Jeremy Daniel
A Beautiful Noise, a jukebox musical of Neil Diamond’s life, is coming to America the Ohio Theatre April 22-27 as its national tour continues.
Diamond, who has sold upwards of 130 million records over the course of his nearly 70-year career, was not always a flashy, confident pop star. The musical traces his career from humble Brooklyn beginnings through ascendance to superstardom.
Nick Fradiani, who plays the young Diamond, has had his own rollercoaster claim to fame, winning American Idol in 2015 and heading to Broadway. Fradiani draws parallels between his career and Diamond’s struggles as depicted in the musical.
“As soon as I read the script for the first time, there were quite a lot of things that I was able to go to in my personal life,” Fradiani says. “(He is) kind of running away from normal life to be away on the road, which I’ve done for the last 10 years or so.”
Jeremy Daniel
Fradiani’s first concert, at the age of 4, was a Diamond concert, and he immediately became a fan. As he explores Diamond the person, he says, it gives him a new perspective on the musician.
“I always knew his music, but I didn’t know the depths of his music,” Fradiani says. “Knowing him now, he’s a very private person. If you watch his performances in the ’70s and the ’80s, he’s wearing sequins and he’s so energetic on stage. You would just never know.”
Tiffany Tatreau
Keeping the music alive
Diamond has made few public appearances since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. Fradiani is proud to carry the mantle of performing from Diamond’s legendary songbook.
“I always think about that, because he still wants to be performing,” Fradiani says. “Whenever I’m tired or (thinking), ‘Oh man, I’m doing this again,’ I think about the fact that he wants to be doing it and these people really want to hear his music.”
The musical, perhaps in an effort to be as glamorous and over the top as Diamond, features sequined costumes and elaborate dance numbers to Diamond’s best-known hits, such as “Sweet Caroline.” Diamond fans will recognize his hits and learn their backstories as the musical progresses.
Jeremy Daniel
As a songwriter, Fradiani is inspired by Diamond’s lyrics.
“His chord progressions are usually pretty simple, especially his huge hits, (and) I feel like his lyrics (are) not simple; they’re just heartfelt,” Fradiani says. “You feel them, but … you (don’t) have to sit there and study it.”
Fradiani calls Diamond’s music the “soundtracks to a lot of people’s lives,” acknowledging their outsized presence in popular culture.
Deeper tones
Because Diamond’s typically happy-go-lucky songs don’t fit with the harder parts of his life, the musical’s narrative is told by a present-day version of the musician, played by Robert Westenburg. Through sessions with his therapist, he reflects on his career and comes to terms with his struggles over the course of it.
Jeremy Daniel
“I was impressed with how open he was to doing this,” Fradiani says. “From knowing him, I don’t think that was easy for him to do. I don’t think he gets enough credit from the public for just how great he really is.”
The national tour spent a long time in Cleveland this past fall, and Fradiani looks forward to spending more time in Ohio.
“I don’t think a lot of people expect a jukebox musical about Neil Diamond to be as deep and heartfelt as it is,” Fradiani says. “I think people leave really surprised at how moved they are and they didn’t expect to be. … I’m definitely excited to share that with Ohio.”
Maggie Fipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
