Oakdale theater’s “Beautiful” production is nothing but hits

Audience ‘feels the earth move’

In an interview, Carole King once described others viewing her as a “bit of a Pollyanna,” –i.e., a bit naïve and therefore only seeing the good possibilities in people and in life.

The musical, “Beautiful,” about King’s life, shows us that isn’t the case at all and behind the legendary music is the great pain and ethos that has been part of King’s life and shaped the songs that have endured throughout decades.

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” had it’s opening night at CM Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Sept. 27, to a sold-out and enthusiastic audience.

Director Patrick Campbell’s vision came through as a period piece that traversed the changing music from the ‘50s to the ‘70s, with King’s voice coming closer to center stage with each number.

Helping to create that world to submerge the audience were John Mazzarella as scenic designer and Ronald R. Green III, a costume/wig designer who captured mid-century modern in the first act with startling precision but great imagination, and the earthy sensuality of the ‘70s in the second act.

In a Jukebox musical filled with chart-topping hits, the moments without song are actually the ones that tell Carole King’s story best.

In the title role of Carole King was Jess Ader-Ferretti, whose spectacular voice (and keen piano playing skills) embodied the portrayal of a woman always set on a vision and willing to put in the hard work, but finally breaks free to heal and celebrate herself.

The heart with which Ader-Ferretti tackled this role made King’s songs seem like her own and her triumphs and heartaches equally penetrating to her soul.

As the unexpected eventual villain of the piece, Bobby Peterson as Gerry Goffin, Carole King’s boyfriend and later husband, was the emotional center of the production and seemed to create a whole second dramatic play within the musical.

Goffin’s complex character was given surgical treatment by Peterson, who portrayed the troubled husband with grace and empathy, especially in scenes when Goffin’s manic episodes (he was later diagnosed as bipolar later in life) take over his entire physicality. The hand twitches, the pressured speech, the general breakdown of the spirit—classic mania, and as an actual bipolar person, almost too difficult to watch.

Courtney O’Shea as Cynthia Weil and Michael Krulder as Barry Mann, fellow songwriters and the Betty and Barney Rubble to King and Goffin, had bubbly chemistry and landed the playful and feral nature of their relationship.

O’Shea’s diva entrance onto the stage was capped out with a thrilling and hilarious version of “Happy Days Are Here Again” and showcased the full-bodied voice she has become known for at CMPAC.

Krulder’s seamless blend into “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling,” with showmen Will Brennan and James O’Connor as the Righteous Brothers, was a big exclamation point in a show characterized by interior monologue songs of King.

As the paternal figure of the cast, Rob Schindlar as Don Kirshner is a generous and kind godfather to Ader-Ferretti’s King—encouraging and realistic. Schindlar’s comedic delivery was a delight at each scene with the audience. His addition to “You’ve Got a Friend” in an out-of-key voice kept the deep love amongst the characters real and enduring.

On the maternal half was Linda Pentz as Genie Klein, a mother who comes to define herself as understanding, if not a little fuzzy on the history of her own advice.

Shaina Stroh as Janelle Woods echoed onto Montauk Highway with the passion she put into singing “One Fine Day,” and as one of Goffin’s (spoiler alert) mistresses, kept a dignified but understandable appeal.

Steven Charles, Shiloh Bowen, and Chris Walker as the Drifters featured some nostalgic and tricky choreography by choreographer Ruben Fernandez with trio-work and prop-inclusion, but kept it smooth for a network appearance.

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” manages to be a biopic that stays true to the story, but also true to the genius and vulnerabilities behind the final creation.

A must-see, “Beautiful” will have you fall in love with Carole King’s world after already loving her music.