A familiar face will be joining Beautiful: The Carole King Musical this summer, and PEOPLE has all the exclusive details.
Playing the legendary singer-songwriter in the acclaimed Broadway show will be another music star:Vanessa Carlton, who rose to fame in 2002 with her chart-topping debut single “A Thousand Miles.”
“It is a privilege to tell Carole’s story,” Carlton told PEOPLE in a statement. “She wasn’t just a great pianist and writer, she was on the frontier of women in power positions in the music industry. Her courage and sacrifice, not to mention fierce sense of self, paved the way for artists like myself to have a shot.”
“Being a pianist, writer and mother myself, I am thrilled to honor her and bring to life the story of a fellow woman balancing it all,” Carlton added.
Carlton will begin performances in the show on June 27. She is currently scheduled for a 10-week run.
To celebrate it all, Carlton recorded a special mashup of her hit song with King’s 1971 smash, “Beautiful.”
The music video, which PEOPLE can also premiere exclusively, shows behind-the-scenes footage of Carlton arriving at New York City’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre and before taking a seat at the stage’s grand piano to perform King’s tune. Footage of Carlton’s photoshoot is peppered into the sentimental video.
Nathan Johnson
Actress Jessie Mueller also picked up a Tony for originating the role of Carole King. Since then, other stars have gone on to play the part, includingSupergirl‘sMelissa Benoist.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Meanwhile, Carlton has stayed busy since “A Thousand Miles” and her certified platinum debut albumBe Not Nobodyearned her breakout fame (plus a few Grammy nominations, including record of the year and song of the year).
In 2011 — after two follow-up albums,Harmonium(2004) andHeroes & Thieves(2007) — Carlton set out as an independent recording artist. She has since released two LPs,Rabbits on the Run(2011) andLiberman(2015), as well as a handful of EPs and cover songs.
Tickets for Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalTickets for Beautiful: The Carole King Musicalare on sale now.
source: people.com
