When producers came to her to suggest she appear in the last scene,King said she did not hesitate.
"I totally envisioned that moment,and it was a thousand times more than I had imagined,"King said."I love watching people come and see them forget about their cares and troubles for two hours and 40 minutes. It's a wonderful feeling."
Beautiful is based on King's life from when she was a teenage songwriter in New York to her time as wife,mother and author of scores of recognisable songs.
The show features a collection of famous pop music written by King and her ex-husband Gerry Goffin,as well as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It includes the classicsYou've Got a Friend,One Fine Day,Up on the Roof,You've Lost That Lovin'Feeling andNatural Woman.
King called seeing herself played as a character onstage"surreal".
Beautiful opened on Broadway on January 13,2014 and won the 2014 Tony Award for best actress in a musical for Jessie Mueller;the 2015 Grammy Award for best musical theatre album;and two 2015 Olivier Awards,Britain's version of the Tonys.
Productions have played in London,Japan and Australia and toured the United Kingdom. The North American tour is celebrating its third anniversary of sold-out runs and is currently playing at Philadelphia's Academy of Music.
AP