March 11, 2024
Courtesy/Walnut Street Theater
"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," which will run at the Walnut Street Theater from April 3 through May 5, will feature over two dozen of the Grammy-winning singer's songs.
The Walnut Street Theatre will close its season next month with a run of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," which highlights the singer's behind-the-scene success as a songwriter and her fame as a solo artist.
The show will run on Walnut's main stage from April 3 through May 5 (and in previews starting March 26). Over two dozen of the Grammy-winning singer's songs will be featured in the performance, which dives into King's relationships with her ex-husband and songwriting partner Gerry Goffin and collaborators and competitors Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Tickets start at $25 and are available online.
The musical showcases King's range — from her early hits like "It Might as Well Rain Until September" to her famed songwriting credits like"You've Got a Friend" and "Natural Woman" to her own chart-toppers like "I Feel the Earth Move" and "It's Too Late." It's directed by Richard Stafford, who also directed the theater's production of "Rocky: The Musical," and stars Sara Sheperd as King.
The show debuted on Broadway and held over 2,400 performances, even starring Vanessa Carlton at one point, before closing in 2019. "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" was the 27th-longest running musical in Broadway history, according to Playbill. The show was nominated for seven Tony awards in 2014, winning two. The original cast member recording also won a Grammy in 2015 for Best Musical Theater Album. Sheperd was in the original Broadway production and played King in the show's North American tour.
The show was last in Philadelphia for a week at the Academy of Music in 2022, also starring Sheperd, after initially debuting at the theater in 2016.
Wednesday, April 3 through Friday, May 5
Times and ticket prices vary
Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut St., Philadelphia
