Broadway show weaves ‘Tapestry’ of how songwriter became top female recording artist
No one, especially not Kennedy Caughell, could have predicted the timing. Less than a month before the touring version of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” was scheduled to land at the Lexington Opera House, the show’s original Broadway production closed after a six-year run that yielded a pair of Tony Awards.
That means Caughell, who plays the vanguard pop artist and songwriter at the heart of the show, is, for now, the lone performance incarnation of Carole King on the road, outside of King herself.
“We’re currently the only running company of ‘Beautiful’ in the world,” said the Oklahoma born actress. “It’s a big handful to carry, but I’m so grateful to get to do it.”
What “Beautiful” details, in essence, are the two remarkable careers of a single artist. One belongs to a ‘60s era pop composer, the other to a ‘70s (and way, way beyond) pop performer. Both are spearheaded by a woman working in an industry dominated by men. The musical, however, lets her groundbreaking career unfold in a way that doesn’t cling to any anthemic statement. Its stresses a life, despite its share of personal upheaval, fueled by positivity.
“This show has challenged me to do better and believe in myself,” Caughell said. “A lot of Carole’s early success came between ages 15 and 20. She just went for it and did it at such an early age. That challenges me and gives me the need to create because I know I have questioned whether I can do this and whether I can create. Playing her every night has made me think, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’ So the show is calling me in that way.
“Every time I go on to tell this story, I’m always amazed at her ability to be kind even when it’s hard. That is a strength that I think is rare in the world because it takes courage to be kind and to forgive, especially when you’ve been hurt by somebody. When you continue to put positivity and light into the world, it allows you to be a better person.”
Though “Beautiful” begins and ends with King’s triumphant Carnegie Hall concert in 1971, the story commences with the artist moving to Manhattan as a teenager to establish herself not a singer, but as a songwriter. Augmented by portrayals of numerous music industry giants from the era (Barry Mann, Neil Sedaka, Cynthia Weil, Don Kirshner and the man who would become her husband and chief songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin), the production then lets loose with a arsenal of pop classics so far reaching (“One Fine Day,” “Up on the Roof” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”) that even ardent fans may be unaware of King’s songwriting involvement.
It was with the landmark 1971 solo album “Tapestry,” however, that King made her greatest imprint with her own name. While its commercial impact was monumental (the record has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide), “Tapestry” brought King out of the songwriting shadows to make her one of the preeminent female recording artists of her generation. The road to “Tapestry” is at the core of the second act to “Beautiful.”
“The first song I heard of hers, and I’m not going to say which one it is because there is a big reveal about it in the show, I remember hearing while I was skating at the roller rink as a kid. My dad was a big fan of Carole and would sometimes play ‘Tapestry’ as I was growing up. But I didn’t make the connection until I saw ‘Beautiful’ for the first time. I was like, ‘This woman has written the background to a lot of people’s lives. That’s the biggest comment I hear after the shows. People come up to the stage door and say ‘Tapestry’ is the soundtrack of their life.”
That realization alone speaks volumes. In an era when King’s music was resonating profoundly with an entire generation of women, it was Caughell’s father that introduced her to “Tapestry.”
“The best thing about Carole King’s music is that it applies to everybody,” she said. “This is an empowered musical for everybody. Yes, Carole was a woman making it in a man’s world at the time. But she didn’t think about it that way. She just had this otherworldly confidence that was like, ‘Well, somebody’s got to do it. Why not me?’ She just went for it wholeheartedly with her gift and succeeded without making it about being somebody. It was about doing the work.”
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22, 1 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23, 1 and 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 24
Where: Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short
Tickets: $35-$130
Call: 859-233-3535, 800-745-3000