"Beautiful" at Arvada Center is celebration of early pop music, feminism

"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" is playing at The Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities. It's the true story of the iconic singer's life and features some of the most popular music of the late 50s and 60s. Carole King wrote and performed the songs that defined a generation.

"It's an enormous task to try to take on this real-life icon, and do her justice, and service her music," said Emily Van Fleet, the actress playing Carole King.

"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" explores the creative process and relationships behind the hits.

"I try to find my own personal connection to the music and identify with the themes and the subjects the music talks about and the feelings they evoke," Van Fleet explained.

Act I focuses on the songs King wrote for other groups and her relationship with her writing partner and husband Gerry Goffin. The story also centers around the inspired competition King had with collaborators Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

"I think she is a relatable character for many of the women seeing our show because she's trying to balance career and relationship," said Adriane Leigh Robinson who plays Cynthia Weil.

"Beautiful" is a jukebox musical but the music is so expertly woven into the story – it feels like a bio-picture.

"It's got a lot of heart, a lot of truth, a lot of serious matters, but then it has a lot of fun, and you're going to be tapping your toes and clapping your hands and smiling," said EJ Dohring who plays Barry Mann.

LINK: For Tickets & Information for "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"

"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" runs through Oct. 15 at The Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities.