Beautiful's Chilina Kennedy Announces Auction of Carole King's Piano

Chilina Kennedy, who stars as Carole King in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, joined with Christie’s to announce the sale of Carole King's piano, which will take place on April 20 at 11am at the Exceptional Sale.

King, a prolific and award-winning singer-songwriter, used the 1924 model 'M' Steinway piano to compose numerous hits, including "Sweet Seasons" and "Been to Canaan," and it is pictured on the cover of two of her best-selling albums from the 1970s: Music and Sweet Seasons. The piano is estimated at $40,000, and it will be on view to the public April 12-20 at Christie’s Rockefeller Galleries.

The piano once sat in the living room of King's home on Appian Way in Laurel Canyon, California — a house often filled with the musicians and friends like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Lou Adler, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill and Betsy and Peter Asher. In recent decades, the piano has graced the personal recording studio of King’s Idaho ranch.

Kennedy has played the role of Carole King for 1,000 performances on Broadway, on tour, and in the Toronto production. The musical follows the life and career of King as well as her former husband and songwriting partner Gerry Goffin, and composing team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. With a book by Douglas McGrath and direction by Marc Bruni, Beautiful officially opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on January 12, 2014.

Along with Kennedy, the Broadway cast currently stars Ben Jacoby as Barry Mann, Evan Todd as Gerry Goffin, Jessica Keenan Wynn as Cynthia Weil, and Paul Anthony Stewart as Don Kirshner.

For more information about the auction, click here.

For tickets to Beautiful, click here.