A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL at Broadway San Diego
If you’ve ever belted out “Sweet Caroline” at a wedding, on a road trip, or even when hearing it randomly played out and about, then you’ll probably have a pretty good time at “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical”. Playing at Broadway San Diego through June 1st, this flashy jukebox musical is less biography and more sing-along, and that’s precisely what it wants to be.
The show opens in a therapist’s office, where an older Neil Diamond “Neil Now” (Robert Westenberg) hesitantly unpacks his life through his lyrics to his therapist (Lisa Renee Pitts), who has little familiarity with his hit musical canon. His younger self, “Neil Then” (Nick Fradiani), replays the highlights: the songwriting hustle, the rise to fame, the mob, the marriages, the nerves, the insecurities. But really, all of that is just scaffolding to get to the songs. As the show makes clear, one thing Neil did was write a lot of songs.
The first act alone blasts through “I’m a Believer,” “Solitary Man,” “Song Sung Blue,” and “Sweet Caroline,” among others, and the second half turns into a full-on concert. The ensemble, fittingly named “The Noise,” provides wonderful vocals and high-energy backing throughout. Thanks to the choreography by Steven Hoggett (and tour choreographer Yasmine Lee), the show maintains an energetic and enthusiastic beat, even when Neil himself does not. One of the most effective bits of choreography is at the beginning when he opens the book of all his songs, and the dancers start appearing as if leaping from the pages and onto the stage.
Photo Credit: “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” national tour
Fradiani is charismatic, has a deep and rich voice, and easily had the audience singing along. Hannah Jewel Kohn and Tiffany Tatreau have strong voices and memorable turns as the ladies Neil loved and eventually lost.
The show is fairly upfront about the plot being more musical fan service than anything else, with “Neil Now” saying to the Doctor, “I don’t like to talk about myself,” and that proves true. Instead of using the therapy angle for anything interesting, it glances upon different personal and professional moments and the songs that accompany them, while keeping everything moving along to another familiar tune and another costume change. It hints at deeper themes, such as depression, the price of fame and celebrity, and his upbringing, but the show skips over them as quickly as they emerge. That’s okay, “A Beautiful Noise” knows its audience, and this is a musical made for fans.
Visually, the production effectively utilizes its lighting and bold projections, creating a concert-style atmosphere that intensifies in the second act.
If you grew up with Neil Diamond’s records, this show is here to deliver the soundtrack of your youth. If you didn’t, then this show will introduce you to songs you may not have heard or known that Diamond wrote. The crowd was happily clapping and singing along to each song, with some songs eliciting cheers even from the first chords. It's not subtle, but it is effective.
“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” is a celebration of a man whose songs have been the soundtrack to decades. It’s not a deep dive into his life (it’s barely a shallow one), but if you’re a Neil Diamond fan or want a night of nostalgic crowd-pleasing tunes, you’ll leave humming.
How To Get Tickets
“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” runs through June 1st at the San Diego Civic Theatre from Broadway San Diego. For ticket and showtime information, go to www.broadwaysd.com