‘Beautiful’ brings ‘Tapestry’ of Carole King hits to stage

Years before Carol Klein became known as chart-topping singer-songwriter Carole King, she was a Brooklyn teen who fought her way into the record business. By the time she reached her 20s, she had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll.

It wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she finally found her true voice.

That story is told in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” the national tour of the Broadway production, which stops in the Tivoli Theatre for three performances beginning Tuesday.

Kennedy Caughell is cast in the title role and James Gish plays husband Jerry Goffin in this true story of King’s inspiring rise to stardom. It covers King’s life from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming the most successful female songwriter in the latter half of the 20th century.

King scored her breakthrough with the album “Tapestry,” which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.

“Beautiful” includes a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole

King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “So Far Away,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ ve Got A Friend” and the title song.

The musical also features songs written by King that became hits for others such as: “Up on the Roof” for the Drifters, “I’m into Something Good” for Earl-Jean and later Herman’s Hermits, “One Fine Day” for the Chiffons and “Pleasant Valley Sunday” for the Monkees.

“Beautiful” has a book by Tony Award-nominee and Academy Award-nominated writer Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince. The musical took home two 2014 Tony Awards and the 2015 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS FROM DANNY KNAUB Kennedy Caughell, who plays Carole King, and James D. Gish, who plays her husband, Gerry Goffin, in “Beautiful.”

Nazarria Workman, Nya, Hailee Kaleem Wright and Antoinette Comer, from left, play The Shirelles in “Beautiful.” Carole King and husband Gerry Goffin co-wrote The Shirelles’ No. 1 hit, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”