Slow Burn’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Celebrates a Timeless Talent

In search of a little extra cheer this upcoming weekend? Look no further for the perfect remedy: Slow Burn Theatre Company’s entertaining, heartfelt, and utterly joyful production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Under the expert direction of Patrick Fitzwater, the story takes theatergoers through a musical legend’s path to stardom, and the ups and downs she faces along the way. Did I mention that it’s set to quite the catchy soundtrack, too?

At the show’s outset, Carole King (Monet Sabel) is a hardworking teenager studying Education, while secretly harboring dreams of becoming a songwriter. She’s hoping to make the trip from Brooklyn to Manhattan and sell a song she’s just written to famous music publisher Don Kirshner (Michael Dean Morgan). Her mother Genie (Colleen Pagano) cautions her against it, proclaiming “Girls don’t write music, they teach it,” but King goes anyway, a choice that will change her life. In addition to her growing business relationship with Don, who quickly takes a liking to her songs, she also forms a musical—and romantic—connection with her fellow Queens College student, lyricist Gerry Goffin (Milo Alosi). 

As a duo, King and Goffin create dozens of chart-topping hits for iconic artists, including The Shirelles (Maya Cuevas, Gabrielle Graham, Mikayla Queeley and Lillie Eliza Thomas), The Drifters (Jermarcus Riggins, Jerel Brown, Logan Green and Jawan Hayes), and The Righteous Brothers (Tim Davis and Lovell Rose). They also begin to build a life together, complete with marriage, children (although maybe not necessarily in that order), and plans of moving to the suburbs. Alongside this prolific partnership, another one blooms; that of Cynthia Weil (Lindsey Corey) and Barry Mann (Nick Anastasia), who soon become both close friends and competitors to the couple. As years go by and King’s relationships, dreams, and self-confidence are tested, she begins to consider what it would mean to put down the pen, pick up the microphone…and finally stand in the spotlight herself.

Monet Sabel is no stranger to stepping into Carole King’s shoes, as this is her sixth production of Beautiful! She does a wonderful job of telling King’s story, showcasing the power of discovering one’s own voice with a performance that’s engaging and moving from start to finish. Milo Alosi imbues his role with charm and charisma; although audience members will surely be rooting for King to ultimately break things off with Goffin and heal from the hurt he’s caused her, Alosi’s performance demonstrates how he is also magnetic and even, sometimes, sympathetic, in her eyes, despite his darker moments. Lindsey Corey and Nick Anastasia add plenty of wit, laughter, and heart to the production as Weil and Mann respectively. Both couples have sparkling onstage chemistry, making the audience even more invested in their journeys; what’s more, their chemistry as a friend group feels just as believable, lending extra depth to their performances. And as the savvy, successful Don Kirshner, Michael Dean Morgan helps foster the competitive, fast-paced environment the characters face in the studio, cheering them on and sometimes fueling the rivalry as they all pursue their dreams.

The music is, needless to say, a real highlight of this production. The cast truly does these beloved songs—many of which have become standards—justice, and I also enjoyed the addition of a talented live band of musicians, helmed by conductor, music director, and pianist Gianfranco “Gio” Tio, and including Karen Nagy, Julie Jacobs, Chris Vallone, Martin Hand, Frank Capoferri, Rochelle Fredrick, Jyllian Brown, Jason Pyle, Michael Hankins, and Pablo Camacho. Theatergoers will recognize hits from both the King/Goffin and Weil/Mann songwriting teams, like “The Loco-Motion,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “One Fine Day,” “On Broadway,” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” as well as from King’s solo catalog, such as “So Far Away,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “It’s Too Late,” and the titular “Beautiful.” You’ll want to sing along with each one (and, at my performance, some audience members just might have) and maybe even dance along with Cat Pagano’s toe-tapping choreography.

The scenic design, by Nikolas Serrano; lighting design, by Eric Norbury; and sound design, by Dan Donato, only add to the immersive feel of the show, transporting audiences back to the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, where much of the story takes place. As costume coordinator, Rick Peña helps further convey how times are changing, with the characters’ wardrobes constantly evolving as the show progresses. 

Something, well, beautiful about Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is that its central character’s journey of self-discovery, vulnerability, and resilience is not necessarily loud or obvious, but rather quiet and subtle, yet no less emotionally impactful. Carole King’s transformation from ambitious student to acclaimed singer-songwriter demonstrates that true strength and confidence can be found in simply knowing who you are, and by doing that, you’ll see not only the beauty in yourself, but also in others and in the world around you. Just like King’s songs, the show’s message is truly timeless, and both will certainly resonate with any audience member. 

Slow Burn Theatre Company is presenting Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Amaturo Theater of Broward Center for the Performing Arts through March 1. Purchase your tickets here.