Beautiful: The Carole King Musical A Show About the Drama Behind the Music

Carole King was a girl from Brooklyn who became a songwriter and musician in the late 1950s and was one of the most successful female songwriters of the 60s-80s, writing or co-writing 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Which seems like the perfect story to adapt into a jukebox musical featuring all of the songs she wrote.

That musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, is currently being performed at the Chanhassen Dinner and Theatre and will continue to perform there until September 28th.

I had the opportunity to interview Shad Hanley who plays Gerry (pronounced “Jerry”) Goffin, Carole King’s first husband, and asked him for his own synopsis of the show and it’s story.

What is something that audiences and even the cast will like the most about the show?

Shad Hanley is an actor who has had extensive experience within the world of theatre that he was happy to share about.

As an actor who had been with Chanhassen since the pandemic, what has been his favorite show to perform there? (excluding Beautiful of course!)

Playing the part of Gerry Goffin was something that had intrigued him both prior to and after he had auditioned and got the role.

In fact, Shad Hanley was on record saying this was probably his hardest role ever.

He was then asked about the music in the show and how he felt as his character Gerry when writing those songs for Carole King.

So what could he tell us about the technical side of the play?

And he couldn’t help but also give so much high praise to his co-star playing Carole, Monet Sabel.

So what can be expected by audiences both new and returning?

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL is a musical celebration of Carole’s life that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of a lifetime. BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL is currently running on the Main Stage through September! FOR TICKETS VISIT CHANHASSENDT.com