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AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SEASON NOW PLAYING

www.beautifulmusical.com.au Facebook: @BeautifulAu | Instagram: @BeautifulAu | Hashtag: #BeautifulinOz

CAPTION: LEFT, STARS IN THE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SEASON OF BEAUTIFUL: THE MUSICAL. ABOVE, AS CAROLE KING

SEE MORE PORTRAIT IMAGES OF ESTHER HERE SEE MORE PRODUCTION IMAGES HERE CLICK HERE FOR ESTHER’S BIO HEAR ESTHER SING CAROLE KING’S “BEAUTIFUL” HERE

ABOUT BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

The Australian premiere production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, starring multi-award winning leading lady Esther Hannaford as Carole King, is now playing.

The joyous Broadway hit charts the true story of the legendary singer’s journey from teenage to international superstar, including her troubled relationship with husband and -writing partner and their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo and .

The feel-good song list is jam-packed with timeless hits, including You’ve Got a Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, It’s Too Late, Locomotion, (You Make Me Feel Like) and , along with chartbusting Mann/Weil tunes such as You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, On Broadway and We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.

Long before she was Carole King the chart-topping music legend, she was an ordinary girl with extraordinary talent. She sold her first hit, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, at just 17. By the time she was 20 she was writing number ones for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll, including , , and . But it wasn’t until her personal life began to fall apart that she finally managed to find her own voice and step into the spotlight – with music that would become the soundtrack of a generation.

Joining Esther Hannaford in the Australian cast are Green Room Award winner Josh Piterman as ‘Gerry Goffin’, accomplished star Lucy Maunder as 'Cynthia Weil', singer songwriter and The Voice favourite Mat Verevis as 'Barry Mann' plus stage veterans Mike McLeish as '' and Anne Wood as King’s mother, 'Genie Klein'.

The cast also includes Jason Arrow, Stefanie Caccamo, Doron Chester, Barry Conrad, Andrew Cook, Marcus Corowa, Julia Dray, Akina Edmonds, Nana Matapule, Cameron MacDonald, Lorinda Merrypor, Joseph Naim, Ruva Ngwenya, Naomi Price, Rebecca Selley, Sean Sinclair, Angelina Thomson and Chloé Zuel.

CAPTION: THE AUSTRALIAN CAST OF BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. PHOTO JOAN MARCUS.

FAST FACTS

 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical made its official Australian premiere on Saturday 23 September 2017 at ’s Lyric Theatre.

 Tickets and tour dates are available from beautifulmusical.com.au

 The musical was written by the Tony®, BAFTA® and Academy® Award-nominated Douglas McGrath, who made his writing and directorial debut with the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma and collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplay for Bullets Over Broadway. Beautiful is directed by Marc Bruni and choreographed by Josh .

 The Australian production features a cast of 24 performers and a crew of 80.

 There are 170 pairs of shoes and 96 wigs in the production, recreating the 1950s through to the early .

 Beautiful is currently playing on Broadway, and touring the US and UK

 Beautiful is now in its fourth year on Broadway. It opened in January 2014 at the Theater, winning two Tony® Awards and a Grammy® for Best Musical Theater .

 The Broadway production has broken every box office record at the theatre, becoming the highest grossing show in the venue’s history.

 The production opened in February 2015, winning two Olivier Awards.

CAPTION: THE AUSTRALIAN CAST OF BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. PHOTO JOAN MARCUS.

THE AUSTRALIAN CAST

MUSIC FROM THE GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING MUSICAL

Click the button to download each track from the Original Broadway

SO FAR AWAY WILL YOU LOVE ME YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' UPTOWN Written by: Carole King (1971) TOMORROW FEELING Written by: Mann & Weil (1962) Original Artist: Carole King Written by: Goffin & King (1960) Written by: Mann & Weil & Phil Original Artist: Famous Covers: Original Artist: The Shirelles Spector (1964) Famous Covers: Chart Topper: #1 Original Artist: The Righteous Famous Covers: The , Brothers , , Fact: More radio & TV play than any & Carole King song in the 20th century Covers: More than 200 artists

1650 BROADWAY MEDLEY WILL YOU LOVE ME ONE FINE DAY IT'S TOO LATE TOMORROW Written by: Goffin & King (1963) Written by: Carole King (THE SHIRELLES) Original Artist: Original Artist: Carole King Chart Topper: #5 Chart Topper: #1 Fact: Featured on the soundtracks of more than ten films

