Some of you may not know who Carole King is, but for sure you have heard her songs.
At just 17, Carole King wrote her first number 1 hit and since then her career blossomed and grew. But who is the woman behind the songs? Well Beautiful tells the story of how it all began, and the trials and tribulations King experienced during the first part of her song writing journey. Showcasing the talent that King had for music the story takes the audience through her first number one hit to King moving to LA after her divorce from husband and lyrist Gerry Goffin and ending with her renowned performance at Carnegie Hall. If you love her music this production is one for you.
The lead and the absolute star of this production is Molly-Grace Cutler as Carole King. From beginning to end Cutler is the stand-out performer not only with her musical talent but her in depth characterisation of the self-conscious and lovable King. Cutler embodied the soul and spirit of King and brought a human element to the icon. Her emotion and heartbreak through scenes with Gerry Goffin amidst his affairs and breakdown were outstanding as the audience clearly felt for the songwriter. Cutler’s comedic timing and wit throughout bring a much-needed sense of fun to the story as at times it can feel very fast paced and it would be easy to become lost in the timeline. Cutler’s musical talent is obvious as she takes to the keys and guitar effortlessly and is certainly at home there. Cutler showcases her amazing vocal talent through songs “Natural Woman” and “You’ve Got a Friend” where the vocals are pitch perfect and her voice carries a soothing quality that makes you want to listen over and over again.
As part of The Shirelles and the company’s dance captain, Naomi Alade brings a vibrance and energy to the role. With strong vocals highlighted as part of The Shirelles and within the ensemble, Alade lights up the stage. Kemi Clarke makes up one of the four Drifters and takes on the sax and clarinet. Clarke’s energy in the Drifters numbers stands out and is a very talented performer.
Amena El-Kindy as part of the Shirelles and the ensemble is very eye-catching on stage through her personality. El-Kindy’s number with The Shirelle’s showcases her vocal talent and the audience get to hear this wonderful voice again when she takes on the “Locomotion”. Her energy is infectious, and her vocals are strong. The audience applauded loudly when. The Locomotion ended partly due to them knowing this famous song, but the other part applauding this young actress who brought so much vivacious energy to the stage.
Another member of The Drifters, Jordan Louis-Fernand is the focal point for choreography. At ease with the moves of the 60s and 70s, Louis-Fernand brings a fresh feel to the timeless choreography.
Claire Greenway as Genie (Carole King’s mother) gives the audience the warmth and humour King’s character also encompasses. Bringing a light-heartedness to the story,the love from Greenway’s character gives the mother/daughter bond we need. Also accomplished on the keys and sax, Greenway shows her talent in abundance.
Sorrel Jordan played both the parts of Betty and Marilyn Wald. Although not central parts, Jordan does not hold back and makes both characters memorable. The fun- loving Betty (Carole’s friend at 17) makes an entrance to the stage but is not there long enough. The quirky and humorous character is short-lived, but Jordan does well to make her mark. Again, Marilyn Wald is a fleeting character although central to the story as this trigger’s the breakup between Gerry and Carole after Wald’s affair with Gerry. Jordan plays the temptress well and carries the rock and roll theme of the time to the forefront. Jordan’s musical talents are showcased through her guitar playing which she does with ease.
The third Drifter is played by Myles Miller who also takes the part of the engineer. Miller has the charm and sophistication of the era and portrays it well through the choreography. The vocals were sometimes missed, whether that was issues with the sound or down to Miller, but from what was heard there was some beautiful moments in the vocals.
Well known for his role in BBC Drama Waterloo Road, Tom Milner plays lyrist and husband to Carole King, Gerry Goffin. Although his musical skills are apparent (he is very gifted on guitar) the character of the troublesome Gerry was missing. The angst and the restlessness of Gerry came on quite sudden and disappeared all too quickly. The audience needed more development of the characters troubles. In Gerry’s breakdown scene, his torment and anger at the world is not felt and did not give the impression of his monumental suffering that it should have. The bad boy character was present as the audience were booing when Gerry comes to see Carole in her dressing room at Carnegie Hall. Milner’s vocals were impressive, and it felt effortless through such songs as “Up on the Roof” and “Take Good Care of my Baby”. The voice and musical talent were there – the character, however, seemed lost.
Taking on the role of Barry Mann at this performance was Peter Mooney. Playing the hypochondriac nervous lover of Cynthia Weil, Mooney does this part justice and gives the audience a light-hearted escape throughout the story. Gifting the performance with comedic moments but marrying it with tenderness and affection for Cynthia, Mooney knows this character inside out and performs it impressively. Mooney’s vocals and talent on guitar are showcased in songs “You’ve Lost that Lovin Feeling” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” which suit his voice and provide it room to blossom.
Garry Robson takes on the role of music mogul Donnie Kirshner. This character could easily get lost in the production, but Robson is present on stage throughout and develops the relationship with King effectively, bringing a human side to the business owner.
Encapsulating the energetic and strong-willed Cynthia Weil is Seren Sandham-Davie. Opposite Cutler’s Carole King, Sandham Davie is full of boisterous energy and the pair do complement each other, however at times the character of Cynthia does feel forced and almost too much. The vocals Sandham-Davie performs are beautiful and accompany Mooney’s vocals perfectly, within the song “Walking in the Rain”. No doubt extremely talented both vocally and musically (playing both the trumpet and guitar), Sandham-Davie needs a much more natural approach to the character. The fun-loving nature of Cynthia does feel artificial, making the warmth that the audience should feel for the character, non-existent.
The third and final Shirelle/Janelle Woods at this performance was played by Adrien Spencer. As part of the famous trio, Spencer fits well and displays some nice vocals. However, as Janelle Woods, when taking the lead Spencer does not perform like a lead. The vocals were not strong, and the attitude of the infamous Woods was missing.
The role of Lou Adler (King’s LA boss) and final Drifter is played by Kevin Yates. Throughout the production, Yates brings a cool and hip vibe, which perfectly fits with the setting. The energy he releases when on stage is infectious and the characterisation flows from him effortlessly. Yates moves extremely well and takes on the choreography with ease.
Dan-De-Cruz’s musical direction is sublime in this production. A story based heavily on music takes a lot of time and effort to bring to life and can easily go wrong. Dan- De-Cruz executes the professionalism and fun of the production whilst on stage and blends in well with the cast. Special mention to the company’s sound designer Tom Marshall also.
The direction from Nikolai Foster provides some memorable moments but overall, the story is too fast paced in Act One. If you did not know the backstory to Carole King already you could become extremely lost in the jumps between moments in her life. Act Two provided a slower pace which was needed. This gave the audience time to connect with the rest of the cast.
Frankie Bradshaw’s set, although it doesn’t change, feels at home within the era yet adds a spark of glamour. The openness of the backdrop allows the audience to peek behind the scenes and become involved within the backstage world of music/theatre production. A set which has no obvious changes can become stale, but this production needn’t worry about that becoming true.
I went along to this performance not knowing a lot about Carole King’s life and I left still feeling that I didn’t know much more. Understandably you can only put so much into one production but as the first act went through moments of her life far too quickly and without obvious time changes, it was easy to become lost and disorientated. The music and talent displayed by the cast and onstage band were indeed first class, it is just a shame the story did not follow suit.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is playing at the King’s Theatre Glasgow from Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th September 2022.
Link to buy tickets: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/beautiful/kings-theatre- glasgow/
Theatre Scotland 
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