Beautifiul - The Carole King Musical on Tour

The writing duos of Carole King & Gerry Goffin and Cynthia Weil & Barry Mann wrote many of the top hits of the 1960s and 1970s.  Beautiful- The Carole King Musical tells the story of a sixteen year old girl  from Brooklyn who becomes one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.  The story is exciting and fun but also very real and emotional, and it is coupled with an incredible B-plot of the relationship between Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.

I had the privilege to see the original Broadway cast including Jessie Mueller as Carole King, who won a Tony for the role, and it was one of the best musicals I had ever seen (and the first time I saw the show I had a standing room only ticket, so I sincerely mean that).  When it was announced that the show would be going on tour I knew I would have to make it a point to see it!

My excitement was further escalated by the announcement that Abby Mueller would be playing Carole King! Yes, she is the sister of Jessie Mueller, but that's not the only reason it's great that she's playing Carole King.  She is also a fantastic musical theater performer in her own right, and she brings her own unique aspects to the portrayal of Carole King.  The rest of the cast is also incredible! Liam Toby plays Gerry Goffin, Ben Fankhauser, who was recently seen as 'Henry' in North Carolina Theatre's production of Next to Normal, plays Barry Mann and Becky Gulsvig plays Cynthia Weil.  And you can't forget about the excellent ensemble of actors who bring the music to life in a big way!

I can't say much of anything that's new about why this show is so incredible and truly a must-see, but I will tell you I got my mom tickets for her birthday and had to basically drag her to see the show with me, but I chose to drag her because I knew she would thoroughly enjoy it. Since we saw the show, she has told every single person she has encountered that they need to get to DPAC immediately and see this fantastic show!

Here are just a few of the local reviews Beautiful - The Carole King Musical has received:

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical is playing at DPAC through October 4 and then moves on to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C..  You can find all of the upcoming tour dates here. Don't miss this incredible show when it comes to a city near you!

Seth Rudetsky Deconstructs Broadway

Seth Rudetsky, Broadway actor, comedian, musical director, and Sirius/XM Radio host, brought Deconstructing Broadway to the Durham School of the Arts.  As in the style of his videos, he deconstructs recordings of everyone from Patti Lupone to Bea Arthur, with a sprinkle of Carly Simon and Cher.

The event was a sort of  lecture on how to deconstruct Broadway videos and audio, that is if lectures were incredibly hilarious and entertaining.  All learning should be so enjoyable; we learned as we laughed so hard that our sides ached.

Seth knows Broadway backward and forward, as he lip synched every song perfectly, stopping only to point out vibrato, head voice, chest voice, whether the singer was on key, and other technical details.  And, as his listeners know, his show would not be complete without his use of "amahzing," explaining the two proper uses of the term and providing examples for each.  The show was hilarious, and informative and we plan to deconstruct every song we have ever loved, but only after we spend hours deconstructing The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

Aside from deconstructing Broadway, Seth is also an author.  He has penned three books, the most recent of which is an amazing novel.  The Q Guide to Broadway is the ultimate insider's look to Broadway, as Seth demonstrates his incredible knowledge of musical theatre, Broadway Nights, and My Awesome (Awful) Popularity Plan are novels that capture the reader's instant attention and leave them wanting more. Even in those two works, his love of musical theatre shines through.

If you get the chance to see Seth deconstruct Broadway live or have the chance to take a master class with him, do it! You won't be disappointed!

Keep up with all of the amazing things Seth has going on with Twitter, Seth TV, and Sirius/XM channel 72.