>> Tati: WELL, YOU KNOW THE
SONGS SHE’S WRITTEN LIKE "WILL
YOU LOVE TOMORROW," "UP ON THE
ROOF" AND "AND NATURAL WOMAN."
AND YOU ALSO KNOW SONG SHE’S
RECORDED LIKE "IT’S TOO LATE,"
"YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND" AND "I
FEEL THE EARTH MOVE."
NOW YOU CAN SEE THE STORY OF
CAROLE KING BROUGHT TO LIFE AT
THE FISHER THEATER THROUGH
SUNDAY.
JOINING US NOW ARE SARAH SHEPARD
AND JAMES B. GISH WHO PLAY
CAROLE KING AND JERRY GOFFIN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US AND
WELCOME TO DETROIT.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> Tati: NOW, I DID SEE THIS
AT THE FISHER THEATER SOME YEARS
BACK AND IT WAS AMAZING, BUT FOR
THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, THE STORY
IS PRETTY PHENOMENAL, BECAUSE SO
MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT KING
IS THE WOMAN BEHIND SO MANY
FAMOUS SONGS.
WHAT WERE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN
ABOUT HER PLAYING HER IN THE
MUSICAL?
>> WELL, I WAS A PART OF THE
ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST SINCE
2023, AND WHEN WE WERE PUTTING
THE SHOW TOGETHER, I HAD NO IDEA
THAT SHE HAD WRITTEN HALF OF THE
THINGS THAT WE WERE PUTTING IN
THE SHOW IN ACT ONE, SO THINGS
LIKE THE LOCOMOTION, UP ON THE
ROOF, SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL,
ALL OF THESE SONGS THAT I HAVE
HEARD RECORDINGS OF BUT NEVER
KNEW THAT SHE WROTE.
SO THAT WAS SUCH A TREAT.
AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO TELL HER
STORY FROM WHEN SHE IS 16 TO
WHEN TAPESTRY COMES OUT IS TRULY
SUCH AN HONOR.
>> Tati: SHE REALLY DOES HAVE
A FASCINATING LIFE STORY.
NOW, JERRY, I’LL SWITCH OVER TO
YOU.
GIVE US A SYNOPSIS OF WHAT FANS
WILL SEE ON STAGE.
>> OH, AWESOME.
I MEAN, I THINK ONE OF THE
AWESOME THINGS ABOUT THIS SHOW
IS EVERYONE EITHER COMES ALREADY
BEING A CAROLE KING FAN OR THEY
LEAVE NOT KNOWING THAT THEY
WERE.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE SHOW,
LIKE YOU SAID, IT FEATURES SO
MUCH GREAT MUSIC AND LIKE SHIP
WAS SAYING, WE FOLLOW CAROLE
FROM WHEN SHE’S 16 YEARS TOLD
WHEN SHE HAS HER FIRST OPENING
NIGHT DOING HER ONE-WOMAN SHOW
AT CARNEGIE HALL.
WE HAVE A FULL BAND, A FULL SET,
A FULL ENSEMBLE OF PEOPLE WHO
ALL PLAY VARIOUS CHARACTERS WHO
REPRESENT PEOPLE WHO WERE, YOU
KNOW, ACTUALLY IN CAROLE’S LIFE,
SO LOTS OF FAMOUS PRODUCERS AND
PEOPLE IN THE SHOW.
AND IT IS JUST A GREAT TIME.
IT’S GREAT TO PLAY JERRY AND
IT’S GETTING TO ELVIS.
SO IT BRICKS ME SO MUCH JOY.
THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE NEED THESE
DAYS
>> Tati: DEFINITELY.
SARAH, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, IS
THERE ADDED PRESSURE PLAYING
SOMEONE WHO CAN COME SEE YOU
PORTRAY HER LIVE ON STAGE?
>> I MEAN, YES, DEFINITELY.
THERE IS -- YES.
THERE’S PRESSURE.
I FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO
HER JUSTICE.
