Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!
“Carole King: Home Again - Live In Central Park,” a new feature-length concert documentary presents music icon Carole King’s triumphant May 26, 1973, homecoming concert on the Great Lawn in New York City’s Central Park before an estimated audience of 100,000. Directed by George Scott and produced by Lou Adler and John McDermott, the film presents the complete multi-camera 16mm footage filmed and recorded by Adler in 1973 but never before released.
Alongside the complete performance footage is the behind-the-scenes story of King’s remarkable transformation from an in-demand, staff songwriter beloved for such timeless Goffin and King classics as “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” to an iconic artist in her own right.
The May 1973 performance captured King at her critical and commercial peak, basking in the enormous popularity of her definitive album "Tapestry." New interviews with King, Adler, Ron Delsener, and legendary Woodstock and Monterey Pop lighting and stage manager Chip Monck set the scene for her extraordinary performance.
Wanting to do something special with Carole in New York, Adler and legendary New York concert promoter Ron Delsener agreed to stage a free concert — the first ever — on Central Park’s famed Great Lawn. The event changed the landscape of live performances in New York, shepherding in an era of legendary performances in Central Park that continues to this day.
King rarely performed in concert during this era despite the enormous commercial success she had enjoyed. However, on this special occasion, she presented her performance in two parts — first alone, on piano, and then fronting a powerhouse 11-piece band.
Adler decided to film and record it. After the Central Park performance, he took the footage and recordings back to Los Angeles, where it remained unreleased for 50 years. Recently, McDermott convinced Adler who then convinced Carole that the performance should be seen.
The resulting film provides an inside view of a generational talent at her prime, performing one of the biggest and most momentous concerts of her career in the city where she was born.
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