Apex Theatre Studio will present its 10th-annual summer theatre series with two well-loved contemporary Broadway hits: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Disney’s Newsies Jr. June 16-25 at Lewis Auditorium on the campus of Flagler College.

“After an exciting winter of thoughtful work, we are ready to open the windows and let the summer sunshine in with these stories full of hope, triumph, and great music,” remarked Managing Director Ian Mairs. “We are presenting two shows in rotating repertory format to give visitors to St. Augustine more than one chance to enjoy an evening in the theatre.”

Beautiful is the inspiring true story of Carole King’s journey from teenage songwriter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Before she was hitmaker Carole King, she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. From the chart-topping hits she wrote for the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing, trailblazing success with her 1971 hit album Tapestry, Beautiful takes you back to where it all began and on the ride of a lifetime, featuring such unforgettable classics as “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,” and “Natural Woman.”

The production is under the direction of Atlanta director Justin Anderson and features Jacksonville native Mallorie Sievert in the title role. The company is comprised of professional teaching artists and upper-division students from Apex Theatre Studio.