Inside the Opening Night of Broadway's A Beautiful Noise with Star Will Swenson

On Sunday, December 4, A Beautiful Noise—a musical telling the story, and featuring the songs, of Neil Diamond—opened at Broadway's Broadhurst Theater. The show stars Tony Award nominee Will Swenson as Diamond, and gives the accomplished actor the chance not only to star in a big, bold musical but also to live out something of a childhood dream.

"I’m not exaggerating when I say that Neil Diamond is my dad’s favorite singer of all