In appreciation of GCP’s stellar production of ‘Beautiful,’ let’s give a Carole King countdown
It’s been a beautiful run for “Beautiful,” the fiercely good Good Company Players production at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater that is now winding down to its final performance on Sunday.
How successful was this GCP premiere? The company added extra performances to accommodate the extra demand. That’s wonderful news for theater in Fresno.
Part of it has to do with the quality of the show, which lifts the biographical material head and sunshine-on-my-shoulders above most of Broadway’s so-called “jukebox” musicals. And part has to do with an outstanding cast and creative team.
In tribute to the production and to Carole King, whose songs form the bedrock of the show, I present an appreciation:
C is for Meg Clark, who plays Carole King with – well, I can only describe it as with the “Meg Clarkness” that we’ve come to know and love. Sometimes I feel that Clark could have teleported here from the 1940s; she can project a brassy innocence and vivacious enthusiasm that could sell war bonds. In “Beautiful,” she is sunny and stormy and sad in the leading role. And her vocals are so, so good. When she sang “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” at the performance I saw, I was struck by how similar the experience was for me compared to her beautiful, boundless Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” They’re entirely different roles, of course, but there’s something in the way she sang (sings) both songs that gave me deja vu. It’s as if her vocals consume the moment: filling every crevice of it, expanding past its borders, letting you for a few seconds forget everything beyond the power and emotion of her voice.
A is for Adrian Ammsso and Haleigh Cook, who portray the “second leads” in the show – Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. One of the great strengths of this “Beautiful” is the depth of talent in the cast. It doesn’t do much good to have a powerhouse leading lady without strong supporting talent. Ammsso and Cook have a snappy chemistry together and deft comic timing, and the secondary narrative they weave is compelling. (It also helps balance the hagiographic nature of the script, in which Carole King comes across as only slightly less saintly than a third cherubim.) It helps that the two actors play the period so well.
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R is for Range, which is what Shawn Williams – who plays opposite Carole as her collaborator and husband, Gerry Goffin – displays in his performance. Williams isn’t afraid to play up the less appealing traits of his character. His Gerry has a hunched, strangled sensibility to him. He’s weak. I love the dark depth that Williams – who can turn on the sun with the best of them – brings to the role.
O is for the Overall Company, which sounds like a cop-out (or a desperate effort to find an “O” word), but it really is the case. So many people have standout moments: Michael Fidalgo, smooth and sure. Janet Glaude, a vocal powerhouse. Madeline Wristen and Dori Hamby in choice bit roles. Emily Kearns and Kailyn Sanders, always giving their all in ensemble numbers. Jacquie Broach, maternally delightful. Steve Souza being Steve Souza. The lighting (Joielle Adams and Andrea Henrickson), set design (David Pierce) and costumes (Ginger Kay Lewis-Reed, doing her usual period-piece magic) all excel.
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L is for directors Laurie Pessano and Salisha Thomas. (Fun fact: Thomas, a GCP veteran, was in the Broadway company of “Beautiful,” and she just appeared in the new Britney Spears musical.) This show is a logistical challenge, with rapid shifts in chronology, settings and musical mood. Through it all the direction feels sure, smooth and seamless. I never had
E is for Ed Burke, who appeared in the very first GCP production 51 years ago and is still going strong as a featured singer. (One of my theater buddies wrote to me and said, simply, “He slays.”) Think about the significance of this. Fifty-one years. That’s a beautiful thing, indeed.
Steph
As always, you said it best.
Everything you said was absolutely spot on, only times 100.
And you’re right, there’s nary a weak point from head to toe (okay, to be fair I wish they had a better wig budget).
Really stellar show. They could extend this run another 2 months and still fill the house, but then we’d miss out on their next show, Fiddler with Dan Pessano back as Tevya, the role he practically created (at GCP anyway).
Janet Baker
A good run down of the performance. Great show.
Jackie Ryle
It was so nice to read this. I was fortunate to see the show twice, and enjoyed it even more the second time. I was mindful of the wonderful points you made, and was particularly pleased to see and hear Ed Burke, whom I’ve known and enjoyed through all those 51 years. Thank you
Lilia Gonzáles Chávez
Great review, loved this show. I think it is my new most favorite GCP production. These were the songs of my youth and while Meg Clark gave them her own flavor, she didn’t miss a beat.