A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at DPAC Is
a Fabulous Show, with Flawless Music and Acoustics

A Beautiful Noise stars Hannah Jewel Kohn as Marcia Murphey and Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

On Tuesday, Jan. 7th, I attended the opening-night performance of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at the Durham Performing Arts Center, with my mother-in-law, who experienced Neil Diamond's music as it was released; but I had never been a Neil Diamond fan. Well, I am now.

Robert Westenberg stars as Neil - Now and Lisa Reneé Pitts stars as Doctor in A Beautiful Noise (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

The story of Diamond's career is told through the context of his long-time therapy sessions. The musical opens on two giant leather chairs with a lone hanging light above them. The Doctor (played by Lisa Reneé Pitts) calmly sits in one chair, while today's Neil Diamond (Robert Westenberg as Neil - Now) alternates between sitting and pacing, while expressing his frustration with the whole concept of therapy, which his wife Katie has asked him to pursue. The Doctor pulls out a book, containing the hundreds of songs that Diamond has written throughout his life and coaxes him to discuss the circumstances that lead to each song.

Nick Fradiani (center) stars as Neil - Then, with Tasheim Ramsey Pack (left) and Cooper Clack (right) (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

As they open the book, a chorus of actors called "The Beautiful Noise," perform an impressively euphonic montage of Diamond's hits, and the set changes to a scene from Diamond's past as a struggling songwriter when he was married to his high-school sweetheart Jaye Posner (Tiffany Tatreau). Young Neil (Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then) is in a meeting with his future agent Ellie Greenwich (played by Kate A. Mulligan), which culminates with an ensemble performance of "I'm a Believer," a song recorded by The Monkees in 1966. This is followed by group performances of early songs written by Diamond, including "Red Red Wine" (the British reggae band UB40's signature song), "The Boat That I Row" (recorded by Scottish singer Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, a.k.a. "Lulu"), and "Sunday Sun" (recorded by country-music singer Glen Campbell).

The Durham Performing Arts Center's Jan. 7-12 presentation of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical stars
(from left) Deirdre Dunkin, Ellen McGihon, Thabitha Moruthane, and Nick Fradiani (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

When a recording of Diamond's "Kentucky Woman," sung by Chris Marsh Clark, doesn't meet his expectations, Diamond sings the song himself, thereby starting his career as a performer.

The Durham Performing Arts Center's Jan. 7-12 presentation of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical stars (center, from left)
Tiffany Tatreau as Jaye Posner, Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then, and Kate A. Mulligan as Ellie Greenwich (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

The musical follows Diamond's career from the intimate setting of The Bitter End, New York City's oldest rock-and-roll club, to 5,000+ seater performances as far afield as Sydney, Australia. It's hard to believe that Nick Fradiani isn't lip-syncing, so like Diamond's voice is his powerful yet raw and gritty bass-baritone impersonation. It is no surprise that Fradiani was American Idol's 2015 winner.

Hannah Jewel Kohn stars as Marcia Murphey in A Beautiful Noise (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Diamond leaves his first wife for Marcia Murphey, who is credited as a driving force behind his stardom. Murphey, who is normally played by Hannah Jewel Kohn, was played on opening night by Ginger Hurley. I can only imagine how good Kohn must be, given Hurley's splendid dancing and vocal talent.

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at DPAC stars Nick Fradiani (top center) as Neil - Then (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Diamond ends up signing with the mob -- a deal he comes close to paying for with his life. He avoids this by the grace of God, which, he proclaims, gave him the lyrics to his hit song "Sweet Caroline." This enabled him to end his mob contract and embark on his own.

From left are Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then, Robert Westenberg as Neil - Now, and Lisa Reneé Pitts as Doctor (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

After 25 years of marriage, Neil and Marcia divorce, due to his addiction to performing and perpetual absence from his family, which is embodied in his hit song with Barbra Streisand, entitled "You Don't Bring Me Flowers."

Kate A. Mulligan and Nick Fradiani star as Ellie Greenwich and Neil - Then in A Beautiful Noise (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

In the second act, Fradiani performs Diamond's signature songs as if on stage at the massive concert venues where he performed. The light show is more dynamic and spectacular than most concerts, and the numerous scene changes are seamless, as are Fradiani's rapid costume changes despite his tight, spangled attire. Scenic designer David Rockwell, lighting designer Kevin Adams, and costume designer Emilio Sosa all deserve loud shout outs, as does sound designer Jessica Paz -- the music and acoustics are flawless.

Lisa Reneé Pitts stars as Doctor in A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical on Jan. 7-12 at DPAC (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

It's a special treat to see the actual musicians performing on a bottom and second floor behind the translucent screen that forms the backdrop in the second act. I'd have attended the production just to see and hear these talented musicians under the direction of music coordinator John Miller and music director James Olmstead.

