February 14—March 1, 2025
Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
Musical
Book by Douglas McGrath
Words and Music by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
Music by Arrangement With Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Orchestrations, Vocal and Incidental Arrangements by Steve Sidwell
Additional Music Arrangements by Jason Howland
A co-production with Geva Theatre
Runtime: 2 hours 25 minutes (including one 15-minute intermission)
A seven-time Tony-nominee and global sensation!
Before she became the iconic chart-topping music sensation known as Carole King, she was Carole Klein, a girl from Brooklyn with unwavering determination and astounding talent. This Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical follows King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from her early days as a teenage songwriter to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in music history—and many of her personal triumphs and struggles in between. A tribute to the indomitable spirit of one of America’s greatest musical artists told through her incredible music, including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Natural Woman,” and “I Feel the Earth Move,” and other hits of the era by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, The Righteous Brothers, Neil Sedaka, and more!
“A gift to the ear” —BroadwayWorld
$57-83 ($5 more per ticket if purchased at the door)
BEAUTIFUL is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Important Dates
Monday–Thursday 7:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 7:30 PM
Saturday 2:00 PM
ASL-Interpreted Performance: Monday, February 24th @ 7:00 PM
Sponsors
Overview
Cast
Creative Team
DOUGLAS MCGRATH (Book) was a filmmaker and playwright. Most recently, he directed the HBO documentary “Becoming Mike Nichols.” He collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplay for Bullets Over Broadway, for which they were nominated for an Academy Award. He wrote and directed the Oscar-winning Emma from the Jane Austen novel; Company Man; Charles Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby, which won the Best Ensemble Cast from the National Board of Review; Infamous; and the HBO documentary, “His Way,” nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Special. His play Checkers opened the 30th anniversary season of New York’s acclaimed Vineyard Theatre. His book for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. He began his creer as a writer for “Saturday Night Live” in what was incontestably the worst year in the show’s history. He has written essays on the arts and politics for the New Republic, the New Yorker, The Nation, The New York Times and Vanity Fair. Douglas McGrath passed away on November 4, 2022.
GERRY GOFFIN (Words and Music) Born in Brooklyn in 1939, Gerry Goffin met Carole King at Queens College, and their musical collaboration began almost immediately. They married in 1959, and that same year wrote their first hit song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” (The Shirelles). The duo penned more than 50 Top-40 hits including “The Locomotion,” “Natural Woman” and “Up on the Roof.” In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Goffin has left an indelible mark on American music.
CAROLE KING (Words and Music) Pop music would be very different without the contributions of Carole King, who at age 17 wrote her first #1 hit with Gerry Goffin, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” for the Shirelles. The dozens of chart hits Goffin and King wrote during this period became legendary, but it was 1971’s Tapestry that took King to the pinnacle, speaking personally to her contemporaries and providing a spiritual musical backdrop to the decade. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles and six Grammys.
BARRY MANN (Words and Music) has written the melodies of some of the most influential pop songs in musical history. In addition to “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” the most-played song of the last century, and the songs heard in Beautiful, he composed later standards like “Somewhere Out There” (winner of two Grammys), “Here You Come Again,” “Sometimes When We Touch,” “Just Once” and “Don’t Know Much.” Together he and Cynthia Weil have amassed an incredible 112 pop, country, and R&B awards from Broadcast Music Inc. for significant radio air play. He has been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
CYNTHIA WEIL (Words and Music) was the acclaimed lyricist of classic songs such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” the most-played song of the 20th century. In addition to the songs heard in Beautiful, she set the words to later standards including “Somewhere Out There,” “Here You Come Again,” “He’s So Shy,” “Just Once” and “Don’t Know Much,” to name just a few. Weil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, honored with multiple Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards for “Somewhere Out There” as the Motion Pictures Song of the Year and Song of the Year. Weil passed away on June 1, 2023.
SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING, established in 1995 as a joint venture between Sony and Michael Jackson, is the world’s leading music publisher. Sony owns or administers more than two million copyrights, including those from such iconic music catalogs as EMI Music Publishing, Leiber & Stoller, Mijac Music, Motown and Famous Music. Sony controls many of the best-known songs ever written, including “New York, New York,” “All You Need Is Love,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Over the Rainbow” and “Stand By Me.” In addition, Sony represents the copyrights of such legendary artists as The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Sting, The Supremes, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists and songwriters includes Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Shakira, and Taylor Swift.
Media
Publicity
Preview Coverage
BroadwayWorld
A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL to be Presented at Pioneer Theatre Company in December
Gephardt Daily
A Christmas Story, The Musical’ to bring festive cheer to Pioneer
Salt Lake City Weekly
The Essential A&E Picks for Dec 8-14
ABC-4
Family-friendly Christmas events in Utah
Reviews
BroadwayWorld
A CHRISTMAS STORY at Pioneer Theatre Company is Warm-Hearted”
Front Row Reviewers
Oh Fudge! Pioneer Theatre Company Brings A Christmas Story, the Musical to Utah and If You Miss it–Well, You Know What You’ll Say
Gephardt Daily
PTC’s ‘A Christmas Story, The Musical’ adds comedy, depth to nostalgic film story
Good Things Utah
A Christmas Story, The Musical hits the Pioneer Theatre stage
Utah Arts Review
PTC’s high-energy cast serves up enjoyable, family-friendly ‘Christmas Story
The Utah Review
Pioneer Theatre Company’s A Christmas Story: The Musical is spiffy, enjoyable homage to holiday film classic
Utah Theatre Bloggers
PIONEER’S A CHRISTMAS STORY IS A BULLSEYE
Study Guide
Content Advisory
Please Note:
The age-based guidance below is intended as a recommendation only. We do encourage you to use your judgment based on your own research of the show, your own sensibilities, and a child’s age and maturity level.
Also, in accordance with theatrical licensing agreements, Pioneer Theatre Company presents each production as originally written and intended by its author(s). If you are concerned with any content beyond what is provided below, a copy of each production script is available for in-person perusal during PTC’s regular Box Office hours.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical: For Which Audiences?
Contains some adult themes, mention of drugs, and mild language. Recommended for ages 13 and up.