TRANSCENDENCE DOES BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFULLY

Sonoma County’s home-grown musical revue troupe Transcendence Theatre Company has launched a wonderful production of Douglas McGrath’s theatrical biography Beautiful – the Carole King Musical.

Britta Rae, David R. Gordon, Anne Terze-Schwarz, Billy Cohen

The amazingly popular show has enjoyed many productions nationwide. TTC’s production has an inexplicably short ten-day run, having opened August 7 and closing Sunday August 17, at the “Field of Dreams,” a repurposed baseball field near downtown Sonoma. Judging by a nearly sold-out house and the rave reception the audience gave it on opening night, Beautiful could easily run well into September.

Billy Cohen and Britta Rae

Britta Rae stars as King, unquestionably one of the most influential American songwriters of the late 20th century. Billy Cohen appears as her songwriting partner and eventual husband Gerry Goffin, a chemistry major when King met him as an underage college student (she skipped two years of high school). In a compelling secondary plot the philandering Goffin proves to be much trouble for his wife.

The Shirelles

King rose quickly as one of the top songwriters of the 1960s and ‘70s, thanks to enthusiastic promotion from pop music mogul Donny Kirschner (Tony Clements) who got her songs into the hands of groups such as the Shirelles and the Drifters. He also gave King and Goffin an office in his Manhattan headquarters, where they became neighbors and eventual friends with songwriting rivals Cynthia Weill (Anne Terze-Schwarz) and hypochondriac Barry Mann (David R. Gordon).

The Drifters

A fascinating introductory scene features the superstar-to-be and her mother Genie (Suzanne Grodner) at home, in a contentious discussion about Carole’s future. Her mother insists that she get a teaching credential — “girls don’t write songs” — but relents when Carole not only lands a gig with Kirchner but a solid spot in his retinue.

Anne Terze-Schwarz, Tony Clements, Britta Rae, Donald R. Gordon

Not long after she met Goffin, he and King wrote “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” – arguably among the most profound love songs ever written, and a massive hit for The Shirelles. Arielle Crosby, Charis Gullage, Gigi Lewis, and Joy Pointe are fantastic as the girl group, capturing not only their exquisite harmonies but their sassy offstage personas too. Lewis does a tremendous job in a secondary role as pop star Little Eva, as does Gullage as solo performer Janelle Woods.

Britta Rae and the cast

The 1960s were notable for vocal quartets of both genders, who appeared in matching outfits and performed elaborate choreography while singing. The Drifters (Conroe Brooks, Damon McToy, Nathan Andrew Riley, and Kameron Askew) get plenty of stage time, including a fully-landscaped performance of “Up on the Roof,” a monster hit penned by Weill and Mann. Blue-eyed soul stars The Righteous Brothers (E.J. Dohring and Jacob Estes) also enjoy a deservedly big moment.

The Cast

Led by TTC’s music director Sue Draus, a big band above the stage propels the immersive musical. Some musicians join King onstage in re-enactments of live performances. Set designer Daren A. C. Corollo boosts the whole affair with large quick-change set pieces that convey everything from city offices to suburban houses to recording studios and concert venues – varied enough to differentiate locales without slowing the show’s pace.

Costumes by Melinda Hare and wigs by Jonathen Blue are satisfyingly period-appropriate. Choreographer Vasthy Mompoint and director Tony Gonzales get tremendous performances from everyone in this cast. An authentic New York girl, Rae captures King’s native accent with her spoken voice, and her alluring alto while singing. Adhering to writer McGrath’s intent, Gonzales book-ends the show with King at a grand piano, the closer a re-enactment of the sold-out Carnegie Hall concert following her 1970s hit album Tapestry.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is a glorious piece of Americana and a must-see show for anyone within driving range of the town of Sonoma. Thumbs up!

photos courtesy of TTC

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
Transcendence Theatre Company
Field of Dreams, 151 1st Street West in Sonoma, one block north of historic Sonoma Square
Fri-Sun at 7:30 (gates open at 5)
ends on August 17, 2025
for tickets ($35 – $175), call 877.424.1414 or visit TTC

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Barry Willis is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and president of the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.