Chilina Kennedy to return as Carole King in Beautiful for fifth anniversary

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is set to celebrate its fifth anniversary on Broadway on January 12, 2019.

Back "On Broadway"! As the hit bio-musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical approaches its fifth Anniversary (on January 12, 2019) at Broadway's Stephen Sondheim Theatre, producers announced today that Chilina Kennedy will return to the title role from January 3, 2019. Current leading lady Abby Mueller is set to play her final performance in the role on December 30, 2018.

This will mark Ms. Kennedy's third Broadway engagement as Carole King; a role she has also played in the Toronto production. She made her Broadway debut as Mary Magdalene in the 2012 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar and was last seen on the New York stage this past summer as Binky in Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere musical This Ain't No Disco.

The current principal cast of Beautiful includes Abby Mueller (as Carole King), Kate Reinders (as Cynthia Weil), Evan Todd (as Gerry Goffin), Ben Jacoby (as Barry Mann), Paul Anthony Stewart (as Don Kirshner), and Tony Award nominee Liz Larsen (as Genie Klein).

Directed by Marc Bruni, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical features music by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with a book by Douglas McGrath.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical officially opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on January 12, 2014, following previews from November 21, 2013.

Synopsis: "Beautiful charts the rise of the famous singer-songwriter as she goes from being Carol Klein, a simple girl from Brooklyn to an international recording artist. It shows her fighting her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock 'n' roll."

The creative team features choreography by Josh Prince, scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Alejo Vietti, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, and sound design by Brian Ronan.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical received two Tony Awards at the 2014 ceremony, including "Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical" for the show's original star Jessie Mueller, who also sang live with Carole King at the awards.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is produced on Broadway by Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Tickets are available now for performances through to May 26, 2019.

^{(Photo by Joan Marcus)}