Tapestry is the first record I truly remember getting – yes, a vinyl record that I played on a record player – not stereo – in my bedroom. For people, especially women, of a certain age this album was groundbreaking. Carole King’s emergence as a singer/songwriter coincided with the women’s liberation movement in this country and was part of a changing culture that enabled me as a teenager to look at women in the arts as creators as well as per- formers. Fortunately, I was young enough that it never occurred to me that a woman couldn’t do those jobs, which turned out well for me.

The amazing thing about Carole King is that she had a giant career before she became “Carole King, Singer/Songwriter.” Her work as a composer with lyricist and husband Gerry Goffin includes more than 100 songs that made the Billboard singles chart. These hits were performed by iconic artists including: The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Everly Brothers, and The Beatles. She is probably the most prolific female pop songwriter of all time.

Beautiful not only encompasses all the nostalgia that music of the 60s and 70s evokes when you turn on oldies radio (or iTunes playlists), but also a freshness: We’re learning about Carole King’s life through stories we maybe didn’t know – thrillingly told through the powerful medium of live performance and the glorious songs that are woven into the tapestry of American popular music. I am grateful to my collaborators and to this extraordinary cast of singers, actors, and dancers who are so stylishly bringing this show to life. I know you will enjoy it!

– Karen Azenberg, Director