'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' :: Not So Far Away

New play development is fascinating, and this one moved fast. "Beautiful-The Carole King Musical" was created in 2013 in San Francisco, then headed to the Broadway stage in 2014 and won two Tony Awards in 2015.

It continues to have sold out crowds at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, celebrating its 1,000 night on Broadway on July 15, with a proclamation from New York City's Mayor declaring the date, "Beautiful Day." Now, a travelling production is headed off on a two-year North American tour.

Speaking from years of chatting with directors and playwrights, this is a super-quick rise to the top for a new musical. I suppose it helped that there was already a soulful, intimate soundtrack that blends R&B, folk and pop from an incredible generation of music. Perhaps the play is not so different from King herself.

Dubbed a "Jukebox Musical" or "bio-musical," the story begins long before she was Carole King, the chart-topping music legend. In 1958, she was Carol Klein, a 16-year-old Brooklyn girl with a song and the nerve to go sing it to music publisher Don Kirshner at 1650 Broadway, in Manhattan.

In Simon Frith's book "The Sociology of Rock," Carole King described the atmosphere at the "Brill Building-style" publishing houses of the period: "Every day we squeezed into our respective cubby holes with just enough room for a piano, a bench, and maybe a chair for the lyricist, if you were lucky. You'd sit there and write and you could hear someone in the next cubbyhole composing a song exactly like yours. The pressure in the Brill Building was really terrific-because Donny [Kirshner] would play one songwriter against another. He'd say: 'We need a new smash hit'-and we'd
all go back and write a song and the next day we'd each audition for Bobby Vee's producer."

By the time she reached her twenties, King was part of a hit songwriting duo with her husband Gerry Goffin and working with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. Ultimately, she became one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. "Beautiful" features a splendid array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including "I Feel The Earth Move," "One Fine Day," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," "You've Got A Friend," "Up on the Roof," "You're So Far Away" and, of course, the title song.

When the show hits San Diego, the role of King's ex-husband Gerry Goffin will be played by the adorable Liam Tobin. Hailing from Canada, Tobin has starred in West Side Story, Elf, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Damn Yankees and Hairspray to name a few.

Of Goffin, Tobin says this, "He's a conflicted guy. An abundance of charisma paired with a heavy dose of doubt, makes for an intriguing mix of talent and discord. There are things about him that everyone can relate to. He's an honor to play." Tobin landed the role after multiple tryouts, "It was almost a year-long process. I first tried out in the Toronto Canada area and then headed down to New York City. I was thrilled, I remember growing up, my mom had the Tapestry album. I knew all of King and Goffin's greatest hits, but I was surprised by the depth of the music she wrote with Gerry that became massive hits for other people."

Bitten by the theatre bug later than most, Tobin says it was a few high school friends who encouraged him. "They were in community theatre and told me it was fun. I auditioned for a show and never looked back. Well, I headed to college, but dropped out when I was accepted full time onto a show. I really enjoy comedy, and I love to sing. Buddy the Elf was probably my favorite role. Someday, I would love to play 'Cinderella''s Prince or The Wolf in 'Into the Woods.' "

As for life on the road, Tobin is familiar, from his days on the International Tour of "West Side Story." "I enjoy going off to explore towns-not the tourist stops-I like to cruise around and see hidden gems. All of us are looking forward to hitting the beach in California. I actually have not been to California before."

Tobin says for him, the best moment in Beautiful comes at the end of the show, "That is my favorite part of the evening, when all the audience joins us in a sing-along. The laughter and joy we bring to the people is really what it is all about."

As for this writer, my mom and I recently dusted off King's Tapestry album. You know the cover, with Carole and the kitty in the window... And fell in love all over again. We can't wait for August!

Broadway San Diego's production of "Beautiful-The Carole King Musical" runs Tuesday, August 2 through Sunday, August 7 at the San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 3rd Avenue. For tickets and more information, call 619.570.1000, or go to broadwaysd.com