Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Levoy Theatre

by Devion Watson

Musical theatre has a way of completely pulling you out of your own world and putting you inside someone else’s, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Levoy Theatre did exactly that. I absolutely loved this production. It was captivating from beginning to end, and there were so many moments where I completely forgot I was watching actors perform a musical. I felt like I was actually watching Carole King tell me her story. Every piece of this production worked together so beautifully that I was completely invested in the story, the music, and the characters from start to finish.

Abigail Graham was absolutely amazing as Carole King. She truly captivated every stage of Carole’s life, and you could completely see the transformation happen right in front of you. She made every part of Carole’s journey feel natural and understandable, and I never felt like I was watching someone simply portray a famous person. There were genuinely moments when I forgot Abigail was an actor and not the actual Carole King. That is how believable and captivating her performance was. She completely drew me into the story and made me feel like Carole herself was teaching me about her life. And “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” was absolutely beautiful. That was one of my favorite moments of the entire production. Abigail was phenomenal, and honestly, her performance is still the first thing I think about when I think back on this show.

Marco Baruffi was truly amazing as Barry Mann. He committed so completely to the character that I actually found myself getting mad at Barry. And honestly, I love that. There is nothing I love more than an actor who completely commits to a role, and Marco did exactly that. I was not thinking about the actor. I was reacting to the character. He made Barry feel like a real person rather than someone simply playing a role on stage. His performance pulled me into the story and made me emotionally invested in what was happening.

Jesica Counts was truly amazing as Cynthia Weil. I have seen Jesica before as Cinderella, and her voice has always been captivating. She never disappoints in a production, and I genuinely love seeing her anytime she is in a professional production. As Cynthia, she was absolutely fantastic. I honestly think she was one of the best possible casting choices for this role. Her voice, her acting, and her chemistry with the rest of the cast all worked perfectly together. Jesica brought so much life to Cynthia, and every time she was on stage, I was completely drawn to her.

Jonathan Ronen was phenomenal as Gerry Goffin. He was hilarious, incredibly believable, and had amazing chemistry with Jesica Counts. And just like Marco, Jonathan committed so completely to his character that I actually got mad at Gerry. That is truly great acting. I was not sitting there thinking about the actor. I was emotionally reacting to Gerry as a person. His performance was one of the strongest examples in the show of how this production completely pulled me into its world. There were moments where I genuinely had to remind myself that these were actors. That is how real everyone felt.

Janelle Hawkes was amazing as Genie Klein, Carole’s mother. Her chemistry with Abigail Graham as mother and daughter was truly wonderful. I cared about Genie, I cared about her concerns, and I cared about what she was trying to do for Carole because Janelle made those emotions feel real. I loved every minute she was on stage, and she brought so much heart to the production.

Steven Ciapanna was amazing as Don Kirshner. One of the things I really loved about his performance was watching Don’s relationship with Carole change throughout the story. He begins as her boss, but eventually becomes a genuine friend, and seeing that transition was really sweet. Steven made that relationship feel believable, and he brought so much personality to the role. He is an amazing actor, and I truly hope I get to see more of him in future productions.

The Shirelles, played by Amber Cornish, April Johnson, Brejai Grant and Elizabeth Georgieff were AMAZING. And I have to say it exactly how I said it after watching them, they can SANGGGGG! The soul, the harmonies, the energy, everything was there. Amber, April, Brejai, and Elizabeth each brought their own personality and vocal strength to the group, while also sounding fantastic together. Their performance of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” was truly amazing and was one of those moments where you just sit there and think, yep, that is why I love live theatre. They completely delivered.

The Drifters, Jamir Dixon, Kimon Myrie, Maxwell Hollis, and William Young, were absolutely perfect for these roles. The soul was there. The dancing was there. The vocals were there. Everything was on point. They completely captured the energy of the group, and every time they came on stage, they brought something special with them.

And my, my, my, Maxwell Hollis! The incredibly high tenor notes he had to sing were absolutely out of this world. I genuinely do not know how he was hitting some of those notes. All four performers were amazing, but those moments from Maxwell were something else. The entire group brought an incredible amount of energy to the production, and they were a joy to watch every time they appeared.

The ensemble, Autumn Dart, Collin Baker, Darin Dorzan, Maya Brown, Rue Way, and Samantha Hassa, was absolutely amazing. Every time they came onto the stage, they helped build the world of the show and kept the energy moving. Nobody felt like they were simply standing around waiting for their next moment.

Collin Baker especially stood out to me because he had several different solo roles throughout the production. I loved seeing the contrast from one character to the next. Every time he came out as someone different, he completely changed his performance, and it was genuinely phenomenal to watch. His versatility added so much to the production.

The orchestra was absolutely phenomenal. Under the direction and conducting of Avery Iveson, the music was flawless. There was never one song where I thought something was missing, and the entire band stayed completely together throughout the show. Sometimes I actually forgot there was an orchestra there because everything sounded so seamless. The music was not sitting underneath the story. It felt like it was part of the story.

