On 23 February 2016 at the Aldwych Theatre the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning Beautiful - The Carole King Musical celebrated its first birthday in the West End.  Celebrations included marking the February birthdays of Carole King, Barry Mann and the late Gerry Goffin, as well as the 45th anniversary of when King’s Grammy- award winning album Tapestry was released.
 
VIP guests included: Ronni Ancona, Dickie Arbiter, Arlissa, Tony Banks, Mike Barson, Simon Bartholomew, Samantha Bond, Pattie Boyd, Dionne Bromfield, Rick Buckler, Lady Colin Campbell, Raquel Cassidy, Joanne Clifton, Maryam D’Abo, Robert Elms, Vanessa Feltz, Chris Foreman, Luke Friend, Rebecca Front, Dan Gillespie-Sells, Becky Hill, Dame Kelly Holmes,  Lee Ingleby, Kanya King, Mark King, Jon Lee, Andrew Levy, Claude Littner,  Kellie Maloney, Liz McClarnon, Leah McFall, Alistair McGown, Christine McVie, Natasha O’Keefe, Tamzin Outhwaite, Caroline Quentin, Linda Robson, Anneka Rice, Gaby Roslin, Kat Shoob, Brix Smith Smart, Samantha Spiro, Alison Steadman, Linzi Stoppard, Peter Straker, The Overtones, Lee Thompson, Jeremy Vine, Anna Williamson, Mitch Winehouse, Jo Wood and Dan Woodgate.
 
Carole King said:  “I had the great pleasure of seeing the West End production of Beautiful on opening night in 2015 with my dear friends Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.  We were all so moved that we joined the company onstage after the show in singing You’ve Got a Friend and of course we couldn’t help but think of Gerry Goffin, who passed away in 2014.  I know that Gerry would join Barry, Cynthia, and me in expressing gratitude not only to the company but to audience members, many of whom are coming to see the show not just once but twice or thrice.  London is one of my favourite cities. I hope to be back very soon. Until then, here’s to another brilliant year. Cheers!”
 
Beautiful - The Carole King Musical was announced as one of the West End productions eligible to receive this year’s Olivier Magic Radio Audience Award voted for by the public. On Monday 14 March four shortlisted nominees will be announced with the winning show being revealed on the night of the ceremony on Sunday 3 April 2016.
 
The West End cast is led by Cassidy Janson in the lead role alongside Alan Morrissey who plays King’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin with Lorna Want as song-writer Cynthia Weil, a role for which she won the 2015 Olivier for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Ian McIntosh as song-writer Barry Mann, Gary Trainor as music publisher and producer Don Kirshner and Diane Keen as Genie Klein, King’s mother.
 
The cast also includes Gavin Alex, Hannah Jay-Allan, Vivien Carter, Dom Hartley-Harris, Leo Ihenacho, Jammy Kasongo, Matt Nalton, David O’Mahony, Earl R. Perkins, Jay Perry, Sharon Rose, Tanisha L. Spring, Danielle Steers and Joanna Woodward playing iconic musical performers and band members of the era.  Ensemble members are Chanice Alexander-Burnett, Koko Basigara, Ashford Campbell, Matthew Colthart, Rosie Heath and Leigh Lothian. 
 
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to her remarkable rise to stardom.  Along the way, she became one of the most successful solo acts in music history, and wrote the soundtrack to a generation.
 
Beautiful - The Carole King Musical is based on the early life and career of legendary singer/ songwriter Carole King and book by Douglas McGrath with words and music by Gerry Goffin,
Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and is directed by Marc Bruni.  Choreography is by Josh Prince with set designs by Derek McLane, costume designs by Alejo Vietti, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations and Music Arrangements are by Steve Sidwell. 

With a cast of 26 and an orchestra of 12, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical features the Carole King classics including So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Take Good Care of my Baby, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Up on the Roof, Locomotion, One Fine Day, You’ve Got a Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move, along with hits like You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, On Broadway and Uptown from songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical continues at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Broadway and a US tour of the show began in September 2015 in Rhode Island.

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