced by King, showcasing her as a fantastic songwriter and performer.
A particularly poignant moment was found in the latter stages of the musical during the heartfelt rendition of You’ve Got a Friend, where King decides to move away from the hustle and bustle of city life to live in the suburbs. As the characters assemble around the piano, it was extremely difficult not to shed a tear or two.
Not knowing a whole lot about the musical before attending, and being weary about my preconceptions, I can safely say that Beautiful is one of the best feel good musicals that you will have seen in a very long time.
words GEORGE CAULTON
photo Johan Persson