Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Sunday Matinees)

Before Tapestry, before the Grammys, she was Carole Klein from Brooklyn with a demo and a lot of nerve.

Beautiful traces Carole King from teenage songwriter turning out hits for the biggest acts in music through to the moment she stepped out front and made the record that changed everything. The book is by the late Douglas McGrath, Oscar and Tony nominated, and the score is simply the catalogue: You've Got a Friend, One Fine Day, So Far Away, Take Good Care of My Baby, Up on the Roof, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Natural Woman. It won both a Tony and a Grammy, and it does the rare thing of having a story worth the songs.

Good to know. Rated PG and recommended for ages 8 and up. The two o'clock matinee is the easiest way to bring younger children, and it leaves the evening free.

Make a day of it. Downtown Ridgefield is a few minutes away for lunch beforehand.

Where to go. A.C.T. of CT at 36 Old Quarry Road.