‘A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical’ Review: Good Times Never Seemed So Glum
5 / 10
Mr. Swenson credibly evokes Mr. Diamond’s gravel-scraped baritone, but while his singing is excellent, he cannot quite find a distinctive persona in the character as articulated by Mr. McCarten. As Neil goes through divorces and the self-questioning that any neurotic Jewish boy would undergo upon reaching unfathomable success, the character remains steadfastly stuck in lonely-sad mode. (A flashback to his childhood illustrates its roots: “What kind of boy never has a friend over to play?” his mother laments.)