IT MIGHT AS WELL RAIN HE'S SURE THE BOY I LOVE CHAINS YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND UNTIL SEPTEMBER Written by: Mann & Weil (1963) Written by: Goffin & King (1962) Written by: Carole King (1971) Original Artist: The Crystals Original Artist: Fact: Won Grammy Awards for both Written by: Goffin & King (1962) Famous Covers: Tom Jones Chart Topper: #17 Carole King and Original Artist: Carole King Famous Covers: Fact: The song was originally recorded for . The following year he recorded a cover for his album The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL UP ON THE ROOF WALKING IN THE RAIN (YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE) A Written by: Goffin & King (1961) Written by: Goffin & King (1963) Written by: Mann & Weil & Phil NATURAL WOMAN Original Artist: The Drifters Original Artist: The Drifters Spector (1964) Written by: Goffin & King (1967) Chart Topper: #32 Chart Topper: #5 Original Artist: Original Artist: Aretha Franklin Famous Covers: Fact: Named one of Rolling Stones’s Fact: Won a Grammy Award Chart Topper: #8 500 Greatest of All Time Famous Covers: Immortalised by Famous Covers: James Taylor Aretha Frankilin in 1967 but charted by Mary J. Blige in 1995

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE ON BROADWAY BEAUTIFUL AGAIN Written by: Mann & Weil & Leiber & Written by: Goffin & King (1967) Written by: Carole King (1971) Stoller (1963) Original Artist: The Monkees Original Artist: Carole King Original Artist: The Drifters Chart Topper: #3 Famous Covers: ’s Fact: The song gets its name from cover won a 1979 Grammy. Also Pleasant Valley Way, a street near covered by . Goffin & King’s home in West Orange

TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY THE LOCOMOTION WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE BABY Written by: Goffin & King (1962) PLACE Written by: Carole King (1971) Original Artist: Original Artist: Carole King Written by: Goffin & King (1961) Written by: Mann & Weil (1965) Chart Topper: #1 Chart Topper: #1 Original Artist: Bobby Vee Original Artist: Famous Covers: The song has Chart Topper: #1 Famous Covers: Blue Oyster Cult, appeared in the top 5 of the US Hot The Angels, 100 three different times by three Fact: it is in The Hall of different artists, including Kylie Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock Minogue and Roll list.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

ESTHER HANNAFORD (Carole King) One of ’s most versatile and in- demand performers, Esther Hannaford collected a Sydney Theatre Award in January for cult musical classic Little Shop of Horrors. Most recently she worked on Mr Burns for Belvoir Theatre Company. She garnered a Helpmann and a Green Room Award for playing quirky sidekick Penny Pingleton in and has won plaudits for her performances as bootlegger Billie Bendix in The Production Company’s Nice Work If You Can Get It, the wistful Bonnie-Mae in Nick Enright’s Miracle City, and Ann Darrow in King Kong.

JOSH PITERMAN (Gerry Goffin) A former member of the acclaimed Ten Tenors, Josh made his mark as Tony in the 2010 tour of . He recently won a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his turn in the 2016 tour of playing Bustopher Jones/Gus/Growltiger. Previous roles include Edward in Willy Russell’s , Corny Collins in the UK tour of Hairspray, Ramon Gutierrez in An Officer And A Gentleman, The Caliph in for The Production Company and Giuseppe in The Light in the Piazza at The Arts Centre in late 2016.

LUCY MAUNDER* (Cynthia Weil) The WAAPA graduate and musical theatre leading lady just finished the New Zealand, and seasons of Matilda: The Musical as Miss Honey, earning a 2017 Helpmann Award nomination for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. She played mean girl Heather Chandler in the Australian première of Heathers: The Musical, created the role of Patty in new Australian musical Ladies in Black and played Rizzo in Grease – with Helpmann, Glug and Sydney Theatre Award nominations. Her one-woman show : Songs in the Key of Black toured Australia. Her album is available on iTunes. *From February 2018

MAT VEREVIS (Barry Mann) The singer songwriter was born and raised in Cairns, graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) before his way into the top 4 of The Voice Australia on team will.i.am. He signed a major recording/publishing deal with Universal, writing and recording music for both himself and other artists. Previous stage and screen credits include Aladdin in Bonnie Lythgoe’s Aladdin & His Wondrous Lamp, the Australian and international concert tour of Boys in and most recently Abe Forsyth’s Australian black comedy film Down Under.

