By Lynn Venhaus
Come for the music, stay for the lovefest. A gleaming crowd-pleasing tribute, “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” celebrates the singer-songwriter’s greatest hits, which is what the enthusiastic audience expected and was eager to do.
A delightful bonus was the excellence of the cast, band, and creative team.
Such affection for the legendary showman is evident and the music offers enough sustenance for the fans. After all, Diamond is one of the best-selling singer-songwriters of all-time, with 10 singles to reach no. 1.
The presentation is as sparkly as Neil’s shiny, sequined outfits on stage, designed here by Emilio Sosa. Touring since Sept. 21, the slickly produced show received a warm welcome at the Fox Theatre on opening night Oct. 29 (it runs through Nov. 10) — and not just because there were two rousing “Sweet Caroline” sing-alongs.
When Paul Simon inducted Neil Diamond into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, he said: “Neil Diamond wrote for himself, but he spoke to everybody.”
“His ability to put words to the human experience explains his commercial success, his fans of all stripes, and his timelessness,” Simon continued.
That sums up Neil’s enduring appeal. He was a dominant force on the pop charts for two generations and sold over 130 million records. No wonder the audience’s excitement steadily built with each memorable tune.
There is a captivating story to tell – of an introverted, lonely kid from Brooklyn, with a fondness for poetry, trying to make it in the music business in the 1960s. He eventually becomes a chart-topping global superstar, extroverted and fun-loving on stage.
But fame took its toll, with two failed marriages along the way, and other bumps in the road. There is a darkness that Neil talked about, which is expressed to his wives and his therapist.
While this typical jukebox musical doesn’t have as strong of a story arc as “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Jersey Boys,” the framework is interesting as a memoir, choosing to start with Neil “Now” talking about Neil “Then” to a therapist.
The psychoanalysis sessions strike a chord with anyone reflecting on their life, the mistakes they made and the regrets, but also on their triumphs and special connections. Neil is now an 83-year-old man, forced to retire after the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2018.
In therapy, he talks about wanting more peace, less angst. He’d also like to be better at reaching out to his family (he has four children, two girls with his first wife, two boys with his second).
The doctor, played by Lisa Renee Pitts, opens a book of his songs written during his 60-year career, and reads some of the lyrics, prompting Diamond to react. Spotlighting iconic songs and their significance, plus highlighting the special people in his life, is the crux of the show.
The book, written by Anthony McCarten, is titled for his 1976 album, and crafted with Diamond’s cooperation (and there’s a letter from Neil in the program). The musical addresses both sides of his personality – the performer and the songwriter.
Produced by Bob Gaudio, one of the Four Seasons (you may recall his story featured prominently in “Jersey Boys”), the show touches on Diamond’s drive and his creative fire.
The music numbers often feature a vibrant chorus of singers and dancers known as “The Beautiful Noise” – performing Steven Hoggett’s vigorous choreography. Special shout-out to J’Kobe Wallace from St. Louis, who was memorable in The Black Rep’s “Eubie!” in spring 2023, making his Broadway tour debut. He’s also the dance captain.
The Neil bookends are strong performers who instantly connected with the crowd. As Neil – Then, Nick Fradiani is an energetic, skilled musician, and charmed fans with his interpretation – and not just because he rocked some serious rock star hair and sideburns.
Fradiani, who won “American Idol” in 2015, Season 14, sounds remarkably like Diamond, but also has the charisma to pull off such a demanding role. Original understudy to Will Swenson on Broadway, Fradiani replaced him as the lead on Oct. 31, 2023, until the show closed on June 30. The show opened on Dec. 4, 2022, after a tryout in Boston and previews.
Neil – Now is played by Robert Westenberg, who received a Tony nomination for his outstanding work in the 2022 revival of “Into the Woods,” but on opening night at the Fox, the understudy Dale Duko did a fine job.
Another standout is Hannah Jewel Kohn, a sensational triple threat, as Marcia Murphey, Diamond’s second wife, who was a major influence on his career. They were married 25 years until they divorced in 1995. He has been married to Katie McNeil since 2012, but she is just mentioned, not part of the show.
