Rehearsals will begin on Monday, August 10th at 712 Ellis St until September 26th, then will move to The Imperial Theatre until the production concludes. Performance Dates: October 2nd, 2026 | October 3rd, 2026 | October 4th, 2026
Carole King (Female, lead, strong singer/actor, Eb3-Eb5)
An aspiring teenaged pop songwriter who becomes a quintessential singer/songwriter and undisputed pop star in her own right. Carole starts out as an appealing, funny, and vulnerable girl from Brooklyn who, against all odds, makes a splash as a musical prodigy. Her success is as much due to her undisputed talent as it is to her good-natured, unassuming charm. A reluctant star with no pretense and a passion for music who became the voice of a generation of young women.
Vocal Audition: So Far Away, Natural Woman, September, or Too Late
Gerry Goffin (Male, lead, 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.
Vocal Audition: Up On The Roof or Take Good Care of My Baby
Barry Mann (Male, lead, 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, ambitious, and very neurotic, but genuinely likeable.
Vocal Audition: Walkin In The Rain or We Gotta Get Outta This Place
Cynthia Weil (Female, lead, belt pop alto, G3-E5)
A new lyricist who quickly becomes Carole’s best friend and eventually Barry’s romantic 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.
Vocal Audition: Happy Days or He’s Sure The Boy I Love
Don Kirschner (Male, supporting, 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.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Genie Klein (Female, supporting, strong comedic actor)
Carole’s 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.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
The Shirelles: (Four African American Females, featured, 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, 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.
Vocal Audition: One Fine Day or The Locomotion
Shirley Owens (African American Female, featured, strong pop belt alto, G3-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.
Vocal Audition: One Fine Day or The Locomotion
Little Eva (African American Female, featured, 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.
Vocal Audition: One Fine Day or The Locomotion
“Uptown” Soloist (African American Female, featured, strong belt alto, B3-Db5)
A local New York artist in the smokey basement club scene, performs. Also, the fourth Shirelle.
Vocal Audition: One Fine Day or The Locomotion
Beverly (African American Female, strong pop belt alto, Bb3-E5)
Vocal Audition: One Fine Day or The Locomotion
The Drifters (Four African American Males, featured,, 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
Vocal Audition: Wonderful or On Broadway
The Righteous Brothers*
Bill Medley (Male, cameo, strong pop baritone/bass, F2-G4)
Vocal Audition: You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling
Bobby Hatfield (Male, cameo, strong pop tenor, F3-G5)
Vocal Audition: You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling
Marilyn Wald* (Female, cameo, 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.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Neil Sedaka* (Male, cameo,, 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.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Bobby Vee* (Male, cameo, strong pop tenor, C3-C4) – One of the best-selling teen idols of the day
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Nick* (Male, ensemble) – A club musician who admires the talent of and has a romantic interest in separated Carole.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Lou Adler* (Male, ensemble) – The legendary LA music executive producer who produced Carole’s classic Grammy winning album Tapestries.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Lucille* (Female, ensemble) – Don Kirshner’s secretary
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
Betty* (Female, ensemble) – Carole’s childhood friend.
Vocal Audition: Pleasant Valley Sunday
* Will likely be doubled with other ensemble roles
