As luck would have it, I got tickets for the evening when I was scheduled to take a midnight flight back to Asia!
Two and a half hours later I understood why the Broadway musical got such rave reviews, and why it was so packed even on a weekday night!
From the first chords of the overture to the ending chorus of "I Feel The Earth Move" in which the appreciative SRO audience chimed in as the cast took their bows, it was a rousing musical feast of 25--count 'em 25--wonderful numbers that spanned three decades of hits composed by the simple Brooklyn-born King, with most of the lyrics written by her first love and husband, the talented but troubled wordsmith, Gerry Goffin.
The play tells the story of classical music trained Carole at the age of 19, pushed by her Jewish mother to be a schoolteacher even as she felt the yen to be a songwriter. Based on the book written by Douglas McGrath with music and words of King and Goffin, the play goes on to dramatize the turning points in Carole's life, from the first song bought by Donnie Kirschner, to when she met and fell madly in love with Goffin, married him, had a child with him, even as they worked night and day to write more music and hits for Donnie to assign to the talents of the times...from the Drifters to the Shirelles to Jenna Wade, who would later become Goffin's paramour and would be muse.
Providing interesting counterpoint to the King-Goffin collaborations were the collaborations of friendly competitors Barry Mann and Cynthia Weihl, who created many hits of the times too, what with "Happy Days Are Here Again", "On Broadway" among others. Mann and Weihl became friends of the couple, and later on the staunchest friends of King, through her first separation from, then reconciliation with, and final parting from Goffin, through her own metamorphosis into a solo vocalist, performer and recording artist, based no longer in New York but in Los Angeles, under the guidance of another hitmaking producer, Lou Adler.
The musical reflects the versatility of King as a composer, from the teeny bopper hits of the fifties like "Take Good Care of My Baby" to the pulsating dance hit "Locomotion".
The musical reflects the authenticity of King as a musician, with melodies that were simple and easy to follow, remember, and sing along to, and yet rendered more soulful and this shade of melancholy by the frequent use of minor keys, and by Goffin's equally simple yet heart wrenching lyrics, as in the iconic and touching "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
The musical reflects the transformation of King, from talented piano player and half of a hit making tandem, to a serious artist in her own right, when, learning her marriage was over for good and for real, she literally let her hair down, went inside herself to discover and reinvent herself, and sang her coming out song, "It's Too Late". She discovered that her own lyrical bent had evolved and matured, with the legendary song "You've Got A Friend" written as a farewell for now message to Donnie, Barry, and Cynthia...and later picked up and turned into a megahit by friend, James Taylor.
The culmination of the second phase of King's evolution from piano player to celebrated artist was the 1971 album Tapestry, featuring hits she had written after she left New York, with a few choice selections from her partnership with Goffin, that reflected deeper facets, not only to her music, but to her changing persona. Tapestry included the female anthem "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" that reflected a woman at her best, a woman in love, though the two situations are not necessarily mutually inclusive. It also contained songs like "Beautiful", which became the title of the play, and two songs full of sadness and longing "So Far Away" and "Way Over Yonder", and her attempt at country, "Smackwater Jack".
Tapestry propelled her to the world stage, being as multi awarded as it was, and the reason for her debut at Carnegie Hall. It was also the opportunity to reconnect with friends Barry and Cynthia, and for her estranged husband Gerry to apologize for his shortcomings and finally let her find closure.
Carole King, as portrayed by the musical Beautiful, is a simple piano playing composer, mother of two, who finally found her voice. And though it was not necessarily the best vocal of all time, it was however THE voice of several generations, first of pre pubescent and adolescent emotions, then of timeless romance, heartbreak, and reconnection, and finally of the healing and coming of age of the human spirit.
And it is Beautiful!!!
"Tapestry" is one of the soundtracks of my childhood. I remember hearing Carole King countless times - it was the good old vinyl LP back then. I think we still have it on the house - scratched but still with the picture of King with the cat! Yes, she might not have the best vocals of all time, but there's something comforting in her songs and they always take me back to the good old days...
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