The report states that Kennedy is to begin performances in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical in early 2015, while the show's original star, Jessie Mueller, who earned a Tony Award for her performance as King, is expected to headline the national tour of the musical.
A spokesman for the production would not confirm Kennedy's casting in Beautiful, adding that a deal was not currently in place for her to join the production, while "no tour casting has been set at the moment" and that Mueller "remains with the show" on Broadway.
A national tour of Beautiful was announced to play Chicago's Oriental Theatre Dec. 1, 2015-Feb. 21, 2016. Additional tour dates, casting and an official launch have not been announced.
Mueller, who originated the on-stage role of King in the pre-Broadway San Francisco try-out of Beautiful, earned acclaim for her performance in the musical that continues to be a strong box-office draw. Mueller also earned the Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award for her performance.
Read the reviews here. The Broadway production began previews Nov. 21, 2013, prior to an official opening Jan. 12 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Beautiful features a book by Academy Award nominee Douglas McGrath, who collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplay for "Bullets Over Broadway." He also penned "Infamous" and "Emma."
Marc Bruni (Pipe Dream, Ordinary Days, Old Jews Telling Jokes) stages the production with choreography by Josh Prince and musical direction by Jason Howland.
Here's how the creators bill the musical: "Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock 'n' roll. But it wasn't until her personal life began to crack that she finally managed to find her true voice. Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of King's remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation."
Beautiful is produced by Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, John Gore, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish/Trinchero, and Jeremiah J. Harris.
Visit beautifulonbroadway.com.
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