A Special Note to our Friends in Grand Bend and Area

Hi Friends

Looking ahead to the summer 2017 –

I am really excited about this show coming to Toronto:   “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”.

I saw it in April 2015 on Broadway and I really enjoyed it.  The star is Canadian Chilina Kennedy, playing Carol King.  Chilina is a brilliant musical theatre performer:  You may have seen her in the lead role of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific at Huron Country Playhouse in 2014.  Prior to that she was in many Stratford Festival productions:  Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar (which went on to Broadway) and The Grapes of Wrath in 2011; Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate and Evita in Evita in 2010; Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Maria in West Side Story in 2009.

Chilina has had the lead role as Carole King in Beautiful on Broadway, but when the touring company of Beautiful comes to Toronto this summer, she has asked to join that cast!  So we have the opportunity of seeing her here at home!

So following on the success of our bus trips to Kinky Boots and Come From Away, I am organizing a trip to see Beautiful, with Robin Hood Tours and Maxey Travel in Goderich.  I am sure you will love it.  It’s an excellent production that won two Tony awards.

Carole King starts out as a young songwriter, and you will recognize and love all the hits she writes for other stars in the early 1960s. It tells about her marriage to Gerry Goffin at a very young age, and later their break-up and his struggle with mental illness.  Then it goes on with Carol coming into her own as a singer/songwriter.  You will recognize all her hits.  There are songs she wrote for others and songs she herself made famous, such as:
“It Might as Well Rain Until September”
“Some Kind of Wonderful”
“Take Good Care of My Baby”
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (Tonight you’re mine completely)
“The Locomotion”
“Pleasant Valley Sunday”
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
“I Feel the Earth Move under my feet”

Chilina Kennedy channels Carole King perfectly, accompanying herself on the piano.

Recently, Carole King celebrated her 75^th birthday — so CBC Radio Q interviewed Chilina Kennedy about playing Carol on stage – click here for some interesting video clips, including Chilina in the role and the real Carol, as well as others singing Carol’s songs.

Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 2:00 p.m.

Cost: $125  (includes bus & ticket at the Ed Mirvish Theatre)

Coach Bus (45 seats) leaving Grand Bend at 8:30 a.m., returning approximately 9:00 p.m.

Lunch and dinner at your expense – I can make a reservation for everyone to have lunch together.   

To reserve your spot, call Robin Hood Tours at 1-800-265-8980 and speak to Margo – tell her you are with Mary’s Gang.  (If Margo is not available, anyone in the office can help you.)  They will ask for a deposit to hold the spot, with the remainder due closer to the date.

Please forward this information to your friends who may be interested – the more the merrier!

Please contact me by leaving a message below and let me know you’ve booked it so I can keep track of seats available and plan my promotion accordingly.  I just organize these trips for the fun of it (I don’t get paid anything!) because I want to share the shows I enjoy.  Victor & I are looking forward to Beautiful.  This is a good one!

Mary