BUT I ALWAYS SAY, THERE WAS THIS
SORT OF AMAZING FREEDOM WITH ANY
WOMAN THAT STEPPED INTO THIS
ROLE.
THERE WAS NEVER THIS PRESSURE TO
REALLY LIKE SOUND LIKE HER.
WE DIDN’T HAVE TO IMITATE HER.
WE JUST TRIED TO INCORPORATE HER
MUSICAL PHRASING AND STYLING.
SO THAT SORT OF ALLOWS ME TO
HAVE A SENSE OF FREEDOM WITHIN
THE STRUCTURE OF WHO CAROL
CAROLE IS, THEN I TRY TO BRING
MY MOST AUTHENTIC SELF-TO THE
ROLE BECAUSE I THINK THAT’S HOW
CAROLE SORT OF WALKED THROUGH
LIFE.
AND THIS IS HOW SHE EXPRESSES
HERSELF IN MUSIC.
SHE’S JUST THIS DOWN-TO-EARTH,
OPEN HUMAN BEING.
SO I THINK THAT’S THE BEST WAY I
COULD SORT OF DO HER JUSTICE.
>> Tati: THIS QUESTION IS FOR
BOTH OF YOU.
HAVE YOU BEEN THE DETROIT
BEFORE, AND WHAT DO YOU ENJOY
ABOUT VISITING ALL THE CITIES
YOU TOP IN ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
>> I WILL SAY, I’M ACTUALLY FROM
TOLEDO, OHIO, SO I HAVE BEEN TO
DETROIT MANY TIMES.
I FLY INTO DETROIT WHENEVER I
COME HOME.
SO I’M ACTUALLY SO STOKED TO BE
HERE.
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE STOPS
ON THIS TOUR FOR US.
LIKE MY FAMILY CAME UP LAST
NIGHT, SO THAT WAS AMAZING.
AND THEN, YEAH, IN TERMS OF ALL
OF THE CITIES, IT’S JUST FOR ME
IT’S HONESTLY THE FOOD.
LIKE I WOULD LOVE TO EAT MY WAY
THROUGH ALL OF THE CITIES THAT
WE GET TO STOP IN.
BECAUSE IT’S LIKE SUCH A TREAT.
>> Tati: HOW ABOUT YOU, JAMES?
>> I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO DETROIT.
IT’S SO COLD HERE.
>> IT’S VERY COLD.
>> I’M FROM THE DESERT, AND
PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, MAN, WAIT
UNTIL WE GET THE DETROIT.
I CAN FEEL THE COLD.
I HAVE BEEN THE NEW YORK CITY.
IT’S NOT THE SAME THING.
THERE’S ALSO LIKE WIND.
IT’S LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, IT’S
NUTS.
BUT NO, DETROIT IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND I WOULD SAY MY FAVORITE PART
ABOUT LIKE TRAVELING FROM CITY
TO CITY, THE BEST PART OF THE
TOUR FOR ME IS THE FIRST TIME WE
STEP ON STAGE FOR THE SOUND
CHECK EVERY DAY, AND YOU SEE
THIS HUGE EMPTY THEATER KNOWING
THERE ARE ABOUT TO BE LIKE 2,000
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SITTING THERE.
THERE’S JUST LIKE, I DON’T KNOW,
IT’S LIKE HAVING THIS SECRET,
YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVEN’T GOT
ON THE SHARE WITH EVERYBODY YET.
THERE IS AN ENERGY THERE, AND
IT’S A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
THAT IS REALLY COOL.
THEY GET TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SO
FREQUENTLY.
>> Tati: I RECOMMEND ANYONE
WHO HASN’T SEEN BEAUTIFUL TO GO
AND SEE IT.
IT’S AN AWESOME, AWESOME SHOW.
SARAH AND JAMES, THANKS FOR
BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Tati: BEAUTIFUL IS AT THE
FISHER THEATER THROUGH SUNDAY.
JAMES AND SARAH WILL BOTH BE