Walnut Street Theatre Presents Beautiful – The Carole King Musical Through May 5

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the story of the prolific songwriter’s life.

Matthew Amira plays King’s husband, Gerry Goffin.

Amira says audiences will see King’s journey, “from aspiring songwriter to when she found her voice and became a solo star.”

“The Walnut Street Theatre is doing a brand-new take on it. There’s a lot more dance,” he says.

“The music everyone will love, but I think people will be surprised by how touching her story is and how much heart there is in this musical,” says Kathryn Boswell, who plays songwriter Cynthia Weil in the show.

It follows two songwriting couples in New York City – King and her husband, Gerry, and Weil and her husband, Barry Mann.

Amira plays opposite his real-life wife, Boswell.

“And there’s constant competition between these two couples to churn out the best songs of the time,” he says.

King navigates her tumultuous marriage, while continuing to write hit songs.

Boswell says audiences will see how the music that she wrote was influenced by her sadness.

Weil becomes a friend and source of support for King.

Boswell says both women had the same goal of writing songs and becoming as successful as their male counterparts.

“And they were both truly revolutionary,” she says.

Their songwriting produced hits that helped boost other groups to stardom, like the Shirelles.

“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow was Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s first number one hit,” says Amira. “And there was this lovely symbiotic relationship between these writers and incredible Black artists.”

The Drifters had a hit with Some Kind of Wonderful.

Boswell says they were a part of so many iconic songs.

“People come away saying, ‘I had no idea that she wrote all these songs,’ so you’re gonna be surprised,” says Amira.

The arc of the show lands audiences at Carnegie Hall.

“You see her transition to when she found her voice and released her first solo album, Tapestry,” he says.

“The music will make you feel so much joy. It is so beautiful,” says Boswell.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical runs through May 5 at the Walnut Street Theatre.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical Tickets
Walnut Street Theatre

825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107