THE SMASH-HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL HEADED TO BRISBANE'S IN MARCH 2027
THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL – QUEENSLAND SEASON
Venue Lyric Theatre, QPAC
Season Previews commence on Saturday 20 March, 7:30pm
Performance Times Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Wed/Thu/Sun 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 6.30pm
Prices: From $69 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: Visit qpac.com.au or phone 136 246
Groups 10+ Contact QPAC Groups Department qpac.com.au or phone 07 3840 7466
Groups 10+ Email [email protected]
Images and vision and interviews here.
THE SMASH-HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL
HEADED TO BRISBANE’S LYRIC THEATRE QPAC IN MARCH 2027
“Full of spectacle and humour, emotion and nostalgia, and of course, the music.” - The Age
“An abundance of rich, memorable songs, and energy to burn.” - The Guardian
“This is a dazzling blockbuster of a show that honours the singer-songwriter’s career and legacy.” – Time Out
"A Brilliant Show." - The Today Show (Richard Wilkins)
“A thrilling, nostalgic and deeply moving celebration of the man behind the music.” - Stage Whispers
In news set to send Queenslanders into a Sweet Caroline singalong for the ages, the smash-hit Broadway musical A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL is headed to Brisbane, following its blockbuster Australian premiere and extraordinary audience response in Melbourne. Images and vision and interviews here.
The spectacular production will open at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre on 20 March 2027 bringing the music, the man and the remarkable story of Neil Diamond to Queensland audiences for the very first time.
Presented in Australia by producers Paul Dainty AO and TEG Dainty, Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio, the acclaimed Broadway production arrives in Brisbane with some serious home-state pride attached: three Queenslanders will take to the stage, alongside a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am on Friday 4 September via qpac.com.au with the official waitlist now open at www.theneildiamondmusical.com.au
Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chartbusting, show-stopping American rock icon and one of the most successful and beloved performers of all time.
And what a story it is: with more than 140 million albums sold, a catalogue of anthems including America, Forever in Blue Jeans and the incomparable Sweet Caroline, induction into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and sold-out concerts around the world that saw him become a bigger live draw than Elvis, Neil Diamond’s extraordinary life was made for the stage. Now, Queensland gets its turn.
Like Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical before it, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL — from the Australian producers of TINA - The Tina Turner Musical — is an inspiring, exhilarating, energy-filled musical memoir, that tells the untold true story of how America's greatest hitmaker became a star, set to the songs that defined his career.
Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond’s bond with Australia has been nothing short of extraordinary, spanning decades of musical brilliance and heartfelt connections.
He has undertaken seven major concert tours across the country—beginning with the iconic Thank You Australia tour in 1976 and followed by memorable returns in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2005, 2011 and 2015—his anthems resonating deeply with audiences and securing his place as a cherished figure in Australian music history for nearly half a century. His iconic 1972 live album, Hot August Night, spent 29 weeks at number one in 1973 and 1974 and 65 weeks on the chart, making it the third-longest-charting album of the era in Australian music history.
"Some of my most thrilling nights have been while sharing my music with audiences around the world,” said Neil Diamond. "A BEAUTIFUL NOISE has already had an incredible journey on Broadway and is currently touring across the U.S. I hope Australian audiences enjoy the show as much as I have.”
“Bringing A BEAUTIFUL NOISE to Australia is extremely special for me,” said Paul Dainty AO, President and CEO of TEG DAINTY. “I’ve had the great privilege of working with Neil as his Australian promoter for decades, and this production is a powerful celebration of his life and music. The response from Melbourne audiences has been extraordinary, with standing ovations AND SELL OUTS night after night and audiences embracing every moment of Neil’s incredible story and music. I know Brisbane audiences will be moved by the joy, emotion, and unforgettable songs that have made Neil a legend.”
The Australian cast of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is led in Melbourne by Broadway star Will Swenson in the titular role Neil Diamond - Then, bringing his acclaimed, award-winning performance to Australia for the very first time. Joining Swenson is an exceptional company of Australian talent, featuring principal cast members Terence Crawford (Neil Diamond – Now), Ashleigh Rubenach (Marcia Murphey), Monica Sayers (Doctor), Alana Tranter (Jaye Posner), Tim Wright (Fred Weintraub / Tommy O’Rourke), Paul Hanlon (Bert Berns / Kieve Diamond), Hannah Fredericksen (Ellie Greenwich / Rose Diamond), with Rob Mallett (Standby Neil Diamond – Then), and Mark Owen Taylor (Standby Neil Diamond – Now, Fred Weintraub / Tommy O'Rourke, Bert Berns / Kieve Diamond).
