Drury Lane revives Carole King bio-tuner

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” — 2.5 stars

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” is an undeniably popular show. Premiering on Broadway in 2014, the jukebox bio-tuner ran nearly six years and spawned several national tours.

A chronicle of King’s early career through the debut of her 1971 masterwork “Tapestry” (which remains one of the bestselling albums of all time), the musical is especially popular in the suburbs, as evidenced by stagings at three suburban theaters in a little more than 14 months.

Marriott Theatre premiered the first locally made production in November 2023. Paramount Theatre’s revival followed six months later in May 2024. And on Thursday, Drury Lane Theatre delivered its version.

From the audience’s response, enthusiasm for King and her music remains undiminished. No surprise there, not for a show whose not-so-secret weapon is its endlessly appealing score. It primarily consists of classics by King and her first husband, lyricist Gerry Goffin, plus a handful of tunes by fellow songwriters and friendly competitors Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil along with songs from several other composer/lyricists. The book is by Douglas McGrath.

Director Jane Lanier — who two years ago directed and choreographed Drury Lane’s boffo revival of “A Chorus Line” — has assembled an able cast, and she and choreographer Gerry McIntrye keep the 2½-hour tuner moving.

Among the highlights are vignettes of the 1960s hits “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Up on the Roof” and Mann/Weil’s infectious “On Broadway” featuring The Drifters, played by a terrific quartet made up of Averis Anderson, Makenzy Jenkins, Austin Nelson Jr. and Michael Turrentine. Lydia Burke, Raeven Carroll, Alanna Lovely and Chamaya Moody play The Shirelles, whose stylish “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” became a hit.

Samantha Gershman, who plays King from a plucky teenage phenom to fully empowered artist, stars opposite Alex Benoit as troubled lyricist Goffin, whose frustration over what he describes as “lame-o, teenybopper junk” contributes to the unraveling of his mental health and the couple’s marriage.

Gershman’s disarming innocence (nicely expressed in her subdued version of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”) paired with Benoit’s haunting self-doubt make for some nice moments. Gershman’s King confronting the philandering Goffin, ending their marriage and liberating herself artistically earned audible approval from the audience.

Andrew MacNaughton delivers a strong performance vocally and comedically as hypochondriac composer Barry Mann. So does Alexandra Palkovic as his sly, self-confident professional and romantic partner Cynthia Weil. Rounding out the cast is Michael Lawrence Brown as savvy music publisher/producer Donny Kirshner and Rebekah Ward as Carole’s mother, Genie Klein.

There’s much to recommend Drury Lane’s revival: McIntyre’s sinewy choreography, which hints at stepping and rolling; projection designer Anthony Churchill’s archival film clips; Misha Kachman’s tapestry-inspired backdrop and sliding platforms; and bustling production numbers like the “1650 Broadway Medley” and the infectious “Locomotion.”

That said, I found some of Lanier’s choices puzzling. For instance, staging scenes far to the left and right of the stage — necessary perhaps for the purposes of setting up production numbers — diminished their impact. Most disappointing was the underwhelming 11 o’clock number that finds King in the studio recording “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which represents her claiming her power as a solo artist. Instead of centering Gershman, Lanier placed her upstage right. It’s a missed opportunity, but it’s not the only one.

Done properly, “Natural Woman” sends a shiver up the spine. Gershman failed to deliver the wallop the show demands. For that, the audience had to wait until “I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet,” the coda to the curtain call. By then it was too late.

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Location: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-0111, drurylanetheatre.com

Showtimes: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday; 1:30 and 7 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday through March 23

Tickets: $53-$125, dinner-theater packages available

Running time: About 2 hours 30 minutes, with intermission

Parking: Free in the adjacent lot

Rating: For teens and older, brief references to mature subjects