MIKE MCLEISH (Don Kirshner) Best known to Australian audiences for his portrayal of Paul Keating in Casey Bennetto's Keating! The Musical, Mike’s varied stage credits include Shane Warne The Musical, Miracle City and most recently, in : Musical. Mike was artistic director of the 2016 Cabaret Festival and has written and performed many of his own shows. Off stage, he recently filmed new ABC comedy drama, Mustangs FC. Other television credits include Utopia, Offspring, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Time of Our Lives.

ANNE WOOD (Genie Klein) is best known for her portrayal of Donna Sheridan in the Australian premiere of Mamma Mia! earning her a Green Room Award and an invitation to play the role on London’s West End. She later recreated the role for the 10th anniversary national tour. She has spent time in London and Hamburg playing leading roles in Cats, Aspects of Love, , A Swell Party and Barnum. Her Australian credits include Irene in Crazy For You, Elsa Schraeder in , Mrs. Mullin in , Electra in , Evangeline Harcourt in , and Madame Morrible in .

JASON ARROW South African born and Perth raised, Jason graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre). During his time at WAAPA he was featured in roles such as; Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone, Randall in Bring It On – The Musical and Thomas in The Beautiful Game. In 2012, Jason was part of the Top 25 for Network Ten’s . Jason is making his professional music theatre debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

STEFANIE CACCAMO Originally from Sydney, Stefanie graduated in 2016 from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor of Music Theatre. During her time at WAAPA, Stefanie played the title role in The Drowsy Chaperone, Bridget in Bring it On – The Musical and was featured in the Australian Premiere of The Beautiful Game. She was awarded the Effie Crump Award in 2014 and the Leslie Anderson Showcase Award in 2016. Stefanie is making her professional music theatre debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

DORON CHESTER Doron is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Music, where he performed as Bud Frump in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and Bob Hawke in Keating! The Musical. After his studies Doron performed in The Fantasticks for Exclaim Theatre Companyand Keating! The Musical for Birdie Productions. He has performed in three of Squabbalogic’s Mystery Musicals - , Hello, Dolly and Kiss Me Kate, plus Squabbalogic’s The Original Grease. He has performed his own cabaret Dentures & Ditties - Tales of The Nursing Home and can also be heard on the ABC Kids Album; Animal Songs and Sounds.

BARRY CONRAD has a career that spans music, screen and stage. He’s opened for vocal giants Brian McKnight, Craig David and K-Ci & JoJo, toured globally with Grammy-winning Israel Houghton, penned songs for an array of artists – and sung for the Pope. Screen credits include FOX’s Power Rangers: Ninja Storm and the Australian feature film, The Sapphires. Barry made his musical theatre debut in the Australian premiere production of Violet; toured nationally playing Seaweed in Hairspray — The Big Fat Arena Spectacular; and in 2017, the role of Kenickie in Grease – The Arena Experience. He won a legion of new fans as part of the Final 12 of Channel Seven’s The X-Factor in 2013.

ANDREW COOK recently finished touring Australia in the global phenomenon, Matilda: The Musical. He originated the role of Wayne Burns in Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, and appeared in King Kong. Andrew started his professional career in the Cat Stevens musical, Moonshadow as a swing and understudy to the title role Moonshadow. He received the East End District award at the Rob Guest Endowment in 2014. Andrew trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing arts (WAAPA) graduating with a BA in Music Theatre Performance.

MARCUS COROWA Originally from Far North Queensland, Marcus is a proud Aboriginal-South Sea Islander. He is a regular face at music events, including Yabun Festival, Homeground Festival, Spirit Festival and Brunswick Festival. He has also played with some of Australia’s most celebrated artists, including; Mark Seymour, , , , Linda and Vika Bull and James Reyne. He starred in Australia’s highly acclaimed production of The Rabbits and Short Black Opera’s Pecan Summer. He presented documentary Clouded History, and starred in NITV children’s series, Mugu Kids. Marcus has embraced his position as a role model for Aboriginal youth; he is an Ambassador for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence and works as a mentor with Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience and Young, Black and Deadly. In 2016 he released his second EP, ‘Water and Air’, produced by Damien Leith. His accolades include Most Promising New Talent in Music at the Deadly Awards.

