"Bayla Whitten is a remarkable talent, with one of the best voices in Washington, D.C." said Matthew Gardiner, associate artistic director, Signature Theatre. "She has graced Signature’s stage several times since she played Beth in our production of "Merrily We Roll Along" in 2007, and is a very important part of the Signature family."
Where and When
"Some Kind of Wonderful: Bayla Whitten sings Carole King" at the JCCNV, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Performances: Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m, Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. & 5 p.m.. Tickets: $19-$29. Call: 703-537-3000 or visit www.jccnvarts.org
Now local audiences will be able to get pleasure from Helen Hayes Award nominee Whitten's musical talents when she performs "Some Kind of Wonderful: Bayla Whitten Sings Carole King" at the JCCNV right off of Little River Turnpike. Whitten (Merrifield) is a Fairfax County native and graduate of Annandale High School
Many will know Carole King as a multi-Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter. Her first song-writer hit was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." Then came her singer-songwriter debut album, "Tapestry", on the charts for several years. King is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Currently on Broadway is a musical about King, called "Beautiful." Whitten saw it and was smitten. "A lot of Carole King songs are about love, but her lyrics in ‘Beautiful’ really speak to me - ‘You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart. Then people gonna treat you better. You're gonna find, yes you will, that you're beautiful as you feel.’ That last line especially rings true to me."
"I hope to surprise audiences with Carole King's songbook. I think they will be amazed, just as I was when I saw ‘Beautiful’ in NYC. She has written songs for so many decades, both for herself and other artists. It's truly extraordinary," added Whitten.
Joining Whitten will be talents including pianist Gabe Mangiante and vocalist Emily Levey. Tapping your foot is allowed as Whitten goes through a score expected to include King hits such as "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," " One Fine Day," " I Feel the Earth Move" and more.
Need more reasons to see Whitten? Carolyn Griffen, artistic director of MetroStage said this, “Bayla was an exquisite member of our acclaimed ‘Jacques Brel’ cast, receiving a nomination for Outstanding Ensemble from the Helen Hayes Awards. She is so talented and was a delight to work with. Bayla and Carole King songs-what a perfect match."