THEATRE REVIEW: "Beautiful - the Carole King Musical" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (Chicago, IL)

      On December 30th, 2017, Kathryn and I went to see "Beautiful - the Carole King Musical" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, IL.  Kathryn was in town for Christmas, and got us two tickets to the show.  She said she tried to get tickets to "Wicked,"  which was back at the Oriental Theatre up the street, but the tickets were too expensive.  So, we saw a performance of the return engagement of "Beautiful" instead.







     Sarah Bockel played the role of Carole King the day we saw the show.  She acted in a lot of Chicago regional theatre prior to playing Carole King.  By the act one finale, her character had a hideous, short haircut--and during intermission, while Kathryn and I were criticizing the show, I said that the short hair made her look like Nick Nolte.  I also predicted that act two would be about "hawtache and bawn bawns" (heartache and bon bons).  




     Prior to the show, there was an announcement about the confiscation of  camera phones, that I turned it into a song sung to the tune of that Avril Lavigne song "Complicated."  "Why'd you have to go and get your camera phone confiscated..."  Before the show started, when we were waiting around in the lobby, Kathryn told me about her flight to Chicago.  She flew Southwest Airlines, and over the loud speaker, a member of the flight crew sang about "silver belts" (seat belts) to the tune of the Christmas song "Silver Bells."  Kathryn described the passengers laughing with delight.




Sarah Bockel as Carole King (photo by Matthew Murphy).





          Anyway, this production of "Beautiful" featured scenic design by Derek McLane.  I don't remember it too well,  but it sort of reminded of the scenic design of "Memphis."  "Memphis" wasn't a jukebox musical like "Beautiful," but it seemed like one.  My mom and my aunt said the same thing when I told them I was going to see "Beautiful."  They said that "Tapestry" was their favorite album growing up.  I lacked consideration (more than usual) a few years later when I threw out my mother's copy of "Tapestry" while de-cluttering my apartment.  I threw out my albums too, along with the record player.  Not long after, I threw out my theatre programs and playbills.  When I came to regret it, I nearly stooped to "hawtache and bawn bawns" myself.







     Besides Sarah Bockel, the cast of "Beautiful" also included James Clow (Don Kirshner), Jacob Heimer (Barry Mann), Sarah Goeke (Cynthia Weil), Andrew Brewer (Gerry Goffin).  The Drifters were played by Kristopher Stanley Ward, Josh A. Dawson, Avery Smith, and Jay McKenzie.  The Shirelles were played by Traci Elaine Lee, McKynleigh Alden Abraham, Alexis Tidwell, and Ximone Rose.  



James Clow as John Kirshner, Jacob Heimer as Barry Mann, Sarah Bockel as Carole King, and Sarah Goeke as Cynthia Weil (photo by Matthew Murphy).


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