The Songs You Love, the Story You Didn’t Know, Carole King’s Beautiful Hits the Stage!

January 22nd, 2025

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical weaves a “tapestry” of King’s early career in Brooklyn, the inspiring journey of self-discovery. and the complexities of her personal life, focusing on her marriage to songwriting partner Gerry Goffin, the birth of her first two children, and the release of her first solo album. Starring as Carole King is Monet Sabel, who performed the role in the National Tour of Beautiful.  The large cast also features Sean Williams Davis as Gerry Goffin, Taylor Hilt Mitchell, as Barry Mann, Leah Sessa as Cynthia Weil and Ben Sandomir as Don Kirshner.

This bio-musical follows Carole King’s journey from teenage songwriter to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icon. Featuring such unforgettable hit songs as “You’ve Got A Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “So Far Away,” “Take Good Care Of My Baby,” “Up On The Roof,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Natural Woman.” “Carole King’s music has captivated audiences for over six decades, writing and co-writing over 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts,” said Marilynn A. Wick, Managing Executive Producer. “Beautiful celebrates her profound influence, the power of music, and the enduring legacy of her songs on our culture.”

Carole King (born Carol Joan Klein) entered college at the tender age of 16 and was quickly swept off her feet by a handsome Gerry Goffin. An unplanned pregnancy prompted their marriage; cementing a romantic and artistic partnership that produced more than two dozen chart topping hits. The musical is gentle in its handling of Goffin’s personal issues – questioning whether he had drug issues, and referring to “an emotional break down”.  In real life his use of LSD and mescaline resulted in mental illness, followed by electroshock therapy treatment. He was later diagnosed with manic depression.  King and Goffin had two children together and remained on good terms following their divorce. Though not touched on in the show, King went on to marry three more times and have two more children.  Carole King was set on writing music for others, but she did not see herself as a performer in the beginning of her career. Though he is not mentioned in the show, James Taylor was a driving force in convincing Carole to perform for the public.

Monet Sabel is near perfection as Carole King. Her singing voice comes as close to King’s as possible, and she captures her genuine qualities and earnest nature. King has always been without artifice – an “every man” of the music industry.  A heartfelt “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and soulful “You Make me Feel Like a Natural Woman” are highlights of the show.

Sean William Davis brings real depth to Gerry Goffin in a multi-layered portrayal of a complex character. From his casual swagger through his frustration and anxiety. It’s a strong performance with some thoughtful acting.

Leah Sessa is utterly charming as Cynthia Weil. She is chic, and warm and funny at all the right times in all the right places. She is well paired with Taylor Hilt Mitchell as Barry Mann. Mitchell provides high comedy in a quirky, neurotic role.

The cast is packed with an ensemble who, among other things, portray all of the soloists and girl and guy groups of the time period for whom Carole King and her contemporaries wrote, such as The Drifters and Neil Sedaka The hands down favorites are a slick and stylish performance of “On Broadway” performed by Desmond Newson, Jawan Hayes, Jymil Littles and Kalab Quinn and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” performed by Nate Gilanyi and Brent D. Kuenning.

Regrettably this show suffers from extensive sound/microphone issues. In two songs the group soloist did not have a working microphone. In one case a stagehand came out and handed the singer a microphone.  Listening to the girl and guy groups was awkward and distracting.  There was no mic balance, so the loudest person might be the person singing the bass or the alto harmony rather than the lead singer, and there seemed no attempt to blend their voices by adjusting the mics while they were singing. Thankfully the leads did not seem to have any mic issues, and hopefully this issue in general is something that the theatre will fix asap. All this aside, the strong performances, particularly Monet Sabel as Carole herself, and the deservedly well-loved music of Carole King are what make this show “Beautiful”.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs January 16 through February 16, 2025 with matinee performances at 2pm and evening shows at 7:30pm. Due to overwhelming demand, Wednesday evening performances have been added. Single and group tickets available at www.thewick.org or by calling the box office at 561-995-2333.

To learn more about the backstory of this musical, The Wick Theatre is delighted to offer a new program featuring the inside scoop on each main stage production presented during the 2024/2025 season. BROADWAY BUZZ – Pre-show talks. This enriching experience will be held inside the Museum Club and will be hosted by local theatre stars Charles Baran, Barbara Bradshaw, and Bruce Linser. Tickets are $25 per show or $100 for all five Broadway Buzz presentations.  Talks begin at 6:45 pm before evening performances and 1:15 pm before matinee performances. Reserve your seat at www.thewick.org or by calling the box office at 561-995-2333.

“This is a unique opportunity to get the inside scoop on each of the main shows featured this season,” said Marilynn Wick, Managing Executive Producer. “These pre-show talks will offer entertaining and educational insights sure to enhance your theater experience. From intriguing show development to backstage stories, interesting facts about the authors to the creative journey behind the music, our Broadway Buzz will enhance your enjoyment of each show!”

The Wick Theatre is located at 7901 N. Federal Highway. Boca Raton, Florida 33487. With over 50 mainstage productions since its opening, The Wick Theatre attracts esteemed musical theater professionals, and welcomes stars of film, TV, Broadway and beyond, including Cindy Williams, Leslie Uggams, Andrea McArdle, Lee Roy Reams, and Sally Struthers, among others.  These productions have not only been commercial successes, regularly selling out their runs, but also critical successes with dozens of Carbonell and Broadway World Awards nominations and wins. Run by self-made entrepreneur Marilynn Wick, The Wick also houses the Tavern at the Wick, a posh gourmet restaurant in the style of the famed Tavern on the Green in NYC, and the newly redesigned Museum Club.