On January 4th I went to see Beautiful, The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, in central London. After seeing the performance I was even more inspired to pursue my own dreams of becoming a singer, and particularly found Brayben, the actress who played Carole King, inspirational and motivating.
Looking back at previous musicals I have seen, I would definitely say that Beautiful, The Carole King Musical stands out. I think my perspective may be biased as unlike the general public I am a fan of the 60's music. Furthermore due to my aspirations to become a singer, it moved me on a personal level. I would recommend Beautiful, The Carole King Musical as the energy throughout the production was electrifying.When looking around the audience I could see many broad smiles, reflecting the joyful mood.
Carole King started off as a clever 16 year old girl from Brooklyn, who had skipped two grades, and hence was already in collage.Initially I saw her as an enthusiastic young lady who wanted to pursue her dreams, and who had a true talent for music.This talent was clearly demonstrated when she played 'Bach' off-by-heart on the piano.However when she was 17 she got side-tracked by romance, as a handsome older boy, Gerry swept her off her feet.Unsuprisingly, Gerry was a lyric-writer, who almost instantly formed a partnership with King, a music-writer.Together they were sensational, and achieved many top hits which lasted numerous weeks.Nevertheless it wasn't until King's personal life broke down that she found her true voice.King and Gerry split, but from this something new was born; King wrote for herself, and released an individual best-selling breakthrough solo album; Tapestry in 1971.The hectic journey of King's life from being pregnant at 17, to her husband having affairs, turned into something quite beautiful; a musical genius.
Beautiful, The Carole King Musical has been a hit musical in the West End and on Broadway.It is set in New York, America in the Sixties, and racism was present at the time it was based.King wrote for both black and white singers, personally I preferred the stereotypical 'black' music as it typically had more rhythm, jazz, beat and dance.The energy from the performers thrived, and made me feel ecstatic.Personally I thought the actors who performed as The Shirelles and Drifters, both musical groups stood out as their energy and liveliness roared throughout the stage and audience.
On the negative side, my least favourite aspect was that unlike many of the other audience members I have not lived during the 60's, and hence the songs were fresh to me.This meant that I couldn't join in the words or simply sway to the music instantaneously, but took some moments to get to know the song.Consequently this meant I was always on the edge of my seat, curious as to what might happen next.
Carole King sold her 1st hit, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", when she was just 17, and by her twenties she was writing songs for some of the biggest acts in the rock 'n' roll era; Aretha Franklin, the Monkees, the Drifters and the Shirelles.In 1962, Carole King along with Gerry Goffin scored a number 1 hit with their baby sitter, this formed a new artist; Little Eva.
Leading characters; Alan Morrissey as Gerry; Lorna Want as Cynthia, and Ian McIntosh as Barry, were all phenomenal actors who made the performance come to life.Personally I thought Lorna Want was spectacular, and in my opinion was the best actress.However I do not get a say as to who wins what awards, and alternatively Brayben won the award for 'Best Actress in a Musical', whereas Want achieved 'Best Supporting Actress in a Musical'.All of the actors were tremendous and I was dazzled by the talent before me.
Brayben captured King's searing energy in her youth, all throughout until the finale when she sung "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", as I could see her life mature before my eyes.By the end King was singing from her heart, which was purposefully done for the irony that it's what's inside that counts, and what comes from within that makes you beautiful.King's emotion and character translated through the songs very effectively.
From this experience I have learnt that talent is rare but when someone possesses it, it's extraordinary.Also that when something doesn't go quite right, the best thing to do is to get back onto your feet and to keep persisting.Additionally that it's the people who don't quite fit into typical society that make it into showbiz.In order to get into the showbiz industry, one needs to possess individuality, and have a quirky personality.This musical has only boosted my energy and enthusiasm to achieve my life aspirations.
Thanks for this Isabelle. Sounds like an interesting musical that gives us a bit of musical history too!