Natural woman Carole King musical a tapestry of emotions By: Ben Waldman Posted: 5:53 PM CST Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 Last Modified: 7:55 PM CST Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 Updates

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It’s Carole King’s world, and Tess Benger has been living in it for the better part of a year.

The Toronto-born actor was chosen by the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Montreal’s Segal Centre from a national casting call to portray King — one of the most successful, influential and somehow still underrated singer-songwriters of all time — in a co-production of Beautiful, a musical based on the performer’s career and personal life.

After an extended run in Montreal in the fall, the show, directed by RMTC artistic director Kelly Thornton, arrives in Winnipeg Thursday.

Last week, Benger slipped out of rehearsals to chat with the Free Press about the challenges and rewards of playing a member of pop-music royalty, responsible for the Grammy-winning 1971 album Tapestry and dozens of hits performed by singers including Aretha Franklin, James Taylor and the Shirelles.

Free Press: You and the cast have been through this show before in Montreal. What’s different about the run in Winnipeg?

Tess Benger: That house (the Segal Centre) sat 300 people, so it was really intimate. And the first song Carole sings in this show takes place in Carnegie Hall. Yesterday we were checking it, and I know Carnegie Hall is bigger than MTC, but there’s this grandiose feeling of (performing here).

FP: You called this a hard show to perform in. What makes you say this one is particularly challenging?

TB: It’s a three-hour show and I barely leave the stage, and if I’m offstage, I’m running to quick changes. It’s also the fact that I’m carrying this emotional journey from when Carole was 16 through her early 30s, and she goes through a lot.

It’s a story of self-love, self-actualization and self-worth, and it’s so emotional to go there every day. I don’t want to give anything away, but her heart takes a real hit in this, and out of that comes Tapestry — so what a gift — but we have to do that every show.

FP: Carole’s career started when she was still high school-aged. When did you start working as an actor?

TB: My mom (Nicky Guadagni) is an actor, and I’ve been an actor my whole life, since before I can remember. I was professionally acting, doing film, TV and voiceover.

I wasn’t really doing musical theatre until I was 12, and then I did a play at Theatre Passe Muraille in downtown Toronto. But I hated how much school and sports I was missing. So at age 12, I quit acting and dramatically retired to pursue a career as a professional soccer player.

Then when it came time to pick where to go to school, I was like, damn. I do need to be an actor. So I went to Sheridan College in Oakville (Ontario).

FP: Did you have a pre-existing relationship with Carole King before taking on this role?

TB: My mom and I are obsessed with (the TV show) Gilmore Girls, so I knew Where You Lead (which acts as the theme song), and of course I knew the hits, but I remember Beautiful became really exciting for me when Canada’s Chilina Kennedy (performed) the role on Broadway. And then when I saw that production in Toronto, I started to learn about Carole. That’s part of the excitement of the show, saying, ‘She wrote that too?’ My mind was kind of blown.

FP: And then you were cast and you read King’s biography, Natural Woman.

TB: Reading her book is when the fire of total worship for that woman was ignited.

There’s a beautiful story in there. She had never really sung live and was James Taylor’s piano player on his tour. One night, he said, ‘You’re going to sing Up on the Roof — a song she wrote with Gerry Goffin. She was like, no, I’m not, but he insisted and made her sing solo.

There’s a scene in the play that emulates that moment, which I think reveals something about her personality. She didn’t crave the spotlight. In fact, she kind of squirmed away from it. But like any genius, it all happened to her.

FP: Did you ever have a songwriting phase?

TB: I definitely did when I was in college, and I really liked it at the time, but writing doesn’t really speak to me. It’s like directing. I’ve had people tell me I should look into that, but it’s just not my calling. There are so many people who are so good at writing, but it just doesn’t come naturally to me. I love talking.

How do you describe Carole King’s singing voice, and how did you approach her songs in this show?

TB: When I first got the part, I really didn’t want to oversing it. It’s so easy when doing a musical to sing like you’re “in a musical.” It can be a little melodramatic, and it can maybe come across at times as self-indulgent.

If you’re up there to show off, that’s just not Carole. I really wanted to honour Carole, because I am a singer singing these songs, and she was a songwriter singing these songs. I’m a soprano, she’s totally an alto, but she’s also a caution-to-the-wind kind of singer. Even if her voice is tired, she just throws her head back and goes. I think Carole sounds like a real person singing from her heart and her soul more than anything. There’s a timbre to her voice I love.

I think after Carole, I have a stronger relationship with a different shade of my voice.

FP: Did you ever consider inviting Carole to see the show?

TB: Someone mentioned to me that she lives closer to Winnipeg than Montreal. If she came, that would be a big trip.

FP: You have a chance to reach her here.

TB: Carole King, you are invited to come see the show. I’m sure I can get you a free ticket.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com