Andreas Terlaak
A Beautiful Noise, a musical that will tell the life story of Neil Diamond, has set a date for its world premiere.
In what’s commonly called an “out-of-town tryout,” the show will open at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre on June 21, 2022, and will run through July 17, 2022. It’s the first new show to be staged at the theater since COVID-19 shut down live entertainment.
Boston is an apt location for the show, since Diamond’s signature tune, “Sweet Caroline,” has become a musical tradition at that city’s Fenway Park. It’s been played in the middle of the eighth inning at every Red Sox game since 2002.
In a statement, Diamond says, “I’ve had the joy of coming to Boston on countless occasions, but one of the most special was my 2013 trip to Fenway where I had the honor of being part of a moment of relief, unity, strength, and love.” He was referring to singing “Sweet Caroline” at the first Red Sox home game held after the Boston marathon bombing.
Diamond goes on to add that when the show opens, “I imagine those same emotions will wash over me and the entire audience. Relief… Unity… Strength… Love…I can’t wait to share that experience.”
A Beautiful Noise, named after Diamond’s 1976 album, has a book written by Anthony McCarten, who wrote the hit film Bohemian Rhapsody. The musical will be directed by Tony winner Michael Mayer, who oversaw Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Spring Awakening. The music, of course, will consist of Diamond’s many, many hits.
By Andrea Dresdale
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