Auditions – Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Auditions for ASGT’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (July 2 – July 25, 2026) will be held Sat., November 8 and Mon., November 10. Callbacks will be on Sat., November 15. 

Before she was hit-maker Carole King, she was Carole Klein — a spunky young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. From the chart-topping hits she wrote for the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing, trailblazing success with Tapestry, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began, and takes you on the ride of a lifetime.
Beautiful is the inspiring tale about a girl who became King with a stirring book by the late Oscar and Tony-nominated Douglas McGrath and the music and lyrics of icons Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Featuring such unforgettable classics as “You’ve Got a Friend”, “One Fine Day”, “So Far Away”, “Take Good Care of My Baby”, “Up on the Roof”, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, and “Natural Woman”, this Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning musical phenomenon is filled with the songs you remember and a story you’ll never forget.

Please come prepared with 32 bars of an upbeat or belt pop song from a Broadway show or the suggested songs as listed in the Character Breakdown. An accompanist will be provided. Please also be prepared to dance with appropriate footwear and clothing that allows for movement. All roles are open.

Sign-up for an audition spot

If you’re unable to audition in-person, please submit video of your vocal audition in an .mp4 or .mov format to Production Manager, mconklin@summergarden.com by Fri., November 7.

Callbacks are scheduled for Sat., November 15 from 12-4pm. If you are invited for a callback and not available on the 15th, please let the production team know so that we can make alternate arrangements.

  • Location: Anne Arundel Community College, Cade 122 (West Campus)

Rehearsals will start in April 2026

Character Breakdown

  • Carole King (Female, lead, 16 to mid-30s, strong singer/actor, Eb3-Eb5)
    An aspiring teenaged pop songwriter who becomes the quintessential singer/songwriter and undisputed pop star in her own right. Carole starts out as an appealing, funny, and vulnerable girl from a Jewish family in Brooklyn who, against all odds makes a splash as a musical prodigy, at the age of 16, writing chart topping songs, many of which are responsible for the first of the successful R&B acts to cross over to the top of the pop charts. Her success is as much due to her undisputed talent as it is to her good-natured, unassuming charm and her ability to be the peacemaker in difficult situations. A reluctant star with no pretense and a passion for music who became the voice of a generation of young women. Songs to Know: “Natural Woman”, “It’s Too Late”.
  • Gerry Goffin (Male, lead, 18 to late 30s, strong pop tenor and very strong actor, D3-A4)
    Carole’s boyfriend, songwriting partner and eventual husband. Gerry is exceptionally charming and innately sympathetic, wounded and tortured. An ambitious artist always striving for more who produced a lifetime of chart-topping hits. Gerry has many powerful scenes that give insight to the at-the-time mental illness which plagued him his whole life. Songs to Know: “Up on the Roof”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday”.
  • Barry Mann (Male, lead, early 20s-40ish, pop tenor C3-A4)
    A fellow composer at 1650 who becomes good friends with Gerry and Carole and romantically involved with his lyricist Cynthia Weil. He is good natured, appealing, competitive, ambitions, and very neurotic, but genuinely likeable. Songs to Know: “Walkin’ in the Rain”, “We Gotta Get Outa This Place”.
  • Cynthia Weil (Female, lead, 20-late 30s. belt pop alto, G3-E5)
    A new lyricist who quickly becomes Carole’s best friend and eventually Barry’s romantical interest. She is sophisticated, smart & chic with a quick wit, as contemporary as Carole is old-fashioned, yet their mutual admiration of each other’s talents cements their friendship. Self-confident and sarcastic, she is also extremely likeable. Songs to Know: “The Boy I Love”, “Walkin’ in the Rain”
  • Don Kirschner (Male, supporting, 40 to 60, character tenor and strong comedic actor, A2-C#4)
    Along with contemporaries Phil Spector and Lou Adler, one of the most influential music publisher and producer of the era. He is a fast talking, energetic force of nature. Powerful, direct & sometimes intimidating, but he has a real affinity for his writers and artists. A bona fide hit maker, he knows pop music. Song to Know: “You’ve Got a Friend”*Note: Don Kirschner is a unique figure and there are many videos of the real man behind the music on YouTube and such. Know him and his unmistakable vocal inflections and syntax to his speech
  • Genie Klein (Female, supporting, early 40s-early 60s, strong comedic actor)
    Carole’s Jewish mother. Once an aspiring playwright, she has been broken down by life & her husband’s infidelity. Protective of Carole and unforgiving of her husband’s mistakes, she’s a strong guiding force and reliable shoulder for Carole when she encounters life’s difficulties.

