Beautiful – The Carole King Musical Launches National Tour at PPAC

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will begin its national tour on September 15 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Based on the life of singer-songwriter Carole King, the show features many of her hits, including “It’s Too Late,” “So Far Away,” “The Locomotion,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” King and her songwriter husband, Gerry Goffin, collaborated on more than 50 top 40 hits, and they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical stars Chicago native Abby Mueller, who plays King. Mueller admires King for her honesty. “She’s herself. You can’t help but relate to that,” said Mueller, who appeared on Broadway in the smash hit “Kinky Boots” and will be with the tour for a full year.

In preparation for the role, Mueller read King’s autobiography and listened to her music. She also gives a lot of praise to director Marc Bruni, whom she describes as “generous.” “He allowed us the freedom to discover (the characters) on our own,” Mueller added.

Bruni said it has been gratifying to “capture the essence of these characters.” He credits the endurance of King’s music to her spiritual nature. “She was an eternal optimist,” Bruni explained. “There’s an inevitability about her music. The songs have moments of life that are very relatable.”

Liam Tobin, who hails from Newfoundland, Canada, plays Goffin. “[Goffin] is trying to do the right thing,” Tobin noted. “He’s a complicated fellow.”

Tobin began acting in high school. His first big role was in a community theater production of Beauty and the Beast. About working on Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Tobin said, “It has been the best experience of my life.”

Ben Fankhauser plays songwriter Barry Mann, who composed many hit songs with Cynthia Weil (played by Becky Gulsvig). Fankhauser enjoyed the opportunity to bring the character to life in the show. “He’s a big personality,” said Fankhauser. “(Mann) had a passion for music. He has a big giant heart. He’s hilarious.”

Fankhauser grew up in Cleveland and appeared in the Broadway production of Newsies. Working on Beautiful is an experience Fankhauser says he will never forget: “It’s been an absolute dream. It’s a really special show.”

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical runs at PPAC from September 15 through 20. For tickets, call 401-421-2787  or go to ppacri.org.