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Jan. 7-12 stars (from left) Hannah Jewel
Kohn as Marcia Murphey, Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then, and Tuck Milligan as Fred Weintraub (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Throughout the production, the setting changes intermittently to today's Diamond (Westenberg) and his therapist (Pitts), who discuss the depression that has followed Diamond since childhood and despite his musical fame and fortune. At the end, his therapist asks if he is able to accept his past mistakes and his now non-performing life. He answers by singing "I Am... I Said," an intensely personal song that took Diamond four months to write and that he says "without any question, came from [his] sessions with the analyst."

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at DPAC on Jan. 7-12 stars (from left) Tuck Milligan as Tommy
O'Rourke, Michael Accardo as Bert Berns, and Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

As the "Letter from Neil" in the program states, "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." Diamond's biographical musical reduces this stigma even further, encouraging audience members to seek similar therapy to clear their own persistent rain clouds.

A Beautiful Noise at DPAC Jan. 7-12 stars Tiffany Tatreau as Jaye Posner and Nick Fradiani as Neil - Then in (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

A Beautiful Noise, directed by Michael Mayer and choreographed by Steven Hoggett, is a fabulous show that is appropriate for the whole family, but get your tickets soon. The remaining shows (through Sunday, Jan 12th) are sure to sell out.

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at DPAC stars Nick Fradiani (center) as Neil - Then (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Neil Diamond and Anthony McCarten's A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7-12), directed by Michael Mayer, choreographed by Steven Hoggett, presented as part of Broadway at DPAC, and starring Nick Fradiani as Neil Diamond - Then, Robert Westenberg as Neil Diamond - Now, Hannah Jewel Kohn as Marcia Murphey, Lisa Reneé Pitts as Doctor, Tiffany Tatreau as Jaye Posner, Tuck Milligan as Fred Weintraub/Tommy O'Rourke, Michael Accardo as Bert Berns/Kieve Diamond, and Kate A. Mulligan as Ellie Greenwich/Rose Diamond, plus "The Beautiful Noise," including Cooper Clack ("Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow" Soloist and Bitter End Trio Singer), Chris Marsh Clark ("Kentucky Woman" Soloist), Deirdre Dunkin (Backup Singer), Ginger Hurley (Bitter End Trio Singer), Spencer Donovan Jones ("Shilo" Soloist and Bitter End Trio Singer), Ellen McGihon (Backup Singer), Thabitha Moruthane (Backup Singer), Tasheim Ramsey Pack ( Soloist), Jeilani Rhone-Collins ("The Boat That I Row" Soloist), and co-dance captain J'Kobe Wallace; Swings, including Dennis Dizon, Rene Mirai Guyon, co-dance captain Jer, Zoë Maloney, Daniela Rodrigo, and Alec Michael Ryan; and Standby Dale Duko (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/dpac_beautifulnoise_digital_final. TRAILERS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a6wWb4qNF8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro9S4XuhwDg&t=34s. DPAC NEWS RELEASE: https://www.dpacnc.com/news/detail/a-beautiful-noise-the-neil-diamond-musical-is-on-sale-this-thursday-august-8th. PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://twitter.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/DPACLive. 2024-25 BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/broadway-at-dpac/season/broadway-at-dpac-2024-2025. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. THE TOUR: https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/, https://www.networkstours.com/show/a-beautiful-noise/, https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/a-beautiful-noise-the-neil-diamond-musical-539750, https://www.facebook.com/ABeautifulNoiseMusical, https://www.instagram.com/abeautifulnoisemusical, https://x.com/beautifulnoise, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Beautiful_Noise_(musical)#North_American_tour_(2024), and https://www.youtube.com/@abeautifulnoisemusical. TOUR CAST: https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/cast-creative/#cast. TOUR CREATIVE TEAM: https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/cast-creative/#creative. NEIL DIAMOND (New York City-born singer-songwriter, nee Neil Leslie Diamond): https://www.neildiamond.com/, https://rockhall.com/inductees/neil-diamond/, https://www.songhall.org/profile/Neil_Diamond/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/neil-diamond-12689, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004871/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Diamond. A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL (2022 Boston and 2022 Broadway jukebox musical): https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/a-beautiful-noise-the-neil-diamond-musical-534722, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Beautiful_Noise_(musical). NEIL DIAMOND (Brooklyn, NY-born composer and lyricist, nee Neil Leslie Diamond): https://www.neildiamond.com/, https://rockhall.com/inductees/neil-diamond/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/neil-diamond-12689, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004871/, https://www.facebook.com/neildiamond, https://www.instagram.com/NeilDiamond/, https://www.tiktok.com/@neildiamond, https://x.com/NeilDiamond, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Diamond, and https://www.youtube.com/user/neildiamondVEVO. ANTHONY McCARTEN (New Plymouth, New Zealand-born playwright and screenwriter): https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/anthony-mccarten/biography, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/anthony-mccarten-534724, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565026/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McCarten. TICKETS: $39.75 and up, plus taxes and fees. Call 800-982-2787 or click here to buy tickets. GROUPS (10+ tickets): 919-680-2787, Groups@DPACnc.com, and https://www.dpacnc.com/events/groups-services. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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