‘Beautiful’ is King of the road

Of all the songs in “Beautiful,” the jukebox-musical tribute to the singer-songwriter Carole King, the words to one in particular have been getting to Abby Mueller lately.

Over the phone from L.A., Mueller — who plays King in the national tour of the Broadway show — recites those lyrics, which come from the second verse of the title song:

I have often asked myself the reason for sadness, in a world where tears are just a lullaby / If there’s any answer, maybe love can end the madness / Maybe not, oh, but we can only try.

“With recent events, with everything that’s been happening — with the violence across the country — I know for the entire cast it has really resonated to sing that every night,” says Mueller.

“It’s kind of a prayer and plea.”

That message, says Mueller, has been warmly embraced by audiences on the “Beautiful” tour (which hits San Diego next week), as has King’s now-classic music from the ’60s and ’70s.

“The reception all across the country has been overwhelmingly positive,” says the Chicago-bred actor, who stepped out of Broadway’s “Kinky Boots” to lead the tour last August. “You know how beloved this music is, but to feel that love coming at you every night is really a special thing.”

As wide-ranging as King’s appeal is, of course, such standards as “I Feel the Earth Move” and “You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)” inspire a certain sense of sisterhood.

Which is entirely fitting in Mueller’s case: It was her own sister, Jessie, who originated the role of King on Broadway (winning a Tony Award for her performance in 2014).

Abby Mueller sounds as surprised as anyone by the fact that she has since stepped into the part: “Personally, this was never even on my radar,” she says.

“And honestly, I saw (Jessie) do it and was blown away, like everyone was. She just owned it, and it was so hers that it honestly never crossed my mind that I would even have the opportunity. And I certainly wouldn’t seek it out.

“So when this audition came up, I literally thought my agent was joking. I said, ‘No, that’s a horrible idea.’”

Eventually, though, “with some encouragement from others, including my sister, I said OK, I’ll go audition. And this is just what happened.

“I’m just grateful they saw something in me. We’re very different, my sister and I. We approach things differently. I’ve just been trying to tell it the way I can.”

Her admiration for King (who came to see Mueller perform in L.A. recently) helps. The show traces King’s life and career from her first songwriting successes in 1960s New York, through her tempestuous creative and romantic partnership with Gerry Goffin, to her huge success with the deeply personal 1971 album “Tapestry,” one of the top-selling records of all time.

“And Carole is still vital today,” Mueller says. “She’s just so impressive on so many levels. At a time when women didn’t necessarily have that voice, she was expressing her own voice.

“I think what’s really impressive is that she stuck to her guns — had her children and family and career, but on her own terms.

“I’ll tell you what, this is absolutely a dream role, in that it’s such a rich acting challenge. You get to span 10 years, and get to go through a lot. There’s pathos, there’s comedy in the show, you get to use so many tools in the actor’s toolbox, which is always so rewarding and satisfying. We’re all aware that not every gig is like that.

“So in that regard, it’s definitely a dream.”