Gulfshore Playhouse Announces Cast & Creative Team for Beautiful
Published on April 14, 2026
NAPLES, FL – Kristen Coury, CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse is proud to announce the full cast, creative team, and live musicians for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, running April 26-May 31, 2026, on the Moran Mainstage at the Baker Theatre and Education Center. This Broadway hit tells the inspiring true story of Carole King - from teenage songwriter to chart-topping solo artist - featuring timeless songs including “I Feel the Earth Move,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “One Fine Day.”
A Vision Rooted in Story and Humanity
The Gulfshore Playhouse production will be directed by Matt Lenz, whose extensive Broadway and National Tour credits include Hairspray, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Sound of Music, and The Music Man (slated to run at Artis-Naples simultaneously as Beautiful). Lenz previously collaborated with Gulfshore Playhouse on the production of The Fox on the Fairway in 2012 and brings a sweeping yet intimate lens to this story of artistic courage and self-discovery.
“The stories we tell in the theatre matter - they have the power to heal, to change hearts and minds - and at their best they reflect our humanity,” said Lenz. “Through the shared experience of laughter, music and drama we understand one another better.”
Choreography will be by Gulfshore Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Dann Dunn, whose work on productions such as Sweet Charity, White Christmas, and other Moran Mainstage musicals has electrified audiences with period authenticity and dynamic Broadway style.
Music Direction will be by Lon Hoyt, a celebrated conductor and arranger whose Broadway and National Tour credits include Jersey Boys, Beautiful, and School of Rock. Hoyt leads a powerhouse live band, with John Conway serving as Assistant Music Director.
Featured Cast
Leading the cast of Beautiful is:
• Julia Bain (National Tour of Waitress) as Carole King, portraying the young songwriter whose talent and tenacity reshaped popular music. • Zachary Freier-Harrison (1st National Tour of Tina) as Gerry Goffin, King’s early collaborator and husband, whose partnership fueled many chart-topping hits. • Madison Claire Parks (Broadway National Tour of Wicked) as Cynthia Weil, the sharp-witted and stylish songwriter whose career ran parallel to King’s. • Oliver Prose (Broadway’s New York, New York) as Barry Mann, the energetic and brilliant composer who, alongside Cynthia Weil, formed one of the era’s most celebrated songwriting teams, penning iconic hits including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “On Broadway.”
Additional cast members portray legendary groups including The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Righteous Brothers, and more – bringing the unforgettable soundtrack of a generation to life.
Rounding out the Cast is Abe Goldfarb, Rachel Coloff, Gia Marino, Jack Mastrianni, Sean William Davis, Jacquez Linder-Long, Torrey Linder, Reggie Bromell, Jamonté D. Bruten, Tiffany Frances, Candace Haynes, Tiana Marie Williams, Sydney Archibald, Caiti Marlowe, Gavin Blonda, Jillian A. Smith, Daniel Jerome Hurt, and Kianna Kelly-Futch.
Live Musicians
Under Hoyt’s leadership, a live band drives the production’s unmistakable 1960s and ’70s sound. Featuring keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and reeds, the musicians are integral to the storytelling - transforming the Moran Mainstage into the Brill Building and Carnegie Hall.
A Broadway Experience in Naples
“We’re thrilled to share this inspiring story of artistry, grit, and heart,” said Gulfshore Playhouse Founder, CEO, and Producing Artistic Director, Kristen Coury. “From our director and choreographer’s creative vision to this exceptional cast and band, Beautiful promises a Broadway-level experience right here in Southwest Florida.”
With Broadway artists onstage, Beautiful continues the Gulfshore Playhouse commitment to producing fully professional musical theatre in Southwest Florida. The production celebrates resilience, friendship, and the courage to find your own voice.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs April 26-May 31, 2026. Tickets and additional information are available at GulfshorePlayhouse.org.
PHOTOS
Show art, cast headshots and photos can be found HERE.
ABOUT GULFSHORE PLAYHOUSE Gulfshore Playhouse is passionately committed to enriching the cultural landscape of our region by producing professional theatre to the highest artistic standards and providing unique educational opportunities to diverse groups of people in a spirit of service, adventure, and excitement. The work of Gulfshore Playhouse is inspired by a belief in the magic of theatre to expand the imagination, challenge the senses, provoke discussion, and revitalize in its audiences an understanding of our common humanity. This belief drives the care with which Gulfshore Playhouse treats its artists, audiences, students, staff, and members of the greater community.
Gulfshore Playhouse is now producing in the state-of-the-art Baker Theatre and Education Center. Located at the corner of Goodlette-Frank Road South and 1st Avenue South, the gateway to downtown Naples, the facility houses a 350-seat mainstage theatre and a 125-seat studio space, in addition to numerous events, rehearsal, and educational spaces. Naming opportunities are still available.
For more information about Gulfshore Playhouse or its new facility, or to make a contribution, visit www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call 239-261-PLAY.