When the new "Broadway in Hawai'i" series was announced this past December, I was excited to see its line up included the local premiere of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical", the Broadway blockbuster "Hamilton" and the return of "Cats." Season tickets start at $181 per person for the three show subscription. The musical "Jersey Boys" will be staged in September 2022 after the pandemic had disrupted its May 2020 run and is not included in this series so tickets can be purchased separately.
The 2022 season opened on April 19 with a six-day run of "Beautiful." "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" is based on the life and music of the hit making composer. It tells the story of her early days as a composer, working first with her husband Gerry Goffin and later with fellow songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. Featuring songs such as "So Far Away," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "You've Got a Friend," the musical won two Tonys in 2014, including best sound design, while the album of the music won the Grammy in 2015 for best musical theater album. Everyone in the audience was thrilled by the touring cast led by Sara Sheperd (Carole King), James D. Gish (Gerry Goffin), Ryan Farnsworth (Barry Mann) and Sara King (Cynthia Weil). The depth of Carole King's and Gerry Goffin's hits had everyone applauding after each song while the lives of this husband and wife unraveled. We were surprised to find that Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote songs for The Drifters, The Shirelles, and The Monkees before Carole King became a solo singer-songwriter with the release of her first album, Tapestries.
Everyone gave the performers a standing ovation as each of the performers were introduced. My husband was excited by this show and said he wouldn't mind seeing it again but, I burst his bubble by reminding him about their one-week tour and we're going off-island tomorrow for a couple of weeks. But, as series subscribers, we can look forward to seeing "Hamilton" by Lin-Manuel Miranda in early December 2022 and "Cats" the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based upon the poetry of T.S. Eliot in mid-June 2023.
P.S. There are no photos or recordings allowed so you're encouraged to turn-off your smartphones or put them away to not disturb others around you or the performers.`` read more