BEAUTIFUL Reviews- Page 2

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 7:48am

A good publicist can turn these mediocre to good reviews into something better, and if the publicist can convince the paying public that Jessie Mueller, who spends two hours suffering but not sparkling until the very end, is worth plunking down $150 (or more, for those nifty premium seats), the show could be a hit. Reviews were better than I expected, and better than the show deserved, but Anika Larsen and Jarrod Spector should have gotten far more "play time" (without them the show would stop dead in its tracks) from the critics. Still, I've seen lots worse shows go on to public glory, but the Tonys are still months off. Way too early to predict (remember LEAP OF FAITH and Matthew in NICE WORK).

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 8:02am

I love how all the critics are quick to say this is a ripoff of Jersey Boys, when Jersey Boys is a conceptual and formulaic ripoff of Dreamgirls, right down to the set and staging.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 8:12am

Brantley never ceases to amaze me. After an entire lukewarm review about 'formulaic', etc. and how this is nothing original or distinct, he appears to totally contradict himself with his last paragraph.


But when Ms. Mueller sings the show’s title song — sitting at a keyboard in, of course, Carnegie for the production’s finale — she delivers something you don’t expect from a jukebox musical. That’s a complex, revitalizing portrait of how a very familiar song came into existence, and of the real, conflicted person within the reluctant star.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 8:39am

Totally agree, theatregeek6. Brantley (and the show) end on a remarkably high point, something neither his review, nor the show, achieve until then.

[chanel]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 10:12am

Out.com:

"After seeing the show, I thought 'That was nice, but I'd love to meet Carole King to find out what she's like!'"

Liked Jessie and the array of performers, though.

http://www.out.com/entertainment/michael-musto/2014/01/13/frank-spinelli-boy-scouts-molester-hbo-looking-beautiful-carole-king?page=0,1

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 6:30pm

theatregeek6 - I took the last comment by Brantley to be a compliment of Ms. Mueller's performance more than a compliment of the actually show.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 7:00pm

Jayinchelsea. Yankeefan -

Agree and agree. Love Mueller and the ending. Hate Brantley!


That's. All.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 7:15pm

best12bars, Ben Brantley (rightfully) goes into detail about how extensively the staging and structure of BEAUTIFUL rips off DREAMGIRLS.

Updated On: 1/13/14 at 07:15 PM

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 9:35pm

Underwhelmed by this show. Sorry. Kill me. Love Carole King but as portrayed in the show, she was a boring wet blanket and the question that kept arising in my mind is "Why?"

Why am I watching this?

Why does this exist?

Why make a paint by numbers life story devoid of drama?

And I'm not jumping on the Mueller Can Do No Wrong bandwagon either.

[BobNC]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 10:24pm

Rolling Stone gives it a rave!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/carole-kings-beautiful-opens-on-broadway-20140113

[BobNC]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 10:26pm

So glad Jessie is getting raves !

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 10:29pm

Um, that piece in Rolling Stone isn't a review. It's an article about the opening.

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 11:27pm

That was so NOT a review...lol!

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 12:32pm

In almost all the photos I've seen of Goffin and King when they were young, King is sporting the same short blonde haircut, so oes anyone know why Mueller is constantly brunette throughout the show?

Updated On: 1/14/14 at 12:32 PM

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 1/15/14 at 9:37pm

Wall St. Journal raved. Interesting to see 'Did He Like It?' have a string of thumbs up & only one "on the fence" (NYTIMES)-yet go over to Jersey Boys & see a lower score (more "on the fence" reviews.

[BobNC]

Posted: 1/15/14 at 10:51pm

EW gave it a rave too--

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20774864,00.html

Jessie is sure to win Tony.

[BobNC]

Posted: 1/15/14 at 10:54pm

Even the less than positive reviews rave about Jessie and proclaim the show will be a big hit with the public and will run forever. To quote a King song: Now and Forever.

[BobNC]

Posted: 2/11/14 at 10:33pm

So Hoda is heading to see the show for the third time on 2/12. Has she ever endorsed a show so whole-heatedly?

Updated On: 2/12/14 at 10:33 PM