- A BEAUTIFUL NOISE
- Starlight Theater, Kansas City, MO
- July 7, 2026
Our score: 4.5 out of 5
To say Neil Diamond was important in our house when I was growing up is an understatement. My mother, Rose, was, and still is, quite possibly his biggest fan. She maintained that the song “Cracklin’ Rosie” was about her. She would pay A LOT of money every time Diamond came to Chicago so she could be in the front row. She made him shirts, which she had sent backstage. Let me put it this way: I lived in Baltimore for thirteen years. She came out to visit me twice, coincidentally at the same time Diamond was in the area. In 1994 she called me all excited. “Did you hear,” she asked, “Neil and Marsha are getting divorced.” I asked who Neil and Marsha were and she replied “Neil Diamond.” I asked, “Mom, did he ask you to marry him?” “No.” “Maybe next time.”
Having seen Diamond in concert three times over the years (once without my mother) I was looking forward to the arrival of the Broadway musical “A Beautiful Noise,” which recently opened at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City. And I wasn’t disappointed.
The show is pretty much a look back at Diamond’s career, told by Diamond himself (Robert Westenberg) as part of an extended therapy session with his psychiatrist (Lisa Renee Pitts). Mr. Westenberg is billed as “Neil – Now.” Also playing Diamond, billed as “Neil Then,” is portrayed by former “American Idol” winner Nick Fradiani, who perfectly portrays both Diamond’s quite off-stage persona as well as the powerful performer the world knows. Snippets of Diamond’s early career are shown: meeting and being championed by songwriter Ellie Greenwich (Heidi Kettenring), having his songs recorded by the Monkees (Diamond wrote three of the best tunes the Monkees ever did: “I’m A Believer,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” and “Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow”) and, finally, having the courage to sing his own songs, becoming at one time the most successful live performer in the world.
The music, of course, is top notch. Backed up by an ensemble of dancers/singers, Fradiani, who also played Diamond in the Broadway version, is spot on both visually and, even more important, vocally. Close your eyes and I guarantee you couldn’t tell he difference between Fradiani and the real Neil Diamond. Fradiani also shows some great dramatic chops, as he is forced to relive some of the toughest moments of his life.
The supporting cast is equally strong, featuring top work by Ms.’s Pitts and Kettenring. If there is a weak spot in the cast, it’s Westenberg, whose emoting is so over the top as to border on comical.
Kansas City is the last stop on the tour so if you love Neil Diamond and are in the area, please take the opportunity to see “A Beautiful Noise.” You won’t be disappointed! And yes, my mother would love it!
On a scale of zero to five, A Beautiful Noise” receives ★★★★ ½