Musical Review: The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise

 The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise was very enjoyable.  It presented the Neil Diamond story by framing it in a therapy session, with the therapist using the Neil Diamond songs as a place to focus her therapy; In a real sense Diamond put his life into his songs.  The ensemble went from them being backup singers to there being characters in his life.  The musical is presented with two Neil Diamonds, his current self watching his his then self and the rise of his career.

Diamond has had three wives, which means he has gone through two breakups.  Most of them ended amicably, but his second wife took his houses in the divorce.  His first wife was his high school sweetheart, Marcia.  She had a baby before Diamond started his career.  His second wife could be credited as the person who discovered him, Jaye.  She was with Diamond for 25 years, but eventually his being on the road took its toll.  His third wife, Katie, encouraged him to seek therapy, and to gor through with the musical.  His wives share in singing some of his songs, including, "Hello Again," "Song Sung Blue," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "Love on the Rocks" and "Play Me." "Play Me" is a very romantic duet.  The first act ends with Diamond being faced with writing a song to gt out of a repressive contract.  The song was "Sweet Caroline" which he sang with the audience.  

Diamond was a performer until his Parkinson's disease making so he couldn't continue.  In the musical all the songs were written by Neil Diamond, some with collaboration but mostly by himself.  When he started his career he said he had already written 50 songs.  His first song to become a hit, for the Monkees was "I'm a Believer."  He eventually started performing his own songs.  His manager, Jaye, who later became his wife, encouraged this.  

The climax of the musical the two Diamonds performed as a duet, "I Am I Said."  The doctor used this as an empty chair exercise, witting in one chair as the king, and another as the frog.  "Have you ever heard the story about a frog who dreamed of being a king, and then became one."  Sort of the Neil Diamond story rolled up into one line.  

This musical is really good, and I loved the music.  The thing that makes it special is the dancing.  There was some crazy dance moves going on.  For our night the part of Neil Diamond then was played by Joe Caskey.  

I also liked that there is a noe from Neil Diamond in the program explaining how the musical came to be.  It was a nice touch.