Theater Review: 'A Beautiful Noise' Tour at The Bushnell

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

The tour of “The Neil Diamond Musical A Beautiful Noise” has taken to the stage as the new Broadway series begins at The Bushnell in Hartford. The glittering musical memoir of the beloved American entertainer stars American Idol winner and Connecticut native Nick Fradiani as “Neil - Then.”

This unique musical celebration of the life of Brooklyn-born Neil Diamond has a book by Anthony McCarten and all music and lyrics by Diamond himself. In a letter written in 2022 included in the printed program, Diamond reveals that it was McCarten’s idea to frame the show in the context of Diamond’s therapy sessions. “I loved the idea and never shied away from talking about my years of psychoanalysis,” Diamond writes. Throughout the musical, Diamond reacts to the lyrics he wrote as they are read aloud by his insightful psychiatrist from a (heavy) copy of “The Complete Lyrics of Neil Diamond.”

He credits his longtime therapist, the late Dr. Lu Katzman, as inspiring this story. His longtime friend and producer Bob Gaudio (“Jersey Boys”) helped to bring together the creative team that became “A Beautiful Noise.” Bringing the story of his life to Broadway was prompted when Diamond was forced to prematurely end his touring career due to the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Fradiani fully embodies the role of Neil Diamond as he navigates his career. The talented actor, the first American Idol winner from the Northeast, replaced Will Swenson in the role on Broadway and was in the national tour of “A Bronx Tale.” He sings Diamond's classic hits perfectly, often playing guitar onstage, and often seems to be singing directly to a member of the audience. In his bio, he thanks his parents for taking him to his first concert at three years old to see Neil Diamond.

Robert Westenberg (“Into the Woods” on Broadway) plays Neil - Now, the older and introspective version of the performer and gives a heartfelt performance. Veteran actress Lisa Renee Pitts shares the stage with Westenberg as his patient therapist. Hannah Jewel Kohn is memorable in her portrayal of Marsha Murphey, Diamond’s second wife.

Tiffany Tatreau plays first wife Jaye Posner, and Kate A. Mulligan is a delight as Diamond’s mentor, the songwriter Ellie Greenwich and Rose Diamond. Tuck Milligan takes on the roles of Fred Weintraub and Tommy O’Rourke and Michael Accardo plays Bert Berns and Kieve Diamond. There is a great group of talented singer/dancers that make up the ensemble dubbed “The Beautiful Noise.” It is a joy to watch them sing and dance as a quasi Greek chorus throughout the two-act mental health therapy session. Many of them step up to sing as a soloist for various numbers, which are inexplicably listed in alphabetical order in the program rather than the order in which they are sung.

The musical is directed by Michael Mayer, with “wow” choreography by Steven Hoggett. The lighting design by Kevin Adams is the most impressive of the technical elements, although the scenic design by David Rockwell and the period costumes by Emilio Sosa are fabulous. I saw perfectly fitting velvet pants and endless changes for the dancers. Hair, wig and makeup design by Luc Verschueren clearly show the passage of time for the characters. Even the sound design by Jessica Paz was much better than usual.

Music supervision and arrangements were done by Sonny Paladino. I enjoyed watching conductor James Olmstead direct the eight traveling musicians seated on two levels at the back of the stage, but usually hidden behind a drop. They sound amazing until their final note.

I enjoyed this juke-box musical more than I expected and learned much about Neil Diamond the man. There are a few lines with foul language in the script. “A Beautiful Noise” is presented with one intermission (running two hours and 15 minutes) and continues at The Bushnell through Oct. 6. Note that most evening performances have an appreciated 7:30 p.m. curtain.

David R. Fay, President and CEO of The Bushnell, noted in the program that an important part of visiting the theater is missing. The beloved trumpeter, Willie Nelson, passed away last July. Nelson was a fixture to regular patrons as he greeted everyone with his trumpet playing on Capitol Avenue. “His warmth and good cheer will be missed,” Fay writes.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the newspaper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the CCC Facebook page.