His first wife Jaye Posner, who was his high school sweetheart, is portrayed cordially by Tiffany Tatreau. They were married in 1963, separated a few years later, and divorced in 1969.
Kate A. Mulligan is a noteworthy supporting player as songwriter Ellie Greenwich, one of the hitmakers in the famous Brill Building, who helped show him the ropes. She also doubled as his mother, Rose Diamond.
During his Brill days, he wrote “I’m a Believer,” which the Monkees recorded, became certified gold in a mere two days, and was the biggest single of 1966. (Fun fact: Neil wrote several songs for the Monkees, including “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.”).
Performing at the NYC nightclub, The Bitter End, was his big break, and then he was off and running with a succession of catchy Billboard Top 40 hits. Act One showcases his first no. 1 on his own, 1970’s “Cracklin’ Rosie,” plus “Kentucky Woman,” “Solitary Man,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Cherry Cherry,” and “September Morn.”
Right before intermission, Fradiani and company deliver a robust “Sweet Caroline.” The “Good Times Never Seemed So Good” classic came out in 1969, became a favorite anthem at sporting events, and beloved as the 8th inning song at every Boston Red Sox home game at Fenway Park. It was honored by the Library of Congress with its inclusion in the National Recording Registry in 2019. Everyone expected this song to be one of the evening’s highlights and it was – and at the cheery curtain call too!
The songs from the only movie he headlined, “The Jazz Singer,” including “Love on the Rocks,” “Hello Again,” and the patriotic anthem “America,” which he wrote for his immigrant grandparents, were featured. An exhilarating rendition of “America” revved up the Fox crowd too.
The song timeline isn’t necessarily in order, but chronicles important times in Diamond’s life, too. The program lists 29 songs alphabetically. The dramatic gospel-tinged 1969 “Holly Holy” is later inserted for maximum effect, and I was happy to see the wistful 1968 “Brooklyn Roads” (‘low charting’) included — from his album “Velvet Gloves and Spit.” (?!)
A few singers have solo moments to shine: St. Louis’ own Spencer Donovan Jones in “Shilo,” Chris Marsh Clark in “Kentucky Woman,” Tasheim Ramsey Pack in “Red Red Wine,” Cooper Clack in “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)” and Jeilani Rhone-Collins in “The Boat That I Row.”
Act Two focuses on the sold-out stadium years, where he was a huge draw in concerts around the world. His legendary “Hot August Night” double live album, recorded at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Aug. 24, 1972, is still considered one of the best live albums of all time.
The show’s energy ramps up with “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show,” “Play Me,” and moving on to “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime,” “Soolaimon”/Crunchy Granola Suite,” and “I Am…I Said.”
The dynamic Kohn, who already had proven herself to be quite an accomplished dancer in the numbers, is showcased front and center in a terrific “Forever in Blue Jeans.”
When their marriage is rocky and on the verge of falling apart, Fradiani’s and Murphey’s moving duet to “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” is heartbreaking.
So many songs are given their due and hearing again in this format re-connected us to the man and his music.
Under the expertise of conductor James Olmstead, the band smoothly transitions from up-tempo earworms to tender ballads, creating a full-bodied wall of sound. Olmstead played keyboards, as did Nancy O’Connor, with Max Caine on guitar, Aamir Juman on bass, and Morgan Parker on drums. These traveling musicians were joined by local musicians from Local 2 – 197 AFM to complete the orchestra.
With a glitzy scenic design by David Rockwell and warm lighting design by Kevin Adams, the show conveys music clubs and concert halls, recording studios and business offices. But like the artist himself, the music comes alive because of those songs, no matter what venue.
“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” is an only-fans nostalgic delight. Anytime you can see that much joy on people’s faces, the night doesn’t seem so lonely, and ‘touching you, touching me’ is a blissful waltz down memory lane.
The Fox Theatre presents “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” Oct. 29 – Nov. 10 at the Fabulous Fox, 527 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, Mo 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com. For tickets, call MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