JULIA DRAY is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where she was the recipient of the Hal Leonard Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. During her studies, Julia performed in The Comedy of Errors, Spring Awakening, Once On This Island and Assassins. Julia's professional credits include Irish dance spectacular, Celtic Illusions, Deadly Women, Ali McGregor’s Jazzamatazz!, Avenue Q and Blanche in the Golden Girls muppet show - Thank You For Being A Friend. Most recently she performed in Spring Awakening, Baby for Neglected Musicals / ) and SLUT.

AKINA EDMONDS Born and raised in New Zealand, Akina graduated from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA) in Christchurch in 2008 with a Bachelor of Performing Arts. In her graduating year, Akina was cast in the Australian tour of the Musical. Akina went on to join the casts of major musical productions including Avenue Q, Hairspray, An Officer and a Gentleman, Children of Eden and the Australian tour of Disney’s The Lion King. Most recently, Akina was back performing in her homeland, starring as Deloris Van Cartier in the Australasian premiere of Sister Act the Musical.

NANA MATAPULE is a graduate of the The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) Musical Theatre course. He began his career with Carnival Cruise Lines and as a guest entertainer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Previous credits include the role of Collins in The Hayes Theatres sell-out season of Rent, original cast member of Boys in The Band, and Swoon the Mad Men of Swing. Other credits include Light the Night, Grand Prix Singapore and commercials for , ING and Foxtel.

CAMERON MACDONALD is a singer and actor with a career that spans Australian stage and screen. Most recently he played “Tunny” in the Australian premiere of American Idiot. Previous credits include the Australian premiere of Altar Boy, the Australian and New Zealand tour of Jersey Boys, Godspell, Sondheim’s Passion, Miss Saigon, MAMMA MIA!, Georgy Girl, Guys & Dolls, “Charlie Brown” in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Britt Craig / Gov. Slaton in Parade for which he was nominated for a Green Room Award and “Roger” in Pangdemonium's 20th Anniversary production of RENT in Singapore. In 2014 he sang Australia's National Anthem at the Boxing Day test between Australia & India. TV credits include: , , The Dr Blake Mysteries, 800 Words and ABC’s The Divorce.

LORINDA MERRYPOR is originally from Rockhampton, QLD. After moving to to follow her dreams she graduated from the Griffith University’s Queensland Conservatorium with a Bachelor of Musical Theatre. Lorinda made her professional debut in the recent Australian premiere of the award-winning musical, American Idiot. During her studies, she performed various roles, including Mimi Marquez in Rent and has performed in a wide array of productions in her hometown, playing roles such as Nancy in Oliver, Little Inez in Hairspray and Dorothy Brock in .

JOSEPH NAIM Melbourne born and bred, Joseph began his professional singing career working with bands. He began his formal vocal training in his 20’s with The Ciccone Academy of Performing Arts. He was granted a scholarship and graduated from their Music Theatre Course in 2009. Joseph’s previous credits include Kismet with The Production Company, , Children of Eden, Hello, Dolly!, Milk and Honey and Anyone Can Whistle. More recently he toured with The Ten Tenors around Australia, USA, Canada, Europe and Asia. His personal highlight would be performing “New York, New York” in New York on NBC's Today Show. He returned home in 2015 to join the cast of Disney’s The Lion King.

RUVA NGWENYA is an Australian based singer and actor of Zimbabwean descent. After winning her first major music competition at 17 she went on to perform at some of Melbourne’s most famous jazz venues, including Bennett's Lane, Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Northcote Social Club and Cherry Bar. She studied Contemporary Music at the Victorian College of Arts. In 2013, she made it to the top 6 in the Girls Category of Channel Seven’s The X-Factor and relesed her debut EP after working with celebrity judges Redfoo, Will.i.am and John Bon Jovi. She recently appeared on season six of ’s The Voice. Her musical theatre career began in 2013 when she played the role of Shenzi in Disney’s The Lion King. Other credits include We Will Rock You and The Production Company’s Dusty.

NAOMI PRICE is a cabaret and music theatre performer best known for her performances on Nine Network’s The Voice and touring as in Rumour Has It and Miley in Wrecking Ball – her award-winning shows written with Adam Brunes. Their third pop-culture cabaret, Lady Beatle, will debut at La Boîte Theatre Company in 2017. Naomi sprang to national acclaim as ’s leading lady on The Voice in 2015, placing sixth overall. She returned to The Voice in 2016 in her new role as Digital Host. Originally from England, her extensive performance credits include Ladies in Black and iconic roles in musicals such as , and Rent. Naomi has performed with artists such as Ricky Martin, Tim Finn, , James Morrison, Troy Cassar-Daley and Broadway composer Scott Alan. She won a Matilda Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role as Fay in Ladies in Black and a Matilda Award for Best Musical or Cabaret for Rumour Has It. Naomi is also an ambassador for National Trust Queensland and Wildlife Hospital Foundation.