Chris Weed on Keyboard 1 was absolutely amazing, along with Maiku Shiota on Keyboard 2 and Robbie Simmons on Keyboard 3, Magnus Bennett on Percussion, Daniel O’Neill on Drums, Jim Tangney on Trombone and Bass Trombone, Gary Press on Reed 1, Isaiah Hymans Rodriguez on Reed 2, Teagan Edsell on Guitar 1, Michael Campanile on Guitar 2, Eric Amorelli on Bass, and Dominic Scalfaro on Trumpet. Every musician contributed to creating the full and beautiful sound of the production, and together they created something truly special.

Avery Iveson also deserves special recognition for the conducting. The orchestra was always together, the music flowed perfectly with what was happening on stage, and there was not a single musical moment that pulled me out of the story. It was, quite simply, beautiful.

The direction by Dominic Barnes was phenomenal. Dominic, Dominic, Dominic. He never fails. I have seen multiple productions directed by Dominic, and they are always phenomenal. He has such a clear understanding of how to take his vision and put it on a stage in a way that an audience can actually feel. He knows how to tell a story, he knows how to use his performers, and he knows how to captivate an audience. This production was another example of that. In my opinion, Dominic Barnes is one of the best directors in all of South Jersey.

Choreography by Dominic Barnes, with assistant choreography by Sam Vidro, was truly amazing. Everything flowed with the story, and there was never a moment where the choreography felt disconnected from what was happening. Every performer was completely in sync, and the movement looked polished without taking attention away from the storytelling. There was never a moment where I thought someone had missed something or that the choreography felt messy. It was beautiful from beginning to end. Kudos to Sam Vidro and Dominic Barnes.

Stage management by Kiersten Northup, with assistant stage management by Chris Crawford, was phenomenal. Everything ran so smoothly. Every set piece came on and off exactly when it needed to, and there was never a transition where I found myself thinking, “Okay, this is taking a little too long.” Everything happened naturally, and the show continued moving without losing momentum. That kind of seamlessness takes a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes, and it absolutely showed.

Set design by Domonic Barnes and Mary Boner was truly amazing. I loved how the set fit the story without being huge or over the top. It did not need to be. It gave the audience just enough to understand where we were and what was happening while still allowing us to focus on the performers and the story. Sometimes less really is more, and this set proved that. It created the world without becoming the world.

Scenic building and props by Danny VanMeter were, as always, phenomenal. Every time Danny works on a show, the result is phenomenal and flawless. There is never a dull moment when something he has created, a set piece or a prop, is on stage. His work through Upper Room Creations is clearly a major asset to theatrical productions, and his attention to detail really showed here. Everything fit into the production exactly where it needed to be.

Costume design by Amanda Muldowney was perfect. The costumes fit the time period, they fit the story, and they helped make the entire production feel authentic. This was another major reason I felt like Carole was actually telling me her story. Nothing felt out of place. Every costume belonged in the world of the show and helped move us through the different periods of Carole’s life. Amanda Muldowney did a truly amazing job.

Hair and makeup design by John Rattacasa was equally fantastic. Along with the costumes, the hair, makeup, and wigs fit the time period perfectly. Everything lined up with the story and helped make the different moments feel authentic. Something can be slightly off in a production and suddenly an entire scene can feel wrong, but that never happened here. Everything aligned perfectly every single time.

Lighting design by Katherine Kaltwasser was truly amazing. The lights were perfect. They fit every scene, every moment, and every emotional beat. Once again, everything aligned. The lighting never felt distracting or unnecessary. It simply supported what was happening on stage and helped create the right atmosphere.

Sound design by Curtis Matias was fantastic. The microphones ran so smoothly, and everything was clear. There were no moments where a microphone peaked or something got lost and pulled me out of the story. The sound was balanced beautifully, which was especially important in a show with so much music. It helped create that feeling that Carole was right there telling us her story.

Audio engineering by Carrie Ellis was absolutely phenomenal. The technical side of the sound was so smooth that I never found myself thinking about it, and that is exactly what you want. Everything simply worked. The vocals, orchestra, and microphones came together beautifully, and there was never a dull moment.

The crew, Emma Seefried, Reilly Gibbons, and Caroline Bruno, did a phenomenal job. Every transition was flawless. There was never one moment where I was sitting there waiting for the next scene to happen. Everything flowed so well, and their work backstage clearly helped make the entire production feel effortless from the audience.

Overall, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Levoy Theatre was truly one of the most captivating productions I have seen. Every single factor of this show aligned. The acting, the music, the orchestra, the direction, the choreography, the set, the costumes, the hair and makeup, the lighting, the sound, the stage management, and the crew all worked together to create something incredibly special.

But if I had to choose the one thing that is going to stick with me the most, it is Abigail Graham as Carole King. She was phenomenal. She made me forget I was watching an actress. She made me feel like Carole King was standing on that stage and personally telling me about her life. That is what great theatre does. It makes you forget about everything outside of the theatre and completely pulls you into the story.

I 100 percent recommend everyone go see this show. Seriously, go. If you have been thinking about seeing Beautiful, this is your sign to get your tickets. There are still three performances remaining, August 14 at 7:00 PM, August 15 at 2:00 PM, and August 16 at 3:00 PM.

Go experience the music, the story, and this incredible cast for yourself. You will leave understanding exactly why this production is called Beautiful.

Beautiful runs through August 16^th and tickets can be found at https://gotickets.com/venues/levoy-theatre