Len Fonte — Theater Critic

In the touring “A Beautiful Noise,” Neil Diamond’s massive catalogue of pop classics is impressively performed by Fradiani, who has mastered the singer’s sound and public persona. The “American Idol” winner amusingly reproduces the singer’s classic baritone mixed with a rusty gate growl that makes Diamond’s voice so distinctive. When he’s performing, all is more than well.

The trick for a jukebox musical is to fit existing and familiar songs into a plot that is at least somewhat coherent. By this standard, “& Juliet” is downright Shakespearian, with a contemporary twist on the Bard’s gender-bending comedies, and plenty of slots for Martin’s upbeat tunes.

Fast is a key word here, and the entire evening clocks in at an hour and 15 minutes without intermission. Actually, this seems perfect, as sight gags piling up faster than bodies and ritualized silliness taking the place of logical action can get old pretty quickly.