REBECCA SELLEY has toured internationally including Broadway and the West End as the lead vocalist in Burn the Floor’s Floorplay. She has appeared as the support act for the Black Eyes Peas and performed with Human Nature in the Dancing In The Street national tour. She has featured as a backing vocalist with Guy Sebastian, Havana Brown, Jade Macrae, Tamara and Israel and was an semi-finalist in 2003. Rebecca’s musical theatre credits include: Disney’s The Lion King, Disney’s High School Musical - Live on Stage! and with Hugh Jackman. Film and television credits include Our Lips Are Sealed, Bootmen, , Evolution and The Cool Room.

SEAN SINCLAIR Originally from Queensland, Sean moved to Sydney to further his studies at the Australian Institute of Music. He has traveled the world working on international stages since 2011. A personal highlight

was joining Adele on stage during her recent Sydney shows. Previous credits include lead production vocalist for Norwegian Cruise Lines and more recently, The Tap Pack - launching their seasons in both Berlin and Beijing. Sean is making his Australian musical theatre debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

ANGELINA THOMSON is a 2016 graduate from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University where she studied a Bachelor of Musical Theatre. Whilst studying she had the opportunity to play the role of Liz Morden in the play, Our Country’s Good, and had the responsibility of being Dance Captain for a number of shows during the 3 year course. Originally from the Gold Coast, she is making her professional debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

CHLOÉ ZUEL most recently played Reno in The Production Company's Dusty The Musical and in 2016 sang with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in their staged version of Porgy and Bess. After graduating in 2007 from ED5 International, Chloé spent two years performing in numerous shows at Universal Studios . As a lead singer of international bands she traveled to India, Dubai and Macao. Chloé's music theatre credits include Hairspray The Musical, Legally Blonde the Musical, , Les Misérables, Rent for The Hayes Theatre and Ronette in the Australian tour of Little Shop of Horrors.

CAPTION: ESTHER HANNAFORD (CENTRE) AS CAROLE KING AND AUSTRALIAN CAST OF BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. PHOTO JOAN MARCUS.

CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES

CAROLE KING (Words & Music) would be very different without the contributions of Carole King, who wrote her first #1 hit at age 17 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 6 Grammys.

GERRY GOFFIN (Words & 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 over fifty Top 40 hits including “The Locomotion,” “Natural Woman,” and “Up On The Roof.” In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Goffin has left an indelible mark on American music.

BARRY MANN (Words & Music) Barry Mann has written the melodies of some of the most influential pop songs in musical history. In addition to “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” most played song of the last century, and the songs heard in Beautiful, he has composed later standards like “Somewhere Out There” (winner of 2 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 and The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

CYNTHIA WEIL (Words & Music) Cynthia Weil is known as the lyricist of such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, most played song of the 20th century. In addition to the songs heard in BEAUTIFUL, she has set the words to later standards like “Somewhere Out There,” “Here You Come Again,” “He’s So Shy,” “Just Once,” and “Don’t Know Much” to name just a few. Weil has been 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 Motion Picture Song of the Year and Song of the Year.

DOUGLAS MCGRATH (Book) Douglas McGrath is a filmmaker and playwright. His play Checkers opened the 30th anniversary season at New York’s Vineyard Theatre. He collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplay for Bullets Over Broadway, for which they were nominated for an Academy Award. His first film as writer/director was his adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma. He has also written and directed Nicholas Nickleby, which won the Best Ensemble Cast from the National Board of Review; Company Man; Infamous; and His Way. His essays have appeared in the New Yorker, The New Republic, Vanity Fair and .

MARC BRUNI (Director) The Explorers Club (MTC), Old Jews Telling Jokes (Westside), Pipe Dream (Encores!), Fanny (Encores!), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), Nerds (NC Theatre), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Paper Mill), 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (PTC/Paper Mill), In the Mood (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Such Good Friends (NYMF Directing Award), High Spirits (York), Glimpses of the Moon (Oak Room) and 6 shows for the St. Louis MUNY including , Sound of Music (Kevin Kline nominations), Thoroughly Modern Millie, Legally Blonde, My One and Only, Seven Brides. Associate on numerous Broadway shows and tours including The Book of Mormon and Anything Goes.

