Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Erika Olson, Chilina Kennedy, Ben Frankhauser, Liam Tobin in Beautiful. Photo Credit: Cylla von Tiedemann.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical has finally arrived in Toronto after two years on Broadway, and audiences will not be disappointed.

The Tony Award-winning show stars Canada's own Chilina Kennedy as the title character, and tells the story of King's rise, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin (Liam Tobin), to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil (Erika Olson) and Barry Mann (Ben Fankhauser), to becoming a famous solo act.

Some fans of King's later work may be surprised to learn that King and Goffin were the brains behind 60s hits such as "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Take Good Care of My Baby," "One Fine Day" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," to name a few.

As young lovers navigating the music business in New York, King and Goffin encountered major highs—their songs were performed by The Drifters (portrayed here by Josh A. Dawson, Jay McKenzie, Leighton Samuels, Avery Smith), and The Shirelles (played by Erin Clemons, Traci Elaine Lee, Ximone Rose, Alexis Tidwell). Yet, the pressures of managing busy schedules while juggling the demands of parenthood proved difficult on their relationship (they were married after finding out King was pregnant at only 17 years of age) and Goffin struggled with being faithful to his young wife.

Ultimately, the collapse of King's marriage to Goffin was the catalyst that spurred her move to California where she broke out on her own and became a huge success. The second half of the musical highlights songs from her 1971 album Tapestry, produced by Lou Adler, including "It's Too Late," I Feel The Earth Move," and "You've Got a Friend."

Beautiful is an inspiring production that begins and ends with King's renowned performance at Carnegie Hall. Featuring terrific performances, lively choreography and an authentic storyline, this is not your typical jukebox fare. Kennedy is remarkable as King, serving up big vocals, plenty of humour and heart throughout. Music lovers will rejoice at this celebration of the mega-talented artist who wrote "the soundtrack to a generation." Don't miss this nostalgic, feel-good journey through 20th century pop music history.

Catch Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on stage until September 3, 2017 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. Visit mirvish.com for more information and to buy tickets.