'Beautiful' Officially Announces West End Plans and US National Tour!

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 8:06am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BEAUTIFUL-Goes-Abroad-Opens-at-West-Ends-Aldwych-Theatre-in-February-and-Launches-US-Tour-in-Fall-2015-20140905

Updated On: 9/5/14 at 08:06 AM

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 9:22am

I wonder if Jessie will continue with the show, whether in New York, London or on tour beyond her initial contract running out

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 9:29am

Doesn't sound like she'll do London: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2744210/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Steven-Hawking-s-love-affair-timeless-Eddie-Redmayne-Felicity-Jones-explosive-chemistry-new-biopic.html

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 10:14am

Didn't the article about Chilina Kennedy say Jessie is doing the tour?
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2014/09/02/chilina_kennedy_broadwaybound_to_star_in_beautiful.html

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 10:32am

So Chilina Kennedy taking over for Jessie Mueller is definitely official?

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 10:35am

No. It's not official until there's a press release from the show.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 9/5/14 at 12:08pm

They've updated the logo for the London production with the traditional West End glitz!

http://beautifulinlondon.co.uk/

[ncgator]

Posted: 9/6/14 at 10:29pm

DPAC (Durham, NC) just announced it will be part of their 2015/2016 season.

* Please ignore, just noticed some cities were listed in the original post :)
Updated On: 9/6/14 at 10:29 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/6/14 at 11:52pm

Good thing I live near Durham, so I'll be able to see it next year!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/7/14 at 12:01am

I would think if she's doing the tour, she would do London. Maybe she'll start the tour and then dip out and do London? Like Gavin Creel with Mormon.

[StickIt]

Posted: 9/7/14 at 1:16am

I can't imagine she'll do the West End production. For one thing, among many others, she has concert dates scheduled in New Jersey during the very first month of the run. I can't imagine she's going to fly back to the US for two days and then back to London and hop back into the show before the show even opens. I've also heard she has other theatrical commitments here early next year so I'd be very surprised if she did the West End. 'Course, nothing is totally off the table until the show confirms it, so I suppose we'll see.

As far as the tour, I have yet to see any reliable information that confirms her involvement? I could definitely see her doing the Chicago engagement, return home in her Tony-winning role, but the idea of somebody with the career opportunities she'll have in the near future going on the road for 6 months or more seems kinda silly to me.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/7/14 at 9:09am

I have heard that actors on the road make more money than they do on Broadway...just saying, if Jessie decides to go with the show on the road, I doubt she'll do it for the money! Updated On: 9/7/14 at 09:09 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:07am

They can, but not always.

[StickIt]

Posted: 9/7/14 at 1:19pm

She's making quite a pretty penny on Broadway, as well as having perks like a car to take her home every night. It's not really like she's lacking for anything. This is all disregarding the fact that life on tour is incredibly grueling and it really isn't for everyone. Some people love it, but it isn't an easy job. And even if it was more money in the immediate future, can you really measure how much income would be lost because of the job opportunities a tour would preclude someone from pursuing? It's certainly not unheard of for a star to tour with their show (Alice Ripley comes to mind) but it's become less and less common of late. I guess there is nothing to do but speculate baselessly until an announcement comes.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 2:30pm

Just confirmed that Jessie will not be touring with the show...for now.

[StickIt]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 9:06pm

For now? I doubt they'd make a press release if this was something that was gonna change. She already had projects in the works for the next year or so that would absolutely interfere with a commitment to tour.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 9:33pm

For right now, I will be under the assumption that she won't be touring. But it then again, it wouldn't be the first time someone's denied a rumor which actually turned out true (Idina Menzel playing Rachel's mother on Glee, Ramin Karimloo starring in Les Miz on Broadway, etc.)...

Though then again, I will indeed be very curious to see who will end up playing Carole King on the road (as well as London).



Updated On: 9/18/14 at 09:33 PM

[StickIt]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 9:37pm

Didn't Vanessa Ray do a workshop of the show? It'd be interesting to see her take on it.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 9:41pm

I thought I also heard about Jenn Gambatese (she did just work with director Marc Bruni on The Sound of Music at the Lyric Opera in Chicago). Updated On: 11/15/14 at 09:41 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 10:57pm

Yeah, Vanessa Ray did a workshop -- I don't know how many Caroles there have been, but I'm pretty sure she was the last one before Jessie.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 4:47pm

Looks like this tweet was deleted, but Becky Gulsvig and Ben Fankhauser are Cynthia and Barry on tour! http://braveenoughtobekind.tumblr.com/post/102622396325/barry-mann-cynthia-weil-l-beautiful-the-carole

Updated On: 11/14/14 at 04:47 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 5:16pm

Isn't Ben a little too tall for Barry? He seems more like a Gerry to me.

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 5:21pm

Great news! I think Ben will make a great Barry! Wish I wasn't from here and had an excuse to go see this tour!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 3:04am

"I thought I also heard about Jenn Bambatese (she did just work with director Marc Bruni on The Sound of Music at the Lyric Opera in Chicago)."

You mean Jenn Gambatese?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/4/15 at 11:00pm

May not be a principal character, but...

Meet Nasia Thomas