Ensemble

Various performers of all ethnicities, ages, and body types, good singers and movers who play a variety of characters –contemporaries on the musical scene, friends, musicians at various recording studios and clubs, fellow songwriters and singers at 1650 Broadway—some also recreate pop music icons of the day performing the hits of Goffin, King, Weil, & Mann. These characters include the following (**Study their music and performance styles if you wish to audition for a particular artist; they’re all over YouTube):

  • The Shirelles: (Four African American Females, featured, 20-30-ish, G3-D5, strong pop belt altos who can hold a solo harmony line and are good movers in that elegant, enchanting girl-group manor) They also play additional roles including:
    • Janelle Woods (African American Female, featured, 20-39, strong pop belt alto, G#3-D5).
      Based on pop singer Jeannie Reavis of The Cookies, she is a beautiful, elegant, and exceptionally talented vocalist whose undisputed star quality catches Gerry’s discerning ear and wandering eye. Selecting her to debut their latest hit, he breaks the news to Carole that he also wants to proceed in having an affair with his new muse. Janelle delivers the Act One Showstopper, “One Fine Day”. Also plays a Shirelle. Song to Know: “One Fine Day”
    • Shirley Owens (African American Female, featured, 20-39, strong pop belt altoG3-Db5)
      The lead singer and spokesperson of the Shirelles, she is strong and confident about her group’s sound and style and is very vocal in transforming material to fit that image. Song to Know: “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”
    • Little Eva (African American Female, featured, 18-25, strong pop belt alto, Bb3-E5).
      The Goffins’ teenaged babysitter who ends up being the prodigy who sings their attempt at the dance song craze. Strong singer who is talented beyond her years. Also plays a Shirelle. Song to Know: “The Locomotion”
    • “Uptown” Soloist (African American Female, featured, 20-39, strong belt alto, B3-Db5)
      A local New York artist in the smokey basement club scene, performs. Also, the fourth Shirelle. Song to Know: “Uptown”
  • The Drifters (Four African American Males, featured, 20-35, strong singers, good movers comprised of strong pop tenors and a strong bass, B2-Bb5/C5) Four strong singers who can carry their own line of four-part harmony as well as good movers who can execute guy group choreography of the day—think The Temptations and the Four Tops Song to Know: “On Broadway”
  • The Righteous Brothers (Song to Know: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”):
    • Bill Medley (Male, cameo 20-39, strong pop baritone/bass, F2-G4)
    • Bobby Hatfield (Male, cameo, 20-39, strong pop tenor, F3-G5)
  • Marilyn Wald (Female, cameo, 20-30, strong pop belt alto, G#-C5)
    Another artist and mistress of Gerry’s, based on singer Marilyn Powell, the first woman to record a Beatles cover at the age of 15. Song to know: “Pleasant Valley Sunday”
  • Neil Sedaka (Male, cameo, 20-35, strong pop tenor, A#3-G#4)
    Contemporary singer-songwriter of the day, who happened to have once dated Carole in high school—and wrote a song about it.
  • Bobby Vee (Male, cameo, 20-35, strong pop tenor, C3-C4) – One of the best-selling teen idols of the day
  • Nick (Male, ensemble) – A club musician who admires the talent of and has a romantic interest in separated Carole.
  • Lou Adler (Male, ensemble, 40-55) – The legendary LA music executive producer who produced Carole’s classic Grammy winning album Tapestries.
  • Lucille (Female, ensemble, any age) – Don Kirshner’s secretary
  • Betty (Female, ensemble, 18-25) – Carole’s childhood friend.

All roles are unpaid and non-equity. ASGT is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Actors of all sizes, body types, races, ethnicities, gender identities, abilities, and experience levels are encouraged to audition. No roles are precast, all roles are available.

Age ranges are not literal, but what actors can convincingly play on stage (per ASGT policies, you must be 18 by opening night, July 2, 2026 to audition)

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (July 2 – July 25, 2026)

Director: Mark Briner
Music Director: Kate Piazza
Choreographer: Becca Vourvoulas

Production Manager: Mandy Conklin
Stage Manager: Gemma Gamberdell