JOSH PRINCE (Choreographer) Broadway/National Tour/West End: Shrek, The Musical (Outer Critics Circle Nomination). Off-Broadway: The Kid, Bunty Berman Presents (The New Group). : Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Fire Island Dance Festival, Career Transitions for Dancers Befit (City Center), Bridge Project (BAM/Old Vic), The Jerry Springer Opera (Carnegie Hall), Camelot (NY Philharmonic/Lincoln Center, PBS), and All Singing All Dancing (Town Hall). London: My Fair Lady, BBC Proms 59 (Dir/Chor ), Singin’ In the Rain (Royal Festival Hall). Regional: Kennedy Center Latino Inaugural (w/Chita Rivera and ), Kennedy Center Spring Gala (hosted by Liza Minelli). Josh is the Founder/Artistic Director of The Broadway Dance Lab.

PAUL BLAKE (ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCER) Is currently enjoying his emeritus status after 22 seasons as the executive producer of the legendary St. Louis MUNY, where he produced and/or directed more than 150 shows. His Roman Holiday (book writer), with songs by Cole Porter, played to capacity last summer at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Mr. Blake’s Tony-nominated Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (co-writer and co-producer) had two highly successful seasons on Broadway and has become the most highly requested holiday musical in theatres across the country.

SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING (ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCER) Established in 1995 as a joint venture between Sony and , Sony/ATV is the world’s leading music publisher and owns or administers more than 2 million copyrights including those from such iconic music catalogs as EMI Music Publishing, Leiber & Stoller, Mijac Music, and Famous Music. Sony/ATV controls many of the best-known songs ever written, like “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/ATV represents the copyrights of such legendary artists as The Beatles, , Neil Diamond, , Michael Jackson, Carole King, , Queen, , , , and , among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists and songwriters includes , , P!nk, Shakira, and .

MIKE BOSNER (ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCER) Mr. Bosner is thrilled to be taking Beautiful down under! Beautiful continues its highly successful run on Broadway, London’s West End, and across the US in a National Tour. Before Beautiful, he served as associate producer of the St. Louis MUNY for five seasons. At the MUNY, Mr. Bosner oversaw more than 35 productions alongside executive producer Paul Blake. He is truly honored to be working with this legendary material, inspiring group of collaborators and his mentor and friend, Mr. Blake.

MICHAEL CASSEL (AUSTRALIAN PRODUCER) Michael is an internationally recognised producer and entertainment executive, with credits including major theatrical productions, concerts, televised and special events. Michael Cassel Group exclusively represents Cameron Mackintosh and his productions in Australia. In this capacity, Michael was Executive Producer of the acclaimed new production Les Misérables which enjoyed a triumphant nineteen-month tour of Australia where the production received the Helpmann Award for ‘Best Musical’ before touring Asia. Michael will produce the first international tour of the world’s #1 musical, Disney’s The Lion King, to premiere in Manila in March 2018 followed by engagements in Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and . Michael produced the Australian premiere of Kinky Boots at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne in October 2016. With music and lyrics by , Kinky Boots is the winner of six Broadway Tony® Awards including ‘Best Musical’. Kinky Boots transferred to Sydney in April 2017. Previously, Michael co-produced the Australian and Asian tour of Singin’ In the Rain and presented the sold-out Australian tour Lea Salonga in Concert which saw the Tony® and Olivier Award-winning star make her debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his theatrical interests, Michael’s company represents former Australian Prime Minister, The Hon. Julia Gillard AC, former Olympian and global sporting administrator, Lord Sebastian Coe CH, KBE and media personality, Sami Lukis. Michael currently serves on the Executive Council of Live Performance Australia, the peak body for Australia’s live entertainment and performing arts industry.

FURTHER BACKGROUND

 Carole King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by more than a thousand artists, resulting in 100 hit singles and six Grammy® Awards.

 Carole King famously didn’t see the production until a surprise visit three months after the Broadway premiere. She snuck in wearing a disguise and surprised the cast (and audience) onstage during the curtain call. She was initially hesitant to see the show, as she didn’t want to relive the painful memories it brought to life onstage. She sat through part of an early reading for the musical and decided she didn’t need to see any more.

 In 1971, after a decade spent penning some of the biggest pop hits in history for other artists, Carole King released her second solo album Tapestry. The LP spent 15 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the (the longest ever by a female solo artist at the time), 46 weeks in the top 10 and the best part of a decade on the charts, fetching four Grammy Awards and selling 25 million copies worldwide. Almost half a century later it remains one of the best-selling of all time.

