Review: Beautiful (Broadway in Chicago, 2017)

Carole King, and her music, lives on

Lights! Action! Music! With that beginning, Carole King (local actress Sarah Bockel) takes us on a musical ride through her life, highs and lows, wins and losses, loving and losing. Her voice, singing most of the songs she wrote for others, for herself, the ones that topped the charts, carries a major part of the show. The supporting cast, wonderful talent all, fills the theatre with the remainder of her melodies. The audience gets everything they came to see and hear.

To give creativity its due, several rounds of applause have to go to the scenic design crew, headed by Derek McLane, which seamlessly moves us from an apartment in Brooklyn, to a music "factory" where budding songwriters ply their trade, to the head office for the Boss man who decides what are "hits" and what don't make it, to living rooms, back to the "factory", even a lovely getaway home in New England, all moving as smooth as a Nat Cole vocal. The light crew, led by Peter Kaczorowski, also lends so much to this production, adding to the drama, supporting the highs and lows, the laughing and the crying, and does it in such a way that the audience is impacted but probably not aware of it, so subtly is it done.

Ms. Bockel as Carole greets the audience with a song then takes us back to the beginning of her career as a song-struck teen-ager, arguing with her Jewish Mom, Mrs. Klein (Suzanne Grodner) about being a teacher or a songwriter. Mom loses (but she tosses off some great one-liners) and Carole begins her journey. In succession, she meets her boss-to-be, Don Kirchner (James Clow), the nicest boss ever, who cajoles, supports and honors his army of songwriters. As they're going through initial introductions, they're interrupted by Gerry Goffin (Andrew Brewer) and Carole gets stars in her eyes. Yep, it's love at first sight - but it won't be easy.

Enter Cynthia Weil (Sarah Goeke) and Barry Mann (Jacob Heimer), she quick-witted and lovely, he quick-witted and feisty. Teaming up, they become friendly competitors with Carole and Gerry. And as songs constantly issue from their pens and typewriters, we're treated to TV days gone by as musical groups of the 50's, 60's and 70's, The Drifters, The Shirelles and The Righteous Brothers, smoothly present the songs with the well-synced but dated choreography of those times, which will take oldsters back to their dating days. In contrast, when Carole stands up for herself in a heated scene with her husband, the younger women in the audience, possibly influenced by the #MeToo generation, voices their support and approval.

It's a wonderful evening of familiar music, excellent performances, stellar scenes and lighting, all successfully created to delight the audiences' eyes and ears. And Carole King lives on.

continues through January 28th at Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph (map), with performances Tuesdays at 7:30pm, Wednesdays 2pm & 7:30pm, Thursdays & Fridays 7:30pm, Saturdays 2pm & 8pm, Sundays 2pm Tickets are $30-$115, and are available by phone (800-775-2000) or online through Ticketmaster.com (check for availability of ). More information at BeatufiulOnBroadway.com/TOUR. (Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, includes an intermission)

Photos by Matthew Murphy

, Avery Smith, Sarah Bockel (Carole King), McKynleigh Alden Abraham, Alexis Tidwell, Kristopher Stanley Ward (ensemble), Jordan Edwin André, TyNia René Brandon, Kaylee Harwood, Willie Hill, Alia Hodge, James Michael Lambert, Caliaf St. Aubyn (swings) Josh A Dawson, John Michael Dias, Matt Faucher, Traci Elaine Lee, Marla Loissaint, Jay McKenzie, Dimitri Joseph Moise, Aashley Morgan, Elena Ricardo Andrew Brewer (Gerry Goffin), Sarah Goeke (Cynthia Weil), Jacob Heimer (Barry Mann), James Clow (Don Kirshner), Suzanne Grodner (Genie Klein),

