The story of Neil Diamond has been built into a musical telling how a boy from Brooklyn New York ended up writing and performing music that sold more than 120 million records worldwide.
For his fans, with a host of their favorite songs to choose from, the Houston arrival of the tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical offers a chance to bask in “Sweet Caroline,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” (his memorable duet with Barbra Streisand) “I Am … I said,” Kentucky Woman,” “Solitary Man,” and more.
The setup is that an older Neil talks to his younger self and the songs come out along the way.
Besides the lead performers, the ensemble, re-christened The Noise in this musical, provides all the needed background harmonies as well as filling specific spots in the show as needed.
One of those “swings” is Jer who fills in when someone falls ill or goes on vacation. Jer, who is non-binary, is based in New York City and their previous experience includes swing duties for the Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary national tour.
“I cover all The Noise in our show,” they say, adding that usually covers the male-presenting tracks but also covers female roles as well if needed. In some cases, they say, they’ve been called upon at the last minute to fill in, but they’re helped in this by the camaraderie and support they get from other members of the show. And besides, they say, it’s kind of exciting to do.
Jer, a Hawaii native, says one of their best moments was getting to meet Diamond during a matinee performance in Los Angeles. “That’s an icon, superstar legend. I didn’t expect that we were actually going to meet him. He surprised the whole show. At the end of the show he sang ‘Sweet Caroline.’
“As much as I see the people getting really excited about our show, that seeing Neil Diamond, people immediately burst into tears. He’s done so much. He’s made people feel so good. People love him and adore him and his music has done so much for their lives. I think that’s a special thing. “
Diamond retired from touring in 2018 after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease but collaborated on the making of this Broadway musical. “He chose to continue his legacy through a musical,” Jer says.
Audience members sing along all the time, Jer says, often saying they have their own favorite song.
“If you love theatrical magic, I think our show does that so beautifully. We label this as a small intimate play with music.”
Performances are scheduled for November 4-9 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Thursday and 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Hobbby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-7625 or visit thehobbycenter,org. $55-$265.
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical has raised $750,000 for the Parkinson’s Foundation. For more information on how you can help, visit abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/partners