ORLANDO, Fla. – If you are a Neil Diamond fan or recently saw and loved The Cher Show at the Dr. Phillips Center, you will have a wonderful time experiencing the untold true story of this American icon.
“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” is part biography part concert. The show features two talented actors — “then” and “now”— who equally nail Diamond’s distinctive voice and style. One is a young aspiring musician—portrayed by Nick Fradiani who was the 2015 winner of “American Idol.” The other is an older man, played by Robert Westenberg, who is reflecting on his life with his therapist.
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It was enlightening to learn about the humble beginnings of this chart-busting, award-winning singer. A young Neil Diamond, contemplating changing his name to something he believed would be more appealing, or setting out to write songs for other people, rather than believing he was the right person for the job, created several moments of levity.
However, the show also illuminated his complicated and sometimes heartbreaking relationships with three wives and the personal sacrifices he endured to become one of the most successful musicians of all time. The packed opening-night audience sang along as the cast performed some of his greatest hits, including “Sweet Caroline”.
In the Playbill, there’s a letter from Neil dated September 2022, he writes: “The idea of a Broadway musical about my life has always been a daunting one. It wasn’t until the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease prematurely ended my touring career that I started to seriously consider the prospect. I say “prematurely” because my heart and soul would tour until the day I die if only my body would cooperate.”
He goes on to write about how he loved the idea of framing the show around a therapy session.
“There used to be a stigma around talking about mental health and thankfully through the years, it’s become an important and accepted topic of conversation.”
Not only does this jukebox musical beautifully portray the challenges and triumphs of Neil Diamond, its high-energy cast and musical numbers including “America,” “I’m a Believer” and “Hello Again” will keep you thoroughly entertained and humming along.
“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” is showing at the Dr. Phillips Center from Feb. 4-9, 2025. For ticket information, click here.