BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical preview thread

anyone able to go to the invited dress tonight?? I have two friends there right now and am waiting to hear what they think. anyone going this week??

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the only thing I got from one of my friends via facebook was "Beautiful! Especially Mueller. Definite Tony nomination coming her way."

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Lots of good stuff on twitter if you search the handle.

Going tonight too (after seeing it in SF). :)
https://twitter.com/search?q=%40beautifulonbway&src=typd&f=realtime

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I was there last night. As the director said right before the show, 'When you tweet of this, and you will, be kind.'

One doesn't need to go out of their way to be kind when Jessie Mueller is giving such a terrific performance. She's transcendent. I wasn't quite sure how she was going to capture King's vocal style, considering how smooth and polished of a singer Mueller is. But damn did she find a way to deliver. She's funny, heartbreaking, astoundingly committed and all without seeming to have to work too hard. She's magnificent.

I really enjoyed the show as a whole, both as a showcase for the songs of King, King & Goffin and Weil & Mann as well as an exploration of the creative process during a very specific time and place. I was unexpectedly moved throughout much of it. Mueller really is the show, but the chemistry between her and Jake Epstein is what made me care so very much. Anika Larsen and Jarrod Spector are great as Weil and Mann. I was really impressed with how the four leads approached their roles. It all felt very naturalistic. There are a few qualms that I have, but in general, I left the theater feeling great...and certain that Mueller is establishing herself as a leading lady who will be giving us great performances for many years to come.

If we're reporting on reports, the message I received this morning was that Mueller is great, and there was much conversation (among my friends) along the lines of "why is no one writing a good, new show for her?" There isn't really any book, story, or problem here, which makes any moment when a great number isn't happening somewhat bland. Not surprising, as King's life isn't really the stuff of gripping drama, unless one were to exaggerate or just lie, as in the case of shows about Fanny Brice and Gypsy Rose Lee. Outside of a non-faithful spouse, her life was one of great wealth, success, and fame from about the age of 18.

" Outside of a non-faithful spouse, her life was one of great wealth, success, and fame from about the age of 18."

Haven't seen the show here yet so no comments there but this comment is absurd. Take a read of her memoir sometime maybe and you'll see she went through her share of struggles with her family (her mentally disabled brother was put in an institution), her marriages, the domestic violence she had to endure, about her nomadic lifestyle and toxic relationships, her severe self-image and self-confidence issues that took her years to overcome...you're talking about a woman who started out in a man's business as literally a 16 year old girl and wound up with two children, divorced, before she even turned 30. She's got a hell of a story and it's not really all that rosy. She's a formidable woman and to reduce her that way is just a disservice to her legacy. I know much of this is not covered in the show but honestly...

Updated On: 11/21/13 at 10:59 AM

Oh, I'm aware of her memoir. Perhaps it would be best to say that we may have different ideas about what life events and life arcs are the stuff of good musical theatre storytelling.

"Oh, I'm aware of her memoir. Perhaps it would be best to say that we may have different ideas about what life events and life arcs are the stuff of good musical theatre storytelling."

Fair enough but I don't think it's events that made good musical theatre storytelling. There are great shows about things as low stakes as puppet-life in Avenue Q, as high stakes as the French Revolution (even though it isn't TECHNICALLY the French Rev) in Les MIs, and as vapid as "sorority girl wins Boyfriend back in law school!" like Legally Blonde. All these shows made money (though Blonde recouped on tour). I think it's more in the craft and how the story is being told than "is this arc inherently the most dramatic". The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a great story and nothing is "actually" happening, remember. :)

Anyway I don't want to turn this thread into a tangential debate. Break legs to everybody tonight and I can't wait to hear how the show has come together in NY! I've heard there are some pretty substantial changes, especially in the second act, so I can't wait to hear more later.

My mistake. Let is be corrected that my friend believes she was better then Elena Shaddow :)

I think it's a little early to talk about her definitely getting a Tony nod. Not that she isn't great and doesn't deserve it, but this season is full. With Williams, Mazzie (if she indeed is cast as Helen, and not put into supporting), O'Hara, Foster, Menzel, Reed, and Rocky (I'm sorry, I can't remember the actress from Rocky's name) yet to open their shows. Plus Fantasia, who was very well-reviewed, Kate Baldwin (maybe), and Krysta Rodriguez (and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few), there are going to be some powerhouses left out of the mix this year. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.

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I feel like I've already seen this show before. There's a medley near the beginning of the show where you're like, "There's Motown! There's Smokey Joe's Cafe! There's Baby, It's You!" All the songs start swirling together and I felt like I was experiencing the Jukebox version of Ben's breakdown at the end of "Live, Laugh, Love."

Act One was long and really dragged for me. There seemed to be virtually no conflict, and worse the last 20 minutes or so were dominated by 5 songs that Mueller had basically no part in. Watching non-characters like The Shirelles, The Drifters, Little Eva and Janelle (with The Chiffons?) perform production numbers REALLY began to verge on Smokey Joe's II territory.

Act Two was better, if only because Mueller sang more songs, but whole evening was rather dramatically inert. If they weren't going to get into the domestic abuse and darker struggles she faced I would have gone with a concert version of King's songs, like A Night With Janis Joplin. The best part was the title song during the Carnegie Hall concert so why not just recreate that concert in full with Mueller sharing stories from King's life in between the numbers?

Mueller is quite good; very understated and not trying to steal scenes or anything. It's not the greatest role to work with, but she does well with what she's given and is very likable. Anika Larsen is fun and Jarrod Spector is playing Woody Allen's role from Hannah and Her Sisters pretty well. I didn't care for Jake Epstein.

The nicest thing I can say about it is that it's very professional and above board. None of the cheapness of tackiness that Baby, It's You thrived on. The trouble with professional and above board without any creative spark is that it can get boring quickly, and that is sadly too often the case here.

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I was grateful for the poker scene being SO MUCH less painful than it was that first weekend in SF.

Jessie Mueller shone so much more for me this time; I liked her in SF but I loved her here.

The show overall is a lot tighter and more cohesive than when I saw it the first time, but the same structural problems in Act 1 are there. Act 2 is much more engaging, as has already been posted here.

I was surprised there was no pre-show announcement.

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