 Carole King has collected a swag of awards and honours during her career – she received a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013; has had two songs and her Tapestry album inducted into the Grammy® Hall of Fame; has been inducted into both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting; became the first woman to be awarded The for Popular Song, presented by President at an all-star gala; received the in 2015 with a tribute performance that included James Taylor and a show-stopping performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin that brought President Barack Obama to tears.

 Fans of the wildly popular would be familiar with Carole King tune “, I Will Follow", which she re-recorded with her daughter for the TV show in 2000. Carole also made a cameo in the recent Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, reprising her role as Sophie Bloom, the owner of ’s music store. Louise Goffin also makes a cameo appearance as troubadour, "Louise". To read more about this episode, please visit EW.com.

 Gerry Goffin passed away in 2014, aged 75.

CAPTION: THE SHIRELLES PERFORM CAROLE KING / GERRY GOFFIN HIT ‘WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW’ IN BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. PHOTO JOAN MARCUS.

 Together Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil have amassed 112 pop, country and R&B awards from Broadcast Music Inc, recognising highest performance popularity on American radio and television in a particular year. They’ve also collected 115 Millionaire Awards, signifying radio performances of a million or more plays.

 Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling is the most performed song of the twentieth century. It has garnered more than fourteen million performances. If played back-to-back 24 hours a day, this equals more than 65 years of continuous airplay.

 Mann and Weil have created song scores for such films as for which they wrote the double Grammy winning song Somewhere Out There with . In addition to collecting Grammys for Song of the Year and Motion Picture or Television Song of the Year, the song also received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations and won BMI's Most Performed Film Song Award.

 Beautiful Book Writer Douglas McGrath collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplay for Bullets Over Broadway, and wrote / directed the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette and Alan Cumming.

 Before writing the book, Douglas McGrath spent several days interviewing Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to hear their personal stories, better understand their relationships with each other and capture the essence of who they really are.

 In celebration of the Australian premiere of Beautiful, Entertainment Australia has released a brand new tribute record, BEAUTIFUL – A TRIBUTE TO CAROLE KING. It features adaptations of Carole King’s classic songs sung by some of Australia’s favourite performers, including , Guy Sebastian, Human Nature, Samantha Jade, and the musical’s own Esther Hannaford singing title track “Beautiful”.

CAPTION: THE DRFITERS PERFORM BARRY MANN / CYNTHIA WEIL HIT ‘ON BROADWAY’ IN BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. PHOTO JOAN MARCUS.

CAROLE KING’S INFLUENCE ON OTHER ARTISTS Carole King is one of the most influential and prolific songwriters in music history. Inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, a check of her music catalogue on the Hall's website lists an incredible 600 songs. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by more than a thousand artists.

Listen to these famous faces cover Carole King’s music;

Amy Winehouse | Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow | Where You Lead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuanbnnzXQ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa6yVpD4XFg

Adele |(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman & The Heartbreakers | Don’t Bring Me Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__avn-FNQDs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRp7cQqjVIU

The Beatles | Chains Rod Stewart | So Far Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gzDmVwI2JY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gDQtWKK8Bg

Mariah Carey | If It’s Over Lady Gaga | You’ve Got a Friend https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAJPS_IC-A0 =vX3gbxmFMik | It’s Too Late | Locomotion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg19Y-m5tag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAhzVvgY-c | I Feel The Earth Move Lisa Simpson, The Simpsons | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo2K9vkfUoE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hhtQHNecgM Marcia Hines | Tapestry | I Feel The Earth Move https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4nYCACUO_E&list https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo2Q7ZGScHs =PLhsBb_35Tf4TQcIq1Mxqzvynpl7Cmd40x&index=11

James Taylor |You’ve Got a Friend | Goin’ Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEkIou3WFnM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvWiiUgT8Nk

Aretha Franklin |(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural P!nk | So Far Away Woman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0_lrCnd2oI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz2efshhuq4 | You’ve Got a Friend Michael Bublé | Some Kind of Wonderful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sACgyNHIXrE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf8yTyEOgHU&list= RDBf8yTyEOgHU#t=57 will.i.am & Leah McFall | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF4HrN0OWco | So Far Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxu0VyCF8HY&list | Some Kind of Wonderful =RDLbuPAQpXzfw&index=3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3BSjFnkU3E

