She is one of the legendary songwriters of her genre, and there has finally been a musical put together involving the life of Carole King and her music. The musical is named after one of her iconic songs “Beautiful,” titled Beautiful: The Music Of Carole King.

The iconic Carole King surprised everyone by showing up at the Stephen Sondheim Theater in order to watch from the audience, and later get on stage for a performance of “You’ve Got A Friend.” She showed up for the curtain call performance on April 3rd, giving fans in the audience a huge surprise.

The Broadway musical opened to positive reviews, and great praise for leading lady Jessie Mueller, who portrays Carole King. The musical chronicles her rise to stardom and the recording of her most well-known album, “Tapestry.”

Speaking on her portrayal on the stage, she said “Jessie Mueller and company are fantastic, and it was so joyous to be there. I couldn’t be more proud.” She traded verses with Mueller for a special performance of her hit “You’ve Got A Friend,” a song that was also made famous by James Taylor.

Due to the personal, and sometimes painful nature of the material in the musical, King had previously stated that she would not attend the musical, but ended up showing up for a special night for the cast, and surely made their night.

Cynthia Weil, a longtime friend of Carole King’s, said that she supports her feelings on the musical and that “This show is very revealing and painful. There are moments she doesn’t want to live again.”

Following her appearance at Beautiful: The Music Of Carole King, she felt honored, and was also excited to be able to help the cast raise $30,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The show began previews on Nov. 21, 2013, prior to an official opening on Jan. 12 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Marc Bruni stages the production with choreography by Josh Prince, and musical direction by Jason Howland.

Carole King was honored as the Musicares Person Of The Year in January, and at this year’s Grammy Awards, she performed a duet with Sara Bareilles. She also published her memoir, “A Natural Woman,” in 2012, and has been praised as one of the best songwriters of her time. She has had several hit songs, and wrote many other songs that were made famous by others as well.

Image via Facebook