***** For many of us, seeing a play for a second or third time is not a chore. In fact, if you listen to my radio show, you know that I feel that every production is unique and thta every director has his or her own interpretation of the script, making each and every production unique. Tonight, at The paramount Theatre in Aurora, we saw a magical production of “Beautiful: The Carole King Story” that will knock your socks off!

While the recent production at Marriott ( the first regional theatre to have the show) was wonderful, this production takes us to another level. The Paramount, being a regular theater with a proscenium stage ( not in-the-round) allows different sight lines and a full set (Jeffrey D. Kmiec) so that we use less imagination allowing us to get into the characters and the story with greater ease. Under the direction of Jim Corti and Johanna McKenzie Miller with  choreography by Kenny Ingram, this 2 hour and 45 minute ( one 15 minute intermission) musical is a treat to the eyes and ears from start to finish. ( in fact, you may not want it to finish, so stay for the curtain call and the extras).

Since each production stands on its own, there will be no comparisons to the Marriott show or the Broadway In Chicago productions. Paramount Theatre, as always, brings us the best of the best and once again, they have exceeded my expectations. For those who do not know the story of Carole King, (a brilliant portrayal by  Tiffany Topal) who was born to make music and this is her story. A teen who could write songs, who met a guy ,Gerry Goffin (  C.J.Blaine Eldred) and together they wrote and made beautiful music, although  their love was not forever.

In the story, we also meet their besties, who were also competition, albeit friendly competition Barry Mann (deftly handled by  Christopher Kale Jones) and Cynthia Weil ( the lovely Rebecca Hurd) and the man that brought them all together Danny Kirschner ( Ian Paul Custer). Another major player in this story is Carole’s mother, Genie Klein ( played to sweet perfection by Laura T. Fisher, the perfect Jewish mother).

The ensemble is composed of many very talented people who take on a myriad of roles doing The Drifters, Little Eva (Ariana Burks is super), The Shirelles, Neil Sedaka, The Righteous Brothers (Matt Thomas and Luke Nowakowski are terrific) and a host of others. King started her career writing for others and after her break-up went on toe do her own numbers and in this story we go all the way to her concert at Carnegie Hall.

This is a story about determination, finding love and finding one’s self. This amazing production is perfect for a family outing or perfect for a young creative person who is thinking about their future. Some of the songs that you will witness in this production are of course the “tapestry” album, “You’ve Got A Friend”, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, “Up On The Roof”, “It’s Too Late”, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman”, “I Feel The Earth Move” and of course the title song “Beautiful”.

With a book by Douglas McGrath and the music of Goffin/King and Mann/Weil, there is nothing quite like this powerful biography, telling us a powerful story of one person’s quest for the top, her ups and downs and the success she was able to achieve for herself. This is a MUST SEE!

“Beautiful : the Carole King Musical” will continue thru – Jun 16th with performances as follows: