Fair Lawn's Julia Knitel had a 'full-circle moment' after playing Carole King on Broadway

(201) Looking Back: Julia Knitel

Julia Knitel grew up in Fair Lawn surrounded by creative people — both of her parents were actors — listening to Broadway showtunes and going to the theater.

"It gave me an incredible background when I decided what I wanted to do with my life," she says.

While her parents were always supportive, they never pushed her into following their path.

"That’s the greatest gift they gave me," she says. "I did it for joy, did it for fun. It was this wonderful part of my life."

Knitel honed her craft at Millburn's Paper Mill Playhouse, where she learned to be a team player and ensemble member. But everything changed when she joined Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

Before long, she was understudying the lead role and played Carole King a number of times on Broadway before taking the show on a national tour.

We recently caught up with Knitel to talk about portraying Carole King, her other credits and celebrating her five-year wedding anniversary.

'Beautiful' on Broadway

In the spring of 2017, I finished my nearly three-year run with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway and on tour, returning to New York City after a life-changing chapter as the youngest person to play Carole King in the show’s history.

'A Letter to Harvey Milk'

I dove right into rehearsals for my off-Broadway debut, starring in A Letter to Harvey Milk opposite the brilliant Adam Heller in 2018. The show ran for six months, and I was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Leading Actress.

'Gypsy'

I then got to make a lifelong dream come true, playing Louise in Gypsy opposite Tony Award Winner Beth Leavel. It was the experience of a lifetime, and both Beth and I were nominated for St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards for our performances. The little girl who used to spend playtime wrapped in any curtain she could find was over the moon.

'Come From Away'

I spent the next four years working on Come From Away, a truly stunning show that, little did I know, would see me through the pandemic. I played Janice & Others, and was back on the road, telling this inspiring and beautiful story across North America.

Five Year Anniversary

In the very last week of the Come From Away tour, my husband and I celebrated five years of marriage. He’s also an actor and is currently playing Elder McKinley in the Broadway company of Book of Mormon. We had a belated celebration and photoshoot upon my return.

'Beautiful' Again

My very first gig post-Come From Away was a production of Beautiful in Aspen, Colorado. It was absolutely magical to return to this role at 30 and bring all the life I’ve lived the last six years to Carole. I was able to rediscover my deep love for that show and Carole’s music, while surrounded by spectacular mountains, hiking every day, and spending time in nature.

It really felt like the perfect little full-circle moment, putting a bow on a really exciting, varied, travel-filled time in my life. Some exciting things are on the horizon, so I’m very excited to see what adventures come next!

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The Carole King Musical: This Fair Lawn actor has played her and more