'A Beautiful Noise' at Playhouse Square is a Lumbering Tale of Neil Diamond's Life

When commenting on a play about a songwriter/singer—such as Beck Center's recent staging of Beautiful about Carole King and the current Playhouse Square offering of A Beautiful Noise about Neil Diamond)—there is a temptation to weave some of person's song titles into the review. Just to be, you know, clever.

Well, it'll be a snowy September morn before I do that to Mr. Diamond, a solitary man who scaled the heights of pop music stardom. Like others, I'm a believer in his enormous talent in both composing and singing so his fans will consider this a great play. Me? Not so much.

With almost 30 of his songs performed in part or fully, the ABN company under the direction musical direction of Sonny Paladino does indeed create some lovely noises. But the book by Anthony McCarten is a lumbering affair as the entire story is told from the perspective of Neil's later-in-life psychotherapy sessions.

While the shrink-shtick can be an involving framework at times (i.e. "The Sopranos"), it is somewhat less gripping when the patient is mostly troubled by his rampant success and his inability to fashion a satisfying family life given all his fame and international touring. As Livia Soprano would say, "Poor you!"

Aside from the talk therapy sessions, the script hews to a strictly chronological rehashing of Diamond's career, including his instant discovery at the renowned Brill Building by mega-producer Ellie Greenwich (a spicy Kate A. Mulligan), his brief tenure as a struggling troubadour, and then his untrammeled rise to a niche in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

His unnamed psychiatrist (Lisa Reneé Pitts) decides to coax reluctant Neil into chatting about his life by handing him a volume of his songs and asking him to reflect on the ones that mean something to him. Too bad she didn't hand him a stack of Rorschach tests; it might have led to a more interesting storyline.

The therapy idea is worked throughout the play which feels like an impediment to the momentum of what is, essentially, a concert. In the role of Neil-Now, Robert Westenberg does his best to approximate the elderly star with a grouchy demeanor and a slump-shouldered walk. At times, Neil-Now and his shrink sit on leather La-Z-Boys and watch the proceedings, as if the creators are afraid we'll forget about the therapy part.

Ah, if only we could. Because when the music is happening, it is often glorious as Neil-Then is brought to life through the deep singing voice of Nick Fradiani, a studly fellow who does a respectable version of Diamond's velvet growl. He owns the stage thanks to his singing chops and the juicy orchestrations by Paladino, Bob Gaudio (of Four Seasons fame), and Brian Usifer.

Fradiani is ably supported by a ten-person singing and dancing crew who, thanks to a neat little staging trick, emerge from Neil-Now like Venus from the brow of Zeus. That spirited group excels under the guidance of choreographer Steven Hoggett and—except for some egregiously dramatic arm gestures during a couple songs—adds much-needed energy to the proceedings. Also fine is Tiffany Tatreau as Neil's frustrated but loving wife Jaye.

If you're a fan of Neil Diamond, A Beautiful Noise is certainly must-see. But if you don't go bonkers whenever you hear the first notes of "Sweet Caroline" and prefer a more satisfying storyline, you may consider ABN good ("so good, so good, so good"). But not great.

A Beautiful Noise
Through October 27 at Playhouse Square, Connor Palace Theater, 1615 Euclid Ave., playhousesquare.org , 216-241-6000.

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