Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Act One

Beautiful opens with Carole King performing at Carnegie Hall in 1971, before jumping quickly back in time to Carole’s youth (“So Far Away”). At her home in Brooklyn, sixteen-year-old Carole attempts to convince her mother to let her try and sell a song to music mogul Donnie Kirshner in Manhattan. Carole makes a deal: if her mother hears anything better than Carole’s music on the TV, then Carole won’t go. Pop singer (and Carole’s ex) Neil Sedaka comes on the air, and very quickly, Carole’s mother concedes that Carole’s music is superior. Arm-in-arm with her school friend, Betty, Carole heads for the city.

The pair arrive at 1650 Broadway, a bustling factory of songwriting (“1650 Broadway Medley”). They make their way to Donnie’s office, where Carole convinces him to listen to her song (“It Might as Well Rain in September”). Donnie buys the song, and tells Carole that he hopes she can produce many more.

Carole goes back to school at Queens College (she had skipped two grades),