The National Theatre’s Saturday, October 17, program brings a touring tribute to the music of Karen and Richard Carpenter to Washington, D.C. The Carpenters Songbook: A Live Celebration features a full band, with Christina Hélène Braa as Karen Carpenter and Kevin Lausche as Richard Carpenter; Lausche is also the production’s music director.
The venue describes the production as an all-new show combining a full band with storytelling about the duo’s music. It comes from the creative team behind The Simon & Garfunkel Story and runs two hours and twenty minutes, including intermission, according to broadwayatthenational.com. Tickets remain available through the National Theatre ticketing website, WTOP News reports.
The venue’s listing names “We've Only Just Begun,” “Close to You” and “Rainy Days and Mondays” among the songs audiences can expect. WTOP reports that the concert also includes lesser-known selections and narration about the duo’s history.
A San Francisco Singer Finds Her Way Into Karen Carpenter's Voice
WTOP describes Braa as a San Francisco-based vocalist, actor and classically trained dancer. In the station’s account, Braa said she was not familiar with much of the Carpenters’ catalog before joining the production, but grew to appreciate the group’s music as she prepared for the role.
The tribute leans on Karen Carpenter's melodic, distinctive contralto vocals and Richard Carpenter's multi-track harmonies, classically tinged keyboards and symphonic arrangements, according to WTOP News, the kind of sound that made the duo one of the most popular acts in music history. The station's report notes Braa said the live performance is designed to sound similar to the original recordings, giving longtime fans a familiar experience while introducing the songs to listeners who may not know them.
The Show Doesn't Shy Away From How the Story Ends
The narration also covers Karen Carpenter’s death in 1983, though Braa told WTOP the production focuses on celebrating the music rather than dwelling on the tragedy. Sources differ on her age: WTOP reports she was 34, while the Berkeley Beacon says she died at 32 from heart failure caused by anorexia nervosa. A Washington Post archive report from the time says the Los Angeles coroner’s office attributed her death to an irregular heartbeat brought on by chemical imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa.
At Emerson’s Colonial Theatre earlier this month, Braa and Lausche spoke as themselves between songs, tracing the duo’s rise and eventual end, the Berkeley Beacon reported. The outlet characterized the production as a tribute rather than a conventional musical, a description also used for other stops on the tour.
A Duo That Still Resonates Decades Later
The Carpenters sold more than 100 million records worldwide, numbers that place them among the most successful and beloved recording acts of the 1970s, according to shepherdexpress.com. The duo won Grammy awards including Best Contemporary Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for “Close To You,” according to grammy.com.
Chart Peaks and Grammy Recognition
Billboard reported that “Close to You” ranked as the year’s No. 2 single on its 1970 year-end chart. The Recording Academy’s records list the Carpenters as winners of the 13th Annual Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for “Close To You.”
The Shepherd Express report says the production is intended for both longtime fans and younger listeners encountering the music for the first time. The 50-city tour has also stopped at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall; the Washington, D.C., date brings it to the National Theatre.
