• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Event Calendar
    • Submit Event
  • About Us
    • Our Contributors
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • On Screen Dayton
    • On Screen Dayton Reviews
    • Road Trippin’
      • Cincinnati
      • Columbus
      • Indianapolis
    • Spectator Sports
    • Street-Level Art
    • Visual Arts
  • Dayton Dining
    • DMM’s Brunch Guide
    • Restaurants with Private Dining Rooms
    • Dayton Food Trucks
    • Quest
    • Ten Questions
  • Dayton Music
    • Music Calendar
  • On Stage Dayton
    • On Stage Dayton Reviews
  • Active Living
    • Canoeing/Kayaking
    • Cycling
    • Hiking/Backpacking
    • Runners
  • How to Support Dayton Businesses, Nonprofits During COVID-19

Dayton Most Metro

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

‘Beautiful’ Review – Victoria Theatre Association – A Tapestry of Melody and Heartbreak

May 23, 2018 By Russell Florence, Jr.

A striking lesson in perseverance, survival and self-esteem concerning one of pop music’s legendary singer-songwriters, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical warmly and nostalgically satisfies with entertaining, crowd-pleasing familiarity.

Sarah Bockel (Carole King) in Beautiful. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

The finale of the Victoria Theatre Association’s 2017-2018 Premier Health Broadway Series continuing through Sunday, May 27 at the Schuster Center, Beautiful, sleekly directed by Marc Bruni with crisp period choreography by Josh Prince, showcases King from her early songwriting days in 1959 to her career breakthrough writing 1971’s best-selling album Tapestry, which received four Grammys including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Librettist Douglas McGrath smoothly juggles King’s pioneer composing against the backdrop of her rocky marriage to Gerry Goffin, her equally talented collaborator who battled mental illness and had difficulty being grounded in marriage life. King’s ability to ultimately use the pain of her relationship as fodder for her incredibly relatable Tapestry tunes is a testament to her artistic genius, which was also greatly admired by her close friends and fellow songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.

Sarah Bockel marvelously inhabits King’s down-to-earth charm and distinct vocal phrasing, especially her interpretations of classics such as So Far Away, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, It’s Too Late, You’ve Got a Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and the bouncy, inspirational, gospel-tinged title tune. McGrath wholesomely fashions King without imperfection, a considerable flaw, but it’s easy to see why she was so loved and respected by her peers nonetheless thanks to Bockel’s endearing magnetism. The handsomely brooding Andrew Brewer lends great support as the conflicted Goffin, constantly craving more as musical trends change throughout the 1960s. The sardonic Sarah Goeke and comical Jacob Heimer are wonderfully paired as Weil and Mann. James Clow (producer Don Kirshner), Suzanne Grodner (Genie Klein), McKynleih Alden Abraham (Janelle Woods), and Nathan Scherich (Nick) are very effective and purposeful in smaller roles. Many ensemble members shine as well when the focus turns to specific acts such as the Drifters, the Shirelles and the Righteous Brothers whose careers were bolstered by King, Goffin, Weil, and Mann, specifically John Michael Dias and the aforementioned Scherich’s fantastic rendition of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.

(l to r) James Clow (Don Kirshner), Jacob Heimer (Barry Mann), Sarah Bockel (Carole King) and Sarah Goeke (Cynthia Weil) perform “You’ve Got a Friend” in Beautiful. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Without a doubt, King’s empowerment to believe in her potential paved the way for Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Janis Ian, Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow, Lauryn Hill, Alanis Morissette, Norah Jones, India Arie, Duffy, Adele, Sara Bareilles, and many more. Beautiful certainly resonates as a meaningful tribute to her influential legacy.

Beautiful continues Wednesday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton. Act One: 70 minutes; Act Two: 55 minutes. Tickets are $26-$119. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com.

 

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment, On Stage Dayton Reviews, The Featured Articles Tagged With: beautiful, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Schuster Center

About Russell Florence, Jr.

Russell Florence, Jr. is a member of The American Theatre Critics Association and The Drama League. In addition to his role as arts and culture editor of Dayton City Paper and theater critic for Dayton City Paper and Impact Weekly, he served as a Dayton Daily News freelance writer and editorial page contributor. He has also written features for such theater publications as Spotlight Ohio and The Sondheim Review. Over the past 25 years, he has seen over 1,000 shows locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally encompassing New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Toronto, Madrid, and Rome among other destinations.


Comments

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Featured Events

  • Sun
    11
  • Mon
    12
  • Tue
    13
  • Wed
    14
  • Thu
    15
  • Fri
    16
  • Sat
    17

Paris Flea Market

6:00 am | Dixie Twin Drive-In

Out on 5th in the Oregon District

12:00 pm | Oregon District

Christopher Salyer Live Music in the Loft

3:00 pm | Moeller Brew Barn

Sunday Comics

7:15 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

25% Off Pizza Monday

11:30 am | Oregon Express

Open Auditions for The Roommate

7:00 pm | Dayton Theatre Guild

$6 Movie Day

| The Neon

Butterfly Walk

3:00 pm | Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm

Spaghetti Dinner

5:00 pm | Trolley Stop

Live Trivia- In Person or Virtually

7:00 pm | Star City Brewing Company

Open Mic

7:00 pm | Applebee’s – Sugarcreek

Music Bingo

7:00 pm | Wings Sports Bar & Grille Beavercreek

Open Auditions for The Roommate

7:00 pm | Dayton Theatre Guild

Premiere of The FonDana Show

8:00 pm | Top of the Market Banquet Center

One Day, One Dayton

| University of Dayton

Fairborn Food Truck Rally

3:00 pm | Main Street Commons

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

Trivia w/ DagaTrivia

6:00 pm | Eudora Brewing Company

Trivia Night

6:30 pm | Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse

Live Music with The Reatles

7:00 pm | Little York Tavern

Eudora Run Club

5:30 pm | Eudora Brewing Company

World Tour Wine Dinner

6:00 pm | Salar

The Adventure Color Gap: Diversity in the Great Outdoors

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

Bingo

8:00 pm | Trolley Stop

Xenia Food Truck Rallies

4:00 pm | Xenia Station

Taste of the Jewish Cultural Festival – Purim Edition

4:00 pm | Temple Israel

Destihl Tap Takeover

5:00 pm | Bunkers Bar & Grill

Reception for Art by Greg Alan Jankowski

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

Route 88

9:00 pm | Wings Sports Bar and Grille- Dixie

Tantric with Special Guests The Weekend Effect

8:00 am | Wings Sports Bar and Grille- Dixie

2nd Street Market – Outdoor Market Only

9:00 am | 2nd Street Market

Tree Seedling Giveaway

9:00 am | 2nd Street Market

Shred Day

10:00 am | Routsong Funeral Home, Inc.

Introducing…Mike Ousley and Egg Tempera

10:00 am | The 48 High Street Gallery

Spring Foraging Workshop

10:00 am | Agraria: Arthur Morgan Institute’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture

Market @ Mother’s

12:00 pm | Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co

ArBeer Day

2:00 pm | Devil Wind Brewing

Main Street Lebanon Chocolate Walk

4:00 pm | Downtown Lebanon

See How They Run

7:30 pm | Sorg Opera House

More Events…

DMM E-Newsletter


Give us your email address and we'll send you our DMM E-Newsletters
Email:  
For Email Marketing you can trust
Back to Top

Copyright © 2021 Dayton Most Metro · Terms & Conditions · Log in