Broadway Backstory Newsletter
Dear Season Subscribers and Broadway Fans:
The grand finale of our 30 Anniversary Season of Broadway Comes to Reno is here – and it’s a big one! A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical makes its stop in Reno as a part of the show’s premiere First National Tour! th
The Broadway Backstory Newsletter is created by Pioneer Center Education to help you learn more about the shows in our Broadway Comes to Reno series. Below you will find information and links [in blue] to websites, videos, and articles about the history and creators of the show. Don’t forget to forward this email to the other subscribers and Broadway lovers in your party.
During the entire week that A Beautiful Noise plays the Pioneer Center, we are proud to spotlight the work of another local nonprofit, The Food Bank of Northern Nevada. This vital organization serves as a distribution hub for 150+ hunger relief organizations throughout a 90,000 square mile area. The organization assists more than 160,000 people each month through a network of 150+ partner agency organizations and direct service programs providing more than 21.7 million meals annually. We will be collecting donations of canned and non-perishable food from patrons attending the show. If you wish to participate, bring your items and deposit them in the barrels outside the theater doors as you enter. Thank you for your consideration.
Your tickets to A Beautiful Noise were emailed to you as a PDF attachment on June 20 . Look for the subject line “Confirmation of Order Number.” We look forward to seeing you at the Pioneer Center soon! th
www.pioneercenter.com
Get the backstory on Broadway’s A Beautiful Noise
The source material for this jukebox musical is the life story, music & lyrics of Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. He has sold over 130 million records worldwide since his career began in the 1960s. The title of the musical references a 1976 album of the same name.
When Diamond was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018 and ceased touring himself, he turned his attention to the biomusical.
Producers Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio guided the development of the show and assembled the creative team. The storytelling lens was inspired by Diamond’s real-life therapist Dr. Lu Katzman. The book of the musical was crafted by New Zealand-born screenwriter Anthony McCarten. He is best known for writing biographical dramatic films including Bohemian Rhapsody, The Theory of Everything, The Two Popes, and Darkest Hour.
Michael Mayer directed the production His 20 other Broadway credits include Spring Awakening (Tony Award), Thoroughly Modern Millie, American Idiot, the revival of Funny Girl and the upcoming revival of Chess.
The choreography is by Steven Hoggett. His Broadway and West End credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Rocky, Sweeney Todd, and Angels in America among others.
A Beautiful Noise had its out-of-town pre-Broadway tryout at Boston’s Colonial Theater in the summer of 2022.
The show immediately made the transfer to Broadway, opening on December 4, 2022 at the Broadhurst Theatre. It ran for 657 performances, closing on June 30, 2024.
The First National Tour began soon after, opening September 21, 2024 in Providence, RI starring American Idol winner Nick Fradiani. This is the tour playing the Pioneer Center before it continues on to major cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Houston, and more over the next year. Visit the tour’s official site HERE.
Learn more about the cultural significance of A Beautiful Noise
Neil Diamond is one of the best-selling recording artists of the late 20 Century. He has been awarded the Grammy, Golden Globe, American Music Award, and Kennedy Center Honor, with inductions into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Barbara Walters interviewed him in 1985. Watch the vintage interview with “Neil – Then” HERE.
th Diamond reflected on his career and creative process for the musical with CBS Sunday Morning. Watch the interview with “Neil –Now” HERE.
