Breanna Lemerise on the Enduring Power of Carole King's Music in "Beautiful"

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An inspiring musical about the life and music of Carole King

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Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of Carole King ’s early life and career, highlighting her beginnings as a teen song-writer, her professional and personal relationship with Gerry Goffin , and her career as a solo performer. This jukebox musical by Douglas McGrath , featuring the music of Carole King , Gerry Goffin , Barry Mann , and Cynthia Weil , premiered in 2013 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco and opened on Broadway in 2014. Breanna Lemerise takes on the role of Carole King in this inspiring and beautiful musical at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre September 30th through November 7th.

BWW: Tell us a little about yourself.

Lemerise : My name is Breanna Lemerise, and I’m a non-union actor, musician, and educator based in New York City! Born and raised in Southern Maryland, my love for music took root early on–I started playing piano at six years old, and music has been a constant in my life since (more on that later!). I graduated from Rider University with a BFA in Musical Theater in 2025, and since, I’ve had the pleasure of working contracts all over the country. I love to create work that speaks to and inspires people. Beyond performing, I’m also passionate about music education. I began teaching private music lessons at 16 and have worked a myriad of music-education positions that fulfill me just as much as performing.

BWW: Did you always want to be on stage? If not, what did you want to be when you were a kid? If yes, what drew you to performing?

Lemerise : I didn’t know it at the time, but I think subconsciously, the dream was always there. I’m not sure what exactly drew me towards performing, but my parents have countless stories of me being a sassy little kid and putting on mini-concerts in the basement with my friends. I’m sure I was such an obnoxious child to raise because I never shut up! Still to this day, my parents always make jokes about how much noisier the house is when I come to visit. I am so incredibly lucky to have the parents that I do – they have always encouraged me to follow every single one of my dreams, no matter how far away they may seem.

BWW: What is your favorite role to date and why is it your favorite?

Lemerise : I’m incredibly fortunate because this is my second time getting to play Carole King in Beautiful ! I was able to do it for the first time at Clear Space Theater Company in the summer of 2025, and, since then, it has not only been my favorite role, but one I would return to time and time again if given the chance. There is just something so beautiful (haha!) about the way her story is written. I’ve learned so much about what it truly means to be an artist from doing the show—she is the epitome of one and the ultimate role model for me.

BWW: What is one role you would love to perform but haven’t had the opportunity yet?

Lemerise : I’m not unique in this desire, as there are plenty of other women out there who share my thoughts, but I would absolutely LOVE to play Jenna in Waitress . Sara Bareilles is another singer-songwriter whose music and passion I greatly admire and respect. Not only is the music in Waitress just gorgeous, but Jenna’s story is so incredibly important. No matter how hard life may get, or how trapped you may feel at times, it is never too late to reclaim your life and rewrite your story.

BWW: Carole King and her music are iconic—tell us about how you prepared to play this role and any challenges that you experienced with portraying a real person.

Lemerise : Something that has helped me connect to Carole and this production is the fact that I play piano. I started piano lessons when I was 6. Since then, piano, and music in general, has been a major part of my life. Because I get to play all of Carole’s songs live during this production of Beautiful , that has been a pivotal part of how I approach playing her.

Her style of playing, overall groove, and musicianship are all incredibly specific, and are things that make her music what it is. I’ve done a lot of work studying her composition style, understanding how each song is supposed to groove, and adjusting my personal style of playing to match what she does. She is so incredibly smart because she knows how to create a song by giving every instrument line its chance to shine. She is a master at creating space at the right time, letting the excitement of elegantly simple chords work hand in hand with the voice to create her iconic sound. Personally, I play with a lot of gusto and power. There are plenty of moments where I’ve had to pull back both of those things to allow for the space and ease that she is so perfect at.

Along with all of the piano and music, I’ve read her memoir, A Natural Woman , and done my best to make her as real and authentic as possible. She experiences a range of ages throughout this story, spanning from 16 to 29 years old. Being 24 now, I think I’m the perfect age to recall moments from my own teenage years that can help fuel and inform the scenes in the show, and yet I can still envision the maturity and confidence needed for the scenes when she’s older and comes into herself. I now have a lot more life experience since the first time I played Carole, and I’m sure I’ll have even more by the next time I play her. I can’t wait to see how that continues to inform me as an actor.

BWW: What is your favorite song in the show and why is it your favorite?

Lemerise : Besides “Natural Woman” (how can you NOT love that song??), my favorite song to sing is “Beautiful,” the title song and finale. There is just something so cathartic and inspirational about sitting at the piano and playing that song after getting to tell this wonderful woman’s story. There are so many ups and downs for her, but at the end of the day, she still chooses to encourage people to “put a smile on your face, and show the world all the love in your heart.” She radiates such love and kindness as a human being, and that song is my chance to connect with and inspire the audience in that regard.

BWW: What do you think audiences will enjoy most about this production at Dutch Apple?

Lemerise : This incredible cast, of course! Since day one of rehearsals, I have been utterly in awe of every single person in this cast. Not only is everyone perfect for their roles, but the energy that our amazing director Amy Marie McCleary and associate director Joshua William Green bring into the room keeps us all excited to work and create art together. Amy is an absolute directorial genius, and I’m so grateful for both her and Joshua’s trust and wisdom throughout this process. We blocked the entire show over the span of seven days, and we could not have done it without their expertise and encouragement. On top of that, I fell in love with Bridget Carrow , our Cynthia Weil , because she is an absolute ray of sunshine on and off stage; acting with her is effortless. Cameron Nies, our Barry Mann , who also plays piano and guitar live on stage, brings such lovable humor and playfulness to every scene he’s in, and watching Austin Wicke , our Gerry Goffin , work is a masterclass in authenticity, specificity, and character development. I could go on and on about every single person in this company because they are all just that wonderful. Once the audience sees that, I know they will fall in love as fast as I did.

BWW: What do you think is one thing that audiences will learn about Carole King from the musical that they may not have known before?

Lemerise : So many people don’t realize the sheer number of songs in her discography. She had so many hits that were sung by other artists. I won’t list any and spoil the show, but I think audiences will have a blast learning what songs she wrote in her early life, as well as the hits that Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil , her close friends and fellow writers, wrote at that time.

BWW: What else would you like our readers to know about this production?

Lemerise : Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a show you don’t want to miss! Not only will you get to hear songs that you know and love, but you’ll get to witness a story about love, artistry, and the power of finding your unique voice and sticking with it. Being a dinner theater, when seeing Beautiful at Dutch Apple, you’ll get to witness some beautiful story-telling, AND have a delicious dinner! What could be better? We open September 30th and run through November 7th in Lancaster, PA. If you’re in Florida, or want to take a trip to Fort Myers, we run at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall January 5th-10th!

Visit dutchapple.com for your tickets to Beautiful: The Carole King Musical .

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Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/central-pa/article/Interview-Breanna-Lemerise-of-BEAUTIFUL-THE-CAROLE-KING-MUSICAL-at-Dutch-Apple-Dinner-Theatre-20260926)._