IT was an AmaZing day of storytelling through songs by an amazing songwriter and human being, Carole King. What a career! What a life not many casual music fans probably know about. The good, the bad, the ugly and her story told in all her hits..
Broadway leading actress, Chilina Kennedy (previously Mother Mary' in Jesus Christ Superstar first national tour and daughter Sofie in Mamma Mia), brought Carole King to life from the footlights with raw emotion and power vocals wrapped into one. Kennedy, an accomplished vocalist in her own right (her new album is available www.chilinakennedy.com), made you lose your place in the universe hearing all the songs King and her songwriting husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote for others and themselves. The Shirelles, The Drifters and others were the recipients of and made hits from the great compositions written by the husband wife duo. I was aware throughout my radio career that James Taylor's hit You've Got A Friend' was a King composition but never knew the Taylor hit, UP On A Roof, was another King-Gerry Goffin song. I never knew King was a 17 year old when she penned her first hit, Will You Love Me Tomorrow' recorded by The Shirelles. The Locomotion? I always thought throughout my 30+ year radio career that Grand Funk Railroad (in 1973) just stole that from Little Eva (in 1963)!
Don Kirshner, music producer, Label Chief extraordinaire was the East Coast catalyst for a teenaged King in 1959. It was he who had the "ears" that would produce over 400 King compositions that would be recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in over 100 hit singles and six Grammys. It's TOO Late Baby" a forever personal favorite of mine from the 1971Tapestry Album told of the heartbreak of her broken marriage and song writing partnership with Gerry Goffin. A new West Coast life and career would unfold and reach the pop pinnacle under the watchful "ear" of Lou Adler.
The artistry of Carole King runs so deep and I was floored by it and the execution of her story coming from this brilliant ensemble cast! I was SO emotionally breathless at curtain call, I floated out of the theatre and was thankful not to be thrown to the ground by security as I pushed myself against the traffic flow back into the theater to retreive my jacket left behind.
5-Star! Pay for the good seats. I will do so again, in a heartbeat!