Susan Draus (conductor, keyboard), Nick Williams, Jon Rose (keyboards, associate conductor), Larry Steppler (drums), Tim Morey (guitar 1), Tim Burke (trumpet, flugelhorn), Andy Baker (tenor & bass trombone), Steve Leinheiser (reed 1), Paul McGinley (reed 2), Tim Morey, Tom Logan (guitars), Michael Keefe (keyboard 3), Larry Kohut (bass), Jeff Handley (percussion)

behind the scenes

Marc Bruni (director), Josh Prince (choreographer), Jason Howland (music supervision, additional music), Derek Mclane (scenic design), Alejo Vietti (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), Brian Ronan (sound design), Stephen Kopel (casting), Charles G. LaPointe (wig and hair design), Joe Dulude II (make-up design), Juniper Street Productions (production manager), Steve Sidwell (orchestrations, vocal and music arrangements), Sherry Kondor, Christine Russell (executive producers), John Miller (music coordinator), Susan Draus (music director), Shelley Butler (associate director), Joyce Chittick (associate choreographer), Eric Sprosty (production stage manager), Joel Rosen (stage manager), Shana Ferguson (asst. stage manager), Stephen Gabis (dialect coach), Neuro Tour (physical therapy), Charlotte Wilcox Company (general manager), Erica Hemminger (associate scenic design), Traci Elaine Lee (dance captain), Brandon McNeel, Ingrid Larson (scenic assistants), Rory Powers (associate costume design), John Viesta (asst. lighting design), Josh Weitzman (moving light programmer), Cody Spencer (associate sound design), Liz Printz (associate wig & hair design), Gretchen Androsavich (asst. wig & hair design), Fred Gallo (production carpenter), Elan Bustin (head carpenter), JJ Jordan (flyman), Nick Anthony (deck automation), Glenn Calhoun (head props), Mike Pilipski (production propmaster), Tom Perrin (asst. props), Billy Jay Stein, Hiro Iida (electronic music design), Jennifer Coolbaugh (asst. music coordinator), Tim Burke (local music coordinator), Matthew Murphy (photos)

Tags: 17-1208, Aashley Morgan, Alejo Vietti, Alexis Tidwell, Alia Hodge, Andrew Brewer, Andy Baker, Avery Smith, Barry Mann, Billy Jay Stein, Brandon McNeel, Brian Ronan, Broadway in Chicago, Caliaf St. Aubyn, Carole King, Charles G. LaPointe, Charlotte Wilcox Company, Chicago musical theater, Chicago Theater, Christine Russell, Cody Spencer, Cynthia Weil, Derek McLane, Dimitri Joseph Moise, Douglas McGrath, Duane Barnes, Elan Bustin, Elena Ricardo, Eric Sprosty, Erica Hemminger, Fred Gallo, Gerry Goffin, Glenn Calhoun, Gretchen Androsavich, Hiro Iida, Ingrid Larson, Jacob Heimer, James Clow, James Michael Lambert, Jason Howland, Jay McKenzie, Jeff Handley, Jennifer Coolbaugh, JJ Jordan, Joe Dulude II, Joel Rosen, John Michael Dias, John Miller, John Viesta, Jon Rose, Jordan Edwin André, Josh A. Dawson, Josh Prince, Josh Weitzman, Joyce Chittick, Juniper Street Productions, Kaylee Harwood, Kristopher Stanley Ward, Larry Kohut, Larry Steppler, Liz Printz, Marc Bruni, Marla Loissaint, Matt Faucher, Matthew Murphy, McKynleigh Alden Abraham, Michael Keefe, Mike Pilipski, Neuro Tour, Nick Anthony, Nick Williams, Paul McGinley, Peter Kaczorowski, post, Rory Powers, Sarah Bockel, Sarah Goeke, Shana Ferguson, Shelley Butler, Sherry Kondor, Stephen Gabis, Stephen Kopel, Steve Leinheiser, Steve Sidwell, Susan Draus, Suzanne Grodner, Tim Burke, Tim Morey, Tom Logan, Tom Perrin, Traci Elaine Lee, TyNia René Brandon, Willie Hill

Category: 2017 Reviews, Broadway in Chicago, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Duane Barnes, Musical, National Tours