BEAUTIFUL : THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL AT THE ARTS

The amazing cast of Beautiful

Carole King - live and in great voice on stage in Cambridge? Well not quite  - but not far off. Beautiful recreates the world of 60s New York where young ( at university 16 year old Carole is married with a baby and writing hits by the time she’s 18). She composed her first Number one ‘Will you still love me tomorrow?’ from the windowless downtown studio basement of impresario Donnie Kirshner a subversively cynical humorist evoked perfectly by Garry Robson. He, like every member of the cast plays an instrument and sings . This is a full on, no-rest world where everyone is working their socks off.

I loved the solo rendition of Be Boppa Lula,a cappella from a cast member.”Three chords, is that it?’ quizzes the sceptical Kirshner. The singer nods dismally.” I’ll have it” snaps the impresario..

Gary Robson as Donnie Kirshner

 The production team behind this breathtaking show must surely take credit for this heart-racing , foot -tapping, soulful tour de force –  so potent I found it hard not to burst into song along with the cast. Hats off to the cool shadowy eminence grise behind the choice of shows, the Arts Theatre, Director Dave Murphy, for staging a musical of such complex virtuosity. From the sensational set – a towering New York scaffolding - stapled by dazzling Broadway –style lights designed by Frankie Bradshaw, Beautiful keeps up a fast- paced display of American songwriting at its finest.

Miles Miller as one of the Drifters

The pace is relentless. I had some idea a musical about Carole King would involve static tableaux of her playing her hits at the piano. Nothing so tame. In fact the talent on the crowded , nay chaotic, stage, pulses out a connective style of energy that is simply irresistible. Hardly expected to be also watching The Shirelles, the super- group of the late fifties and early sixties , full re-incarnated. There’s a moment when they gib at recording Will you still love me tomorrow’ “ It’s No. We are black singers, we don’t want to do Country and Western. .” Only when Carole offers to introduce sophisticated strings and complex backing do they agree. Breathe again, what a loss that would have been? Even if she does nave to get a book out of the library to find out how to do arrangement. And the Drifters? Alone worth the ticket, they are super agile, athletic actor-singers with a flair for humour, easily the best you’ll hear of this iconic group, each member is a virtuoso act in himself.

Tom Milner , dynamic as Gerry Goffin,

When the show opens we join the musicians, saxophonists, guitar players, timpani, trumpet as they get set for a recording.  Red light on and all the bustle and chaos suddenly resolves into the always-thrilling camaraderie of musicians - together with one sublime goal in mind – groove/swing/soul.

The first number featured- Carole alone on stage as she sings ‘ So far away, Doesn’t anybody stay in one place any more?’ with such touching sadness I had tears in my eyes. Molly-Grace Cutler conveyed all the pathos – and the spirited creativity of the young composer. Hers is a bravura performance, she played the sixteen year old Brooklyn girl with the self effacing shyness and charm that’s made Carole King’s songs some of the most performed the world over.

The Shirelles

After scenes of her home life with mother Betty ( Sorrel Jordan morphs convincingly from a hilarious Jewish matriarch to drum- player, percussionist and bass guitarist cast member ) we find Carole in confident creative swing.

The Righteous Brothers as you’ve never heard them

Tom Milner as teenage student husband Gerry Goffin has a fabulous voice, his were the lyrics to Carole’s music. Hard to realise he wrote “Natural Woman’ . Tom also tackles the hard yards of Goffin’s restless soul - whilst playing the guitar at every turn – talented hardly covers it, and that applies to every single cast member.

Serena Sandham -Davis as rival Cynthia Weil

 Rival writers - and friends - who turn out songs alongside the young couple feature Seren Sandham-Davis  as Cynthia Weil – a turbo- powered performance in micro skirt – with trumpet -and her partner Barry Mann. Jos Slovok brings a brilliant acting style to this wry cynical lover – his dullard’s rendition of the world ‘s most sung number “ You lost that loving feeling” was simply one glimpse of this rich raucous even riotous show

So much fun.

Beautiful   runs until Saturday 21st May. Do not miss it.