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The National Tour of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: The Neil Diamond Musical kicks off this weekend at the Providence Performing Arts Center. The show runs Saturday, September 21, through Saturday, September 28, with limited tickets still available. Click here for details.
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is the story of an artist’s rise from struggling songwriter to international icon. Over the course of his career, Neil Diamond, who got his start in the mid-1960’s on Tin Pan Alley, had ten #1 singles, sold over 120 million albums, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a Kennedy Center honoree. Now 83, Diamond is retired from performing, but his legacy continues to grow.
We met four cast members of the award-winning jukebox musical that opened on Broadway in 2022. They shared a bit about the show, the singer’s legacy, and their favorite Neil Diamond songs.
Lisa Reneé Pitts and Hannah Jewel Kohn, of ‘A Beautiful Noise,’ (Photo: Ken Abrams)
All four have been busy getting ready for opening night. “We’ve been here for two weeks now,” said Lisa Reneé Pitts, who plays Doctor in the musical. “We were in tech rehearsal, rehearsing the acting, singing, and music for three weeks in New York City. Then we came here to add the production value to it, the lights, the sounds, costumes, wigs, and such.”
It’s the beginning of a 25-city tour, with more dates, including international shows, expected to be added soon. “The tour will probably continue for a while. Neil Diamond is so loved all around America,” said Hannah Jewel Kohn, who plays Marcia Murphey, Diamond’s second wife.
“It’s a surprisingly complex show, it’s very subtle, lighting is really critical, we’re taking a lot of time with that, it’s been a lot of starts and stops, but we’re clawing our way through, and I think the result is going to be worth every second, it’s just really beautiful,” said Robert Westenberg, who plays Neil-Now, an older version of the artist.
Westerberg grew up a big fan of the beloved singer. “He had a profound effect on me, as deep as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. His music was a little different from them, he didn’t have that hard rock edge. He was truly pop music; everybody loved him, but he was not getting the love from the industry,” added Westerberg. “I think in 200-300 years, Neil Diamond’s music is still going to be played and still going to be loved. There’s a center of joy and love there with his music. There’s pain there as well, and tension.”
For Nick Fradiani, who grew up in Connecticut, the tour premiere feels a bit like a hometown show. “I remember when I was in The Bronx Tale, (the marque) said, ‘Welcome, Nick Fradiani Friends and Family.’”
“He’s one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, not only his own music,” said the former American Idol who plays Neil-Then. “Who can write “Sweet Caroline” and “I’m a Believer” in one lifetime, two of the most widely played songs of all time. I dare you to find ten people who don’t know either of those songs. He’s put out a wide variety of music; he made a country album, hundreds and hundreds of songs, his legacy will live on forever.”
Favorite Neil Diamond songs:
Lisa Reneé Pitts: “When I hear one song, like ‘Cherry, Cherry,’ I love it. Then I hear the next song, ‘Shiloh,’ I love it, then I hear ‘Sweet Caroline;’ I can’t choose! I will say that ‘Shiloh’ has a special place in my heart.”
Hannah Jewel Kohn: “My first experience hearing Neil Diamond’s music was actually at a Bar/Bat Mitzvah hearing ‘Sweet Caroline’ played over the speaker, so that’s one of my favorite songs. But I am a little biased, ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ is my favorite, favorite song, cause I get to sing it in the show.”
Robert Westenberg: “I love ‘Cherry, Cherry;’ every time I hear it, it just rocks, it just kick-ass rocks. It was part of the soundtrack of my life.”
Nick Fradiani: “We do a version of ‘Solitary Man,’ from The Bitter End, one of the first places Neil ever performed. When I started playing bars, I was like 18 and would be playing with like nobody listening. And that’s kind of what the scene brings me back to. It’s a really beautiful arrangement. And we have this medley of his big stadium hits, and the crowd goes crazy for that one.”
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: The Neil Diamond Musical runs through Saturday, September 28. Limited tickets are available here.
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