Cher | | (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YORxamZsmE Woman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqLyLflcjQ OK Go | Don’t Bring Me Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev5dMdK3mJ0 | So Far Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZO42ynCRyg Bette Midler | One Fine Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPfrJDTGvvg Neil Diamond | Up On The Roof https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG-epdf338c Mary J. Blige | (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman | You’ve Got a Friend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBxk1Oq_ysE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UmVBqRsYJk

Marvin Gaye | Some Kind of Wonderful Aretha Franklin, , , Gloria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dvgdF4XcOY Estefan & (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman Joel | Hey Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJi7t5P9bU8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v= tMfLKrGvCzI

CAROLE KING MILESTONES

NOVEMBER 1960 The song Will You Love Me Tomorrow, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin is released in the US by The Shirelles. Carole was just 17 when she wrote it. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

NOVEMBER 1960 Carole King makes her solo debut with a song called Baby Sittin’. Two years later, her demo of It Might As Well Rain Until September made the Top 25 in the US, climbing all the way to No. 3 on the British chart.

JUNE 18, 1971 Carole King makes her headlining debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

JUNE 19, 1971 Carole King's version of I Feel the Earth Move peaks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remained there for five consecutive weeks.

JUNE 19, 1971 Her solo album Tapestry reaches No.1 spot on Billboard 200, which it holds for 15 weeks – the most weeks at No.1 by a female solo artist for over 20 years. It spent a total of 46 weeks in the top 10 and the best part of a decade in the charts spawning four Grammy Awards and selling 25 million copies worldwide.

MARCH 9, 1987 Carole King inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York.

JULY 28, 1987 Kylie Minogue’s version of Locomotion, her debut single, is released.

JANUARY 19, 1990 Along with Gerry Goffin, Carole King is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category for her songwriting achievements.

MAY 21, 2013 The Library of Congress hosts an invitation-only concert at their Coolidge Auditorium in honour of Carole King. The all-star tribute included performances by , , Gian Marco, , , and King's daughter, Louise Goffin.

MAY 22, 2013 At the White House, President Barack Obama presents Carole King with the fourth Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first awarded to a female composer.

JANUARY 12, 2014 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical opens on Broadway. The show became the hit of the season, won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album and two .

JANUARY 25, 2014 Carole is honoured as MusiCares Person Of The Year. A special gala is held at the Convention Center at which several of today’s most popular artists, including Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys, perform her classics.

DECEMBER 6, 2015 Carole King receives the Kennedy Center Honors with tributes from artists such as James Taylor, Sara Bareilles and Janelle Monae, plus a show-stopping performance of (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman by the incomparable Aretha Franklin that brought President Barak Obama to tears.

JULY 3, 2016 Carole King performs the Tapestry album live in its entirety for the first time at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, London.

FEBRUARY 9, 2017 Carole King turns 75 READ, WATCH & HEAR MORE

 Carole King is interviewed from London in advance of the Australian premiere. Watch: Channel 7, Sunday Night: https://vimeo.com/michaelcasselgroup/review/229508947/c1b16c7970

 Douglas McGrath gives his account of writing the musical. Read: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/as-beautiful-the-carole-king-musical-comes-to-sydney-its- writer-offers-a-peek-behind-the-scenes-20170821-gy11e0.html

 Esther Hannaford speaks about the Australian production and playing a music legend. Read: https://bridgespr.egnyte.com/dl/EuDrHO6RYE

 Carole King performs with the Broadway cast at the 2014 Tony Awards. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6FitKcf5Y8

 The story of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iNh3EjZenU

 Behind the scenes of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway. Watch; NBC New York: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/299842661.html

 Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil are based in LA. The married couple has been finishing each other’s songs – and sentences – for more than 50 years! Watch; CBS Sunday Morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNo5TzUvvSw CUNY Theater Talk: http://www.cuny.tv/show/theatertalk/PR2002956

 Carole King visits Beautiful on Broadway and in London. Read; The New York Times: https://bridgespr.egnyte.com/dl/c0FXwL8dAM London’s Evening Standard: https://bridgespr.egnyte.com/dl/JluW1Hn7de

Watch her surprise the cast onstage: On Broadway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjiMvmD6XH4 In London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iub1iVAg3sM

 Carole King in conversation. Listen; BBC Radio 2’s : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08m032m

 The official website of Carole King: http://www.caroleking.com/

 The official website of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil: http://www.mann-weil.com/

CAPTION: ESTHER HANNAFORD AS CAROLE KING IN BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS.