Having been in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical since its beginning in 2013, actor/singer Sara King is thrilled to be part of the touring production again.
The production is coming to the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center Monday. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The musical tells the story of King’s rise to stardom from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history, the Wagner Noël website detailed.
Sara King plays Weil. She originated the role of singer Marilyn Wald when it opened on Broadway and was in it for four and a half years.
She joined the touring company as Weil this past October.
The story of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, tracks King from age 16 up until the release of her Tapestry album at 28.
“Growing up, my mom always played Carole King’s Tapestry album. It was a favorite in our household, so whenever the script and score came across my agent’s desk as an opportunity for me to audition, it felt like a … no-brainer. I think her story is so magnetic. She’s such a magnetic person. Her story is really inspiring. It tracks this young girl moving into womanhood and the struggles that she faces along the way, but she comes out so vibrant and on top,” Sara King said.
Before joining the touring company of Beautiful, Sara King said she had not toured in about 10 years.
“… When I first was working professionally as an actor, I toured for about three and a half years straight. I did a double production one including the Broadway production of Hair where I toured for 16 months, so the idea of returning to tour certainly was not something that I was fearful of by any stretch. I just hadn’t done it in a long while, so to go from doing a show where you’re sitting down in New York City and you … get to have your home and your friends and your life and everything and then packing back up to go on the road certainly seems kind of crazy, especially since I live out in LA now,” Sara King said.
“But I love the show so much and I had the opportunity to bring this character to life again and play opposite one of my very dear friends, Sara Sheperd, who’s playing Carole King, so it’s really just honestly a treat,” Sara King said.
She added that one of the cool aspects of the show is the song writing teams of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and Carole King and Gerry Goffin penned songs for the The Shirelles, The Drifters and the Righteous Brothers, for example.
Sara King has been involved in performing since her parents put her in dance class at age 2.
She said the theater feels like home to her and it’s a place she’s able to express herself fully when she’s singing or doing scene work. And it’s not just something she loves, but it’s her livelihood.
After theaters shut down due to COVID, Sara King said she didn’t know if she would get a chance to go on stage again.
“… Being able to step back on stage was honestly something that I didn’t know that I would be afforded the luxury and I feel so grateful every single day,” Sara King said.
