Cast and tour dates announced for Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Leicester’s Curve, Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Mayflower Theatre Southampton have today announced the company of talented actor-musicians joining their new UK tour of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

Opening at Curve on Monday 28 February 2022, the company will be led by Molly-Grace Cutler (The Worst Witch, Girls Don’t Play Guitars, We’ll Live and Die in these Towns) as Carole King. Tom Milner (Holby City, Waterloo Road) will play Gerry Goffin, Carole’s former husband and collaborator. Seren Sandham-Davies (Crazy For You, Brassed Off) and Jos Slovick, who performed in the original West End production of Once, will play husband and wife song-writing duo Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.

Garry Robson returns to Curve as music producer and talent manager Don Kirshner. Garry was last seen on-stage in Leicester as General Henry Waverly in the 2018 Made at Curve production of White Christmas.

Claire Greenway, who originated the role of Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act at the London Palladium, will play Carole’s mother Genie Klein, and Dan de Cruz will join as the production’s on-stage Musical Director. The cast is completed by Naomi Alade, Kemi Clarke, Chris Coxon, Amena El-Kindy, Louise Francis, Dylan Gordon-Jones, Jessica Jolleys, Sorrel Jordan, Myles Miller, Peter Mooney and Adrien Spencer.

After its run in Leicester, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will tour to Theatre Royal Bath 17 – 26 March, Theatre Royal Brighton 29 March – 2 April, Festival Theatre Edinburgh 5 – 9 April, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton 12 – 16 April, Newcastle Theatre Royal 19 – 23 April, Orchard Theatre Dartford 26 – 30 April, Malvern Theatres 3 -7 May, Cambridge Arts Theatre 10 – 21 May and New Theatre, Cardiff 24 – 28 May.

Based on the story of Carole King’s remarkable rise from singer/songwriter to chart-topping music legend, this production of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will take audiences back to the heart of King’s landmark 1971 album ‘Tapestry’.

The musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, whose recent credits include acclaimed five-star productions of A Chorus Line, West Side Story and 2020’s streamed production of Sunset Boulevard – at Home.

Speaking about the cast, Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“Carole King’s body of work speaks for itself and it is an honour to work on a show which celebrates some of the greatest pop songs ever written and the extraordinary life of the woman who has provided the soundtrack to our lives across the decades.

“In Molly-Grace Cutler, we have the perfect actor to lead our production and embody the spirit of King’s supreme artistry. Molly leads a phenomenal company of actor-musicians, who will recreate all the hits live onstage, under the supreme musical talents of Grammy winner Steve Sidwell and Tony winner Sarah Travis.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with our friends at Theatre Royal Bath and Southampton Mayflower, flying the flag for Leicester once Beautiful tours from Curve.”

Carole King’s music will be brought to life by Grammy Award-winning Orchestrator Steve Sidwell and adapted by Tony Award-winning Curve Associate and Musical Supervisor Sarah Travis. The production will be choreographed by rising star Leah Hill (The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre) and the creative team also includes Set Designer Frankie Bradshaw, Costume Designer Edd Lindley, Lighting Designer and Curve Associate Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer Tom Marshall, Associate Director Jennifer Lane Baker and Casting Director and Curve Associate Kay Magson CDG. The production will also provide training opportunities for Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme (RTYDS) Resident Assistant Director Lilac Yosiphon and Birkbeck Trainee Director Thyrza Abrahams.

Featuring countless classics such as You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Take Good Care of my Baby, You’ve Got a Friend, Up on the Roof, Locomotion and You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is written by Douglas McGrath, with songs by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical was originally produced on Broadway and in London by Paul Blake, SONY/ATV Music Publishing and Mike Bosner.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

Book by Douglas McGrath

Words & Music by Gerry Coffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

Music by arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing