King Is The Queen In Average "Beautiful"

One Broadway trend that won't see a curtain call any time soon is shows that are based on true stories. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but on stage -- from "Jersey Boys" and "Motown" to "Million Dollar Quartet" and beyond -- they each tend to play out in the same formulaic way. Whether a biographical musical takes a singular discography or a jukebox approach that incorporates other songs from the same period, they all share the same damning trait. The shows are treated as little more than bland vehicles to carry these signature tunes together from point A to point B, and those vehicles don't always get the maintenance they need to really deliver.

Despite my optimistic expectations, "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" is in dire need of a tune-up. The production does have a few memorable aspects that live up to its title, notably lead actress Sarah Bockel, who evokes just enough of King's vocal style to pass muster but still makes the sound and the role her own. At the same time, the script has the warmth, wisdom, and wit to be less cloying and obvious than most true-life tales, which keeps the needlessly cluttered story moving. Unfortunately, for a project that names itself after King's work, it takes a frustratingly long time to let her -- and the show as a whole -- find a true voice.

At first, the musical does serve as an effective personal biography, showcasing King's humble Brooklyn beginnings and the cultural context of her arrival on the scene. A spectacular medley of early-'60s hits welcomes her to the Times Square record label where she sells her first song and continues to collaborate over the years. More than anything else, the show reinforces the sheer amount of dues that King has paid in the biz. By seeing her write and arrange countless hits for others (starting at only 16 years old!) and later contend with a rocky marriage -- all before she even gets around to her 1971 Grammy-winning breakthrough album "Tapestry" -- we can appreciate a long-lasting career that was built on her pure talent and charisma rather than empty notoriety.

Throughout the show, the inclusion of songs that King wrote for others, like "Some Kind Of Wonderful" and "The Locomotion," feels like a sensible reflection of her identity and legacy. The pointed juxtaposition between the professional triumph and the personal despair behind a chipper ditty like "One Fine Day" was particularly inspired. Meanwhile, the remainder of the musical stakes its legitimacy on shamelessly bankable nostalgia. By taking too many detours into the lives and creative output of King's friends and rival composers, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, the show tries too hard to be too many things to too many people.

Though timelessly popular Weil & Mann singles like "On Broadway" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" are important to the industry both then and now and are certainly worth mentioning in the dialogue, they don't exactly require full performances in what's supposed to be King's story. "Beautiful" commits its biggest offense by waiting until halfway through the second act to really start emphasizing what should have been at the forefront all along: the bigger-picture influence and confidence of her musical prowess. By that point, even King is already saying "It's too late, baby."

My primary concern with this musical is that too many inferior elements conspire to pull focus from the heart and soul of the production: Carole herself. "Beautiful" would be anything but without the evolution of her work and the embrace of her life as a "natural woman."