On Today’s edition of INTERVUE, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical launches its DC run tonight at the National Theatre. For Chicago native, Sarah Bockel, to play the legendary singer-songwriter Carole King, it’s the role of a lifetime for not only she is performing King’s amazing hits but also showing us the story of this amazing woman for our Washingtonians to see.
I am glad that you have the role of Carole King. What do you like about playing her and have you met Carole in person?
I love playing a woman who finds her strength on her own. I can relate to Carole on many levels, but especially her journey to finding her inner strength and confidence.
I’ve met Carole three times when she came to see the show in Boston, Boise, and Costa Mesa! She even came on stage to sing “Earth Move” with us. She is so kind and generous with her time. She always makes sure anyone can get a selfie with her.
Is there anything that you would love to do in DC that you haven’t done in DC yet?
I can’t wait to go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I hear it is incredible.
If you had to pick your three favorite Carole King songs, what would they be?
- “It’s Too Late”
- “I Feel the Earth Move”
- “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
I’m clearly a “Tapestry” fan!
Tell us about working with this dynamic cast.
Our cast is amazing- traveling, working and living together we very quickly become like family. It’s so exciting to see everyone support each other every time an understudy, swing, or new cast member performs. You’re going to be blown away by our Drifters, Shirelles, and Righteous Brothers, among others.
What can fans who have never seen Beautiful — what can they expect of this production?
You can expect to know, if not all, MOST of the songs, even if you aren’t familiar with Carole King. I like to tell people to come for the music, but stay for her story. Her real-life story is tenacious and will inspire you!
Thank you Sarah and to you and the cast “Break a leg”! Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is playing at the National Theatre starting today and running through December 30th Tickets are available online at TheNationalDC.com, in person at the National Theatre box office (weekdays, noon to 6:00 PM), or by calling 800-514-3849.
About The Author
Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter
I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!
My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.
Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.
As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.
All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.
