If one has to present a biopic jukebox show about a pop music
icon, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (at the Stephen Sondheim
Theatre) is absolutely among the best
models for emulation. And make no mistake, despite Ms. King’s catchy and iconic
songs, and the lovely performance by Jessie Mueller in the (sub)title role, and the diamond-sharp direction of Marc
Bruni, the star of the evening is the book
by Douglas McGrath. He has
carefully—and wittily—traced the career of his subject and just as
carefully narrowed the scope to several key relationships in what is,
essentially, a extended family: her increasingly troubled
boyfriend-cum-husband-cum-lyricist collaborator Jake Epstein (Gerry Goffin); her friendly rivals, the songwriting (and romantic) team of Cynthia
Weil (Anika Larsen) and Barry
Mann (Jarod Spector); her at-home parent, single mother Genie (Liz
Larsen) and her at-work surrogate father,
record producer Don Kirshner (Jeb
Brown). This focus keeps the notion of a
dramatized biography (which could otherwise wander and sprawl) containable and
conducive to structuring. Add to the focus that McGrath has the requisite
talent and sensibility to deliver complex characters in economic strokes and,
when appropriate, to write funny. Real-life figures may be his source, but he’s
turned them into memorable musical theatre figures who can stand proudly
alongside most in the classic literature. I’m not saying Beautiful is
quite so classic—even though the best jukebox musicals can be thrilling,
I still think of them as a breed apart—but if the breed can be elevated,
it’ll be because of bookwriting as sharp, purposeful and sensitive as
McGrath’s.
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