North Shore Music Theater's 'Beautiful' is a Mesmerizing Tribute to Carole King

If you can’t make the world good, then make it beautiful.

Opening its doors for the beginning of an exciting show season, North Shore Music Theater presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Based on the life of the famous singer-songwriter, the show follows Carole King’s humble beginnings in the world. As King’s career begins to soar, her personal life faces challenges.

North Shore Music Theater's production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a mesmerizing tribute to the iconic singer-songwriter, Carole King. With its powerful performances and captivating music, the production embodies strong themes of women empowerment and examination of the music industry.

Not only does Elena Ricardo have an impressive vocal range, belting out the songwriter’s timeless hits, she beautifully portrayed Carole King, capturing the vulnerability and strength of the legendary artist. King’s story supplies a bold message about confidence. Never let anybody’s words stop you from reaching your dreams.

A few people had a hand in Carole’s success. Carole and Gerry Goffin (Jake Bentley Young) are smitten when they first meet, contributing to Carole’s success. However, due to Carole’s impeding limelight, Gerry faces his own personal challenges, putting a tense rift in their relationship.

Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann (Jessica Rush and Jack Cahill-Lemme) are integral characters in Carole’s journey. Their roles demonstrate the power of collaboration and the importance of supportive relationships in pursuing artistic dreams. Like Ricardo, Rush was also a standout in her vocals and characterization.

In addition, Beautiful features several other important characters. Reed Campbell was excellent as Don Kirshner, the music producer. Instead of being portrayed as a negative influence on success, Kirshner is an example of a true leader in the music industry, guiding his clients in the best directions.

The various artists who performed the quartet’s songs were all terrific, authenticating the vibrant music of the time. No small part exists in the theater. Jean McCormick (Genie Klein) earned well-deserved applause upon sharing some good old mom advice. A few other memorable characters appear, delivering a funny line or showing off talented dance moves.

Set up around the stage are musical notes that shined. The technical crew is hard at work changing sets, creating an immersive atmosphere with changing lights, and designing a beautiful wardrobe that matched the 60s era. All the dresses are stunning!

I didn’t realize that King wrote some of the songs until seeing this show. Several recognizable songs are in the musical such as ‘On Broadway,’ ‘The Locomotion,’ and ‘Beautiful,’ the hit song of the evening dictated wonderfully by Ricardo.

Beautiful has several significant themes. Aside from examining the music industry, one of the production's greatest strengths is its emphasis on women's empowerment. Decisions by both King and Weil are a powerful reminder of the importance of female voices and their ability to shape the world through art.

Marcos Santana effectively conveyed the strength and the creative brilliance of Carole and the other female characters, emphasizing their significant contributions to the music industry. His innovative approach to the story offered audiences a captivating experience.

Speaking of the audience, the audience had a fun time watching the performance, chuckling or dancing along to the tunes. Since Carole King was before my era, I haven’t heard her music. Beautiful was a well-deserved learning lesson on the singer for me and afterward I went home to research more about her life and influences on the music world.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs at North Shore Music Theater until June 18. You don’t want to miss this upbeat show. Buy your tickets and come dance to the tunes.