Vanessa Carlton to make Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton is set to take over the titular role in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical from June 27, 2019.
"A Thousand Miles" to Broadway! Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton is set to make her Broadway debut when she assumes the title role in the hit bio-musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre from June 27, 2019 for a limited 10-week enagagement. Current star Chilina Kennedy is scheduled to exit the production on June 26.
Ms. Carlton commented: "It is a privilege to tell Carole's story. She wasn't just a great pianist and writer, she was on the frontier of women in power positions in the music industry. Her courage and sacrifice, not to mention fierce sense of self, paved the way for artists like myself to have a shot. Being a pianist, writer, and mother myself, I am thrilled to honor her and bring to life the story of a fellow woman balancing it all."
Ms. Carlton rose to fame in 2002 following the release of her platinum-selling debut album "Be Not Nobody" and debut single "A Thousand Miles". She earned three Grammy Award nominations in 2003 (for "Record of the Year," "Song of the Year," and "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists") and has gone on to release a further four studio albums ("Harmonium" in 2004, "Heroes & Thieves" in 2007, "Rabbits on the Run" in 2011, and "Liberman" in 2015).
The current principal cast of Beautiful includes Chilina Kennedy (as Carole King), Evan Todd (as Gerry Goffin), Kara Lindsay (as Cynthia Weil), 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 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 January 5, 2020.
(Header photo: Interscope Records)
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