Britta Rae and Billy Cohen Photo by Ray Mabry

Beautiful ran for five years on Broadway and has toured extensively, proving its appeal as an audience pleaser. From Carole's beginnings as a teen songwriter, selling songs to impresario Donny Kirshner (played here with an enthusiastic mien by Tony Clements), to her early marriage to lyricist Gerry Goffin (Billy Cohen), to their marital difficulties, to her later mega-success as a performing artist with one of the best-selling albums of all time, "Tapestry," the musical takes us inside the creative and personal life of one of the world's great singer-songwriters.

The book, by Douglas McGrath, is a concise compilation of many of the major moments in King's life, with an elegant balance between her personal triumphs and struggles, and the stories behind many of her biggest hits. It also focuses significantly on the friendly rivalry between King and Goffin, and another big-time songwriting team of the era, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.

But the stars here are the music and the wonderful cast assembled by director Tony Gonzalez. The music obviously focuses primarily on King's songs, but other hits of the '60s and '70s are performed, indicating the influences on King, as well as establishing the music scene in which King and Goffin were major players.

The show won several Tony and Drama Desk awards, but it takes a strong cast to portray characters of such extraordinary accomplishment. Fortunately, the team at Transcendence Theatre Company have assembled a truly top-notch group of singers and actors.

As Carole, Britta Rae is as good a Carole as I have seen. (This was my fourth time experiencing the show.) With a lovely, clear voice and a tone not unlike Carole King's herself, Rae glides over each and every tune with the grace of a swan, expending the energy needed to give each song its due, but never exposing the effort going on under the surface.

Billy Cohen is her equal in his performance as Gerry Goffin, and the pair have an easy chemistry that is topped only by the strong connection between Anne Terze-Schwarz and David R. Gordon, who play Weil and Mann with humor and verve. If anyone could steal the show from Britta Rae, it would be Suzanne Grodner (who appeared in Beautiful on Broadway), playing Carole's mother, Genie Klein. Grodner seems to move with a combination of swagger and sashay that will bring to mind all the bossy (but lovable) Jewish mothers you've known. Arielle Crosby gets several moments to shine, especially taking the lead vocal of The Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow."

As always, the management and logistics of staging a Broadway musical in a converted baseball field are handled with tremendous aplomb and undeniable hospitality. Everything about a Transcendence production flows smoothly, making it easy for audience members to enjoy their "best night ever."

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, a Transcendence Theatre Company production, runs through August 17, 2025, at Field of Dreams, 151 First Street W, Sonoma CA. Performances plays Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $35-$175." Gold Level" tickets include VIP parking, free drink tickets (wine, beer and water) and admission to the pre-show lounge area. For tickets and information, please visit www.TranscendenceTheatre.org.