Project Details

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical chronicles the extraordinary journey of a young Carole Klein, a teenage songwriter from Brooklyn, as she transforms into the legendary music icon Carole King. The play follows her relationships and the creation of her timeless hits, celebrating her resilience and talent in the competitive music industry.

The central challenge of the lighting design was to create a cohesive visual narrative for a show that constantly shifts in style and tone. My design embraced this complexity by developing three distinct lighting looks that were seamlessly woven together throughout the performance:

• Realistic Scenes: The lighting for these moments was subtle and source-specific, designed to anchor the audience in a believable environment. From the warm light of a songwriter’s office to the cool glow of their home at night, each scene was crafted to be a naturalistic backdrop for the intimate moments of dialogue and songwriting.
  
  
• Musical Theatre Moments: To punctuate the show's more dramatic numbers, the lighting shifted to a more dynamic and theatrical style. A bold color palette and focused specials highlighted the emotions of the characters, guiding the audience's focus and elevating the energy of the performance.
  
  
• Concert Style Moments: The show culminates in King's iconic concert at Carnegie Hall. For these high-energy sequences, the lighting became a character in itself, with a high-impact rock and roll design featuring dynamic chases, bold movement, and immersive light that pulled the audience directly into the excitement of the live performance.
  
  

By intentionally differentiating these three styles, the lighting design not only supported the story but also helped to define each stage of Carole King’s professional and personal evolution, from the quiet confidence of a songwriter to the powerful presence of a superstar.