Henryetta’s Makayla Baxter to perform in award-winning musical

A sensational Broadway musical opens tonight in Tulsa, celebrating the iconic American singer-songwriter Carole King.

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” takes the stage at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Williams Theatre, and continues through Oct. 1.

The lead role is being played by a native county resident, Makayla Baxter, who is a 2018 graduate of Henryetta High School. Zachary Thomas, also a Henryetta graduate, is part of the cast.

With a career spanning six decades, King’s impact on music is immeasurable. Known for her authentic and emotionally resonant songs, King’s music continues to influence artists across genres.

King’s journey began as a prolific songwriter in the 1960s, co-writing classics like “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “The Loco-Motion.” Her 1971 album “Tapestry” catapulted her to legendary status, featuring hits like “You’ve Got a Friend” and “It’s Too Late.”

Did you know: “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” a 1967 song by American soul singer Aretha Franklin released as a single by the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was composed by Carole King.

For Makayla Baxter, King’s music was a part of her childhood.

“I heard a lot of Carole King growing up,” Baxter said, “so that era of music, and that genre has always been really special to me.”

Baxter is excited to be back in her home state, and being onstage at the Tulsa PAC, performing in the leading role.

“I trained in musical theater and opera,” Baxter said, “so singing that kind of music was never something I really thought that my voice would be built for. And it’s not something I even started exploring until like a couple years ago, probably during the pandemic ... I never would have thought that I’d be singing this type of music in general. But, I’m so happy that I am because it’s kind of unlocked a whole new passion for me ... aside from musical theater and opera and classical music types of work with my voice, it’s kind of a whole other avenue that I can explore now. It’s really exciting.”

Born in Henryetta, Baxter says per- forming arts was a love she found early on. In high school, she and a group of friends wanted to bring that option to fellow students.

“Henryetta, the high school I went to, didn’t have any kind of theater classes at the time,” Baxter said. “So my friends and I, we knew we wanted something to do. We liked performing. We like listening to Broadway stuff. That’s kind of all we knew at the time ... if we were to have this, people would gravitate towards it.

“I really feel like the kids in our class at our school would really benefit from that because at the time, if you didn’t do sports or band, you didn’t really have anything to do. And we started it ourselves and we funded it ourselves. And we ended up being able to raise money to hire in a director from New York. And that’s how that department started. So now it’s a full blown department,” she said.

The Henryetta Drama department is led by Justin Been, who leads an outstanding group of young men and women. They had an opportunity earlier this year to travel to New York City and immerse themselves in the theater experience, with the assistance of HHS alumni Liz Bealko.

Once graduation came in 2018, Baxter knew exactly what she wanted to do.

“I ended up applying and auditioning for some colleges for their musical theater programs and I got accepted into what was actually my dream school, Oklahoma City University,” she said. “I got a Bachelors of Music and Musical Theater from OCU in 2022, and then I stayed an extra year and got a Masters of Arts in nonprofit leadership in Arts Administration there. I did that for a year and then I just graduated with my Masters.”

Completing her studies, Baxter realized she had a little more time available. In an effort to keep her skills sharp and to utilize her expertise, Baxter says she began looking for performance opportunities.

“I’ve been trying to find more short term things that wouldn’t take me out of the state and I heard that theater Tulsa was doing auditions for ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ ... and I was not going to audition,” she said. “I thought that it was kind of scary and a little out of my league. Then my grandmother, who was a huge Carole King fan, convinced me to go for it and I did. And now I’m playing Carole King, so shout out to her.

“A big thing that I’ve had to do with the show, I have to embody her. So I have to try and sound as close to her as I possibly can. I did not know that I was capable of doing that, singing with her inflections and everything. And I didn’t anticipate how huge of a challenge that was going to be either, because her voice is so distinct and her style is so unique to her. So I was really surprised at my ability to be able to, as best as I can, to not impersonate, I’m still adding my own spin to it, but be able to kind of go down that road into her stylistic choices. That was something I never thought that I’d be able to do.”

With plans to move to New York to further her performing arts career in the near future, Baxter has plans to bring her knowledge and experiences full circle.

“I’m definitely going to be doing the ‘quote unquote’, theater actor hustle, you know, just auditioning for as many things as I possibly can,” Baxter said. “I would love to make nonprofit work my survival job because to me, it’s not just survival. It’s a genuine passion that I have. And I would love to work specifically in nonprofit arts type work in New York while auditioning ... my biggest passion when it comes to nonprofit work is providing opportunities to rural communities that don’t really have those opportunities yet, I want to establish something new.”

Make plans to see MaKayla Baxter and her cast mates portray the singing and writing collaborations of the musical icon known as Carol King, starting tonight at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and matinee shows on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Zachary Thomas will play the part of Guy/Ensemble in the production.

- “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” tells the journey of Carole King, from her humble beginnings as a Brooklyn girl to her rise as a chart-topping recording artist. The musical follows King’s evolution from a young songwriter crafting hits for other artists to becoming a music sensation in her own right.

Originally premiering on Broadway in 2014, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” quickly became a beloved and critically acclaimed production. The musical received numerous accolades, including two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and Best Sound Design, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Theatre Tulsa’s production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical promises to deliver the show’s heartfelt storytelling, unforgettable performances, and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack of numerous lives.

For questions or more information about Theatre Tulsa and its upcoming shows and programs, visit theatretulsa. org, call 918-587-8402 or email info@theatretulsa. org.