Add Some Sumptuous Silence to Your Halloween Watchlists with Lon Chaney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ September 20, 2021
Witness the Birth and Evolution of a Genius: Three Early Makoto Shinkai Films Land on Blu-ray June 16, 2022
I’m going to admit right up front that I’m not much a regular viewer of the DC superhero shows on the CW. Aside from a few episodes of Arrow that I watched over my wife’s shoulder, I haven’t really seen any of them. However, I recently started watching Supergirl (since it’s on Netflix) and instantly fell in love with Melissa Benoist. The pure joy and exhilaration that radiates from her face as she becomes Supergirl is infectious, and she’s reason enough to watch the show. So when I heard that she was making her Broadway debut this summer in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, I knew we had to see it. And man oh man, does it not disappoint. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, Beautiful tells the story of Carole King’s early life and career and features a number of songs she (and others, including her first husband Gerry Goffin) wrote that topped the charts from the 50s through the 70s. The show includes loads of familiar tunes, such as “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “On Broadway,” “The Locomotion,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and of course “Beautiful.” Photo: Playbill Beautiful first hit Broadway in 2014 and was nominated for several Tony Awards that year (it won two), and the cast recording also won a Grammy. It’s actually a minor crime that it’s taken me this long to see it. Melissa Benoist began her limited run as Carole last week and will only be on stage through August 4th, so if you want to catch her in the role, you might want to hurry. And believe me, you want to catch her in the role. “The stage has always felt like home to me,” says Benoist, “and the fact that I will be joining the amazingly talented Beautiful family for my Broadway debut is wish fulfillment at its finest. Carole’s music was a mainstay in my household growing up, like it was for so many people. It will be an honor and a pleasure to sing her music and portray her inspiring resilience to audiences every night.” I saw Benoist’s second performance (she had premiered the night before), and you’d never have known it. Her personality is tailor made for the role, her voice breathes life and energy into Carole’s songs, and her smile lights up the darkest corners of the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Seriously, Melissa Benoist’s smile gives me life. It could melt icebergs. Any worries that this Broadway newbie might be rough around the edges or not be able to slide into an established show are completely unfounded. She betrayed no obvious jitters or nerves. Remember, this is an actor who stole every scene (and song) she was in on two seasons of Glee. And her interactions on stage with Evan Todd (Gerry Goffin) and Jessica Keenan Wynn (Cynthia Weil), especially, make it seem like she’s been part of the cast for months – if not longer. She might not be wearing the Supergirl cape on stage, but her performance has me wondering if Benoist really has a superpowered alter ego. Is there anything she can’t do? Ticket prices for Beautiful range from $69-$169 and are available for purchase via Telecharge.com, by calling 212-239-6200, or in person at the Sondheim Theatre box office. Beautiful plays the following schedule: Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, Wednesdays at 2:00 PM, Thursdays at 7:00 PM, Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM. The Stephen Sondheim Theatre is located at 124 West 43rd Street (between Sixth Avenue and Broadway). You Might Also Like...
Add Some Sumptuous Silence to Your Halloween Watchlists with Lon Chaney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ September 20, 2021
Witness the Birth and Evolution of a Genius: Three Early Makoto Shinkai Films Land on Blu-ray June 16, 2022
90 Days of Huel: I Drank My Food for Three Months. Here Are the Results. September 23, 201959753 views