The Neil Diamond Musical has arrived in Toronto; Montreal on tap for next year

Despite retiring from touring in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Neil Diamond’s music continues to play to worldwide audiences through his musical, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A Beautiful Noise opened on Broadway in 2022 and is now touring the nation.

I was fortunate enough to be present for Toronto’s opening night of the national tour production at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Locals, Montrealers, and any other visitors to the city can catch the show up until closing night on June 7. Next year, it will also be coming to Place des Arts from April 13th to 18th, 2027.

Although the theatre was evidently filled with some die-hard Neil Diamond fans, as somebody who came into the show without much prior knowledge of Neil Diamond’s story nor his discography, I can assure you that this is not a pre-requisite. A Beautiful noise is a moving and joyful jukebox musical jam-packed with all of Diamond’s greatest hits, telling the story of his rise to fame.

The story is told in a unique manner through the framing device of psychotherapy, where “Neil Diamond – Now” sits in a cushioned chair next to his therapist, who pushes him to open up about his past by reading through a book of his song lyrics. Soon, we are transported to 1966, where a young Diamond (“Neil Diamond – Then”) is selling his first smash hit, ‘I’m a Believer’, which would eventually be recorded by the Monkees. We follow Diamond through his journey from songwriter to artist to superstar, and follow him equally through his relationship with family, friends, and both his first and second wife.

Watching the show and Diamond’s story, I found myself impressed by how raw and honest he was about both the best and worst moments of his life. He is not necessarily the hero at all times throughout the story. A letter from Neil Diamond himself in the Playbill reads “Sitting in the theatre and watching the show has itself been therapeutic: reliving some joyful and some of the painful parts of my life, wishing perhaps that if I could only make a few edits in the script, it would change some of the reality of what I was seeing. But in the end, coming to terms with my life and accepting it has somehow come full circle”.

The touring cast is truly fantastic, bringing some of your favourite songs including ‘Sweet Caroline’ (of course, played multiple times, audience singing and dancing encouraged), ‘America’, ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ and more. Starring in the role of “Neil Diamond – Then” and doing the bulk of the singing is Nick Fradiani, the 2015 winner of American Idol, who joins the tour directly after playing the role on Broadway. Acting as “Neil Diamond – Now”, Tony Award nominee and Broadway vet Robert Westenberg truly sells the role, bringing us in on an emotional journey. Also incredibly impressive was the vocal chops and performance quality brought to the stage by Tiffany Tatreau as Jaye Posner and Mary Page Nance as Marcia Murphey, Diamond’s first and second wives respectively.

Producer Bob Gaudio said: “When Neil and I first started talking about making a musical using his music, I knew how daunting that would be. With Jersey Boys, I learned how vital it is to have a first-rate creative team making sure everything weaves together. We have that on A Beautiful Noise — an incisive book that tells Neil’s story honestly, fantastic choreography, one of the best directors on Broadway guiding the entire production, and of course, Neil’s iconic songs.”

The production has thus far raised $750,000 for the Parkinson’s Foundation, in recognition of the disease that effectively took Diamond away from the stage. For more information on how you can help, visit www.abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/partners

For assistance booking special access seats or for information about the Princess of Wales Accessibility Services, call 1.800.461.3333. Real-time closed captioning comes right to your own personal mobile device. The accessible exit is located at southeast corner of King Street and University Avenue. Every level of the theatre can be accessed by elevators. There are two at the east and west end of the theatre. There is always an usher in the elevator to help patrons locate and reach the correct level. Certain seats on the aisle have armrests that can swivel out. This allows patrons in wheelchairs or mobility devices to conveniently transfer into theatre seats. There are also certain theatre seats that can be unbolted from the ground, to make room for patrons who prefer or need to stay in their wheelchairs or mobility devices.

Tickets are available at mirvish.com or by calling 1.800.461.3333