Carole King surprises Broadway cast of "Beautiful" to raise $30K for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

The legendary Carole King made her first visit to see "Beautiful" - the new Broadway show that tells the story of her amazing rise to stardom.

Back in December, it was reported in Playbill that King walked out of a rehearsal half-way through the reading. She told her daughter, 'Tell them it's great. I can tell it's great. But I can't watch my life played out before me.'

But last night, during the show's appeal for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, King walked out on stage, surprising the cast. “They had no idea,” she told the audience.

Jessie Mueller, who received rave reviews for her portrayal of Ms. King when the show opened in January, was clearly emotional, as were several other members of the cast. King and the cast of the show then auctioned off a performance of "You've Got A Friend" to the tune of $30,000 for BC/EFA.

For show information and tickets, visit:
http://www.beautifulonbroadway.com