DECEMBER 30 • 2021 | 49

up in the Bronx,
” said Blake
who, at age 80, is one year older
than King. “The entire world
of Beautiful — The Carole King
Musical is all about Jewish kids
growing up and making their
careers in New York City. It’s a
Jewish success story.
”
And successful it is. The
Tony and Grammy Award-
winning Beautiful — The
Carole King Musical was the
27th longest-running musical
in Broadway history when it
closed after nearly six years in
October 2019 just before the
pandemic.
The touring production was
originally scheduled to play at
the Fisher Theatre in May 2020
and was rescheduled to Jan.
4-9, 2022. It resumed touring
last month in Chicago. Blake
said that he’s in talks to bring
the show back to Broadway as
well as make a film adaptation
with Sony Pictures and Tom
Hanks and Gary Goetzman as
co-producers.
“We are thrilled to be com-

ing back to Detroit,
” Blake said.
“This is a total Equity produc-
tion because we insist on the
highest standards and want to
give the audience the best show
that we can.
”
The Actors’ Equity
Association (AEA) is the per-
formers and stage managers
union that protects actors’
rights, provides fair pay, ben-
efits and work environments
including strict adherence to
safety and COVID protocols.
This North American tour
of Beautiful — The Carole
King Musical features many
of the cast members from the
Broadway production. Sara
Sheperd, who is Jewish, under-
studied the role of Carole King
on Broadway and takes on the
title character in this produc-
tion.
“Beautiful is filled with
music that you grew up with —
the soundtrack of your youth,
if you’re over 45,
” Blake said.
“The audience is going to have
a wonderful time.
”

JOAN MARCUS

continued from page 46

Details

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical runs Jan. 4-9,
2022, at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. Tickets start at
$39 (including facility and parking fees) and can be
purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone
at 800-982-2787 or in person at the Fisher Theatre
Box Office.

THEATER

Sara Sheperd as
Carole King

Highland Park from Detroit.
“I lived a half-mile from
there,” recalled the Prentis res-
ident of almost five years. “It’s
nice to look back.”

WORKING TOGETHER
Adams and Singer worked
together professionally for
about 15 years, a time after
the digital approach to draw-
ing cars took over the respon-
sibilities that Adams had long
enjoyed.
“I’m 81, and I wanted to
bring back my childhood
through these images,” Adams
said. “My parents didn’t have
a car when I was a kid, but
we went all over the city on
buses and streetcars. It was
fun bringing back the places
we saw.”
When Adams started work,
he defined Detroit as the art
center for advertising.
“I did brochures and
newspaper ads when it was
all flat art, but that died in
the early ’90s,” Adams said.
“That’s when I started going
to outdoor fairs, including
the Michigan State Fair and a
couple in Birmingham.
“I can’t do art fairs now
because it’s too hard. I loved
doing them from each May to

late September, meeting the
people almost every weekend.
I think I did well because peo-
ple like reminiscing.”
Adams’ favorite print shows
the Vernors’ plant, which was
by the waterfront. He recalls
stopping there to get a Boston
Cooler (ginger ale and vanilla
ice cream) when his family
was on the way to Boblo
Island Amusement Park.
“I put the cars of the times
in my pictures,” said Adams,
whose work also can be seen
in hospitals and Buddy’s
Pizza locales as his current
renderings focus on railroad
projects.
“I always loved trains, and
they have a lot of train shows,”
he said. “I work according to
the mood I’m in — from two
hours a day to all day.”
In November, Prentis
Apartments had a reception
honoring Adams and Singer.
“Everybody here seems
thrilled with the display, and I
hear a lot of stories from those
who used to go cruising down
Woodward,” Singer said. “
A
lot of the buildings that are
shown along Woodward are
gone, but the White Castle is
still there. I like being remind-
ed of those other buildings.”

Print of Downtown Detroit 1951.