Joan Marcus(NEW YORK) — Supergirl star Melissa Benoist is making her Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, playing Carole King, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer behind hits like “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” While she’s done musical theater in the past and sang every week as one of the stars of Glee, Benoist didn’t expect to be on Broadway at this point in her career.
“It sort of just fell together,” she tells ABC Radio. “I had a break from Supergirl and I wasn’t planning on doing anything…I kinda wanted to relax…and this came about. I had always been a big fan of Carole, so it sorta just felt like I wouldn’t forgive myself if I hadn’t take the opportunity.”
Though just 29, Benoist is a fan of King’s music. “It was played around my house,” she says. “Both my parents were fans…it always reminds me of my mom. And the emotion, too, is something I’ve always connected to.”
Benoist continues: “What I think is the most surprising about [King] is this sort of duality she holds. She is a ‘square,’ and very reserved, and not your typical rock and roll writer…[but] she has this inner strength and confidence — she can command a room of 20 musicians, and she did it when she was 16!”
Melissa also hopes her Broadway stint will inspire Supergirl fans.
“So far, I’ve seen a few little girls in Supergirl capes [at the show] and it’s really nice, because theater was so important to me growing up,” she says. “I hope if there are some Supergirl fans who haven’t seen live theater or Broadway, maybe they[‘ll] fall in love with it now.”
Benoist will star in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical through August 4.
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