Rounding out the company as “The Beautiful Noise” ensemble are Katrina Bickerton, Jordan Malone, Etuate Lutui (Shilo soloist), along with Cameron Davey, Paul Leandre Escorrido, Matt Hourigan, Alana Iannace, Jerome Javier (Swing) Joshua Kobeck, Anna Mallows (Swing), James Maxfield (Swing), Isabella Roberts, Sophie Tzioumis, Emma Wilby (Swing), and Erica Wild (Swing).
There’s plenty of Queensland pride on stage – and behind the scenes. Brisbane-born Hannah Fredericksen plays the dual roles of legendary songwriter Ellie Greenwich and Neil Diamond’s mother, Rose Diamond. A former Moreton Bay College student, Fredericksen is well known to Australian theatre audiences from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, in which she played Moaning Myrtle during its record-breaking Australian run. Remarkably, Brisbane will mark a very special first: her Queensland stage debut and the first time she has performed professionally in her home state. Joining her is Etuate Lutui, a 2022 graduate of the Bachelor of Musical Theatre at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, who delivers a moving, showstopping solo moment. Brisbane-born Jordan Malone, a fellow Con graduate, and Maryborough-born Katrina Bickerton round out the Queenslanders on stage, while Brisbane’s Liam McIlwain is Resident Director.
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL is directed by Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), choreographed by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and written by four-time Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Two Popes).
The design team for A BEAUTIFUL NOISE features Tony Award winner David Rockwell (Scenic Design), Tony Award nominee Emilio Sosa (Costume Design), four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (Lighting Design), Tony Award winner Jessica Paz (Sound Design), and Luc Verschueren (Hair, Wig and Make Up Design). The production has Music Supervision and Arrangements by Sonny Paladino, Incidental Music and Dance Music Arrangements by Brian Usifer, Vocal Design by AnnMarie Milazzo, and Orchestrations by Bob Gaudio, Sonny Paladino, and Brian Usifer.
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL – QUEENSLAND SEASON
Venue Lyric Theatre, QPAC
Season Previews commence on Saturday 20 March, 7:30pm
Performance Times Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Wed/Thu/Sun 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 6.30pm
Prices: From $69 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: Visit qpac.com.au or phone 136 246
Groups 10+ Contact QPAC Groups Department qpac.com.au or phone 07 3840 7466
Groups 10+ Email [email protected]
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL
@theneildiamondmusicalau www.theneildiamondmusical.com.au
A LETTER FROM NEIL DIAMOND
The idea of a Broadway musical about my life has always been a daunting one. It wasn’t until the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease prematurely ended my touring career that I started to seriously consider the prospect.
I say “prematurely” because my heart and soul would tour until the day I die if only my body would cooperate. My friend and longtime producer Bob Gaudio had some success with his little show, Jersey Boys (perhaps you’ve heard of it?), so I went to him for some guidance on where to begin.
Bob brought in Ken Davenport and together they built the incredible creative team that became, A Beautiful Noise. When Anthony McCarten came on board, we spent hours talking. It was his idea to frame the show in the context of therapy sessions. I loved the idea and never shied away from talking about my years of psychoanalysis. There used to be a stigma around talking about mental health and thankfully through the years, it’s become an important and accepted topic of conversation.
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.
I feel fortunate and full of gratitude for all the people in my life. It is each of them who have impacted and shaped me in their own way to get me to the place where I am now...a better man. A better father. A better husband. A better songwriter.
I’d like to thank Marcia and Jaye, this story wouldn’t be possible without you. My children and grandchildren for your most important supporting roles in my life. My wife, Katie, who encouraged me to keep going through this process and finally, to Dr. Lu Katzman, my long-time therapist who inspired this story. May she rest in peace.
QUEENSLAND MEDIA ENQUIRIES: KRA – Kath Rose on 0416 291 493 or [email protected]
Contact details:
QUEENSLAND MEDIA ENQUIRIES: KRA – Kath Rose on 0416 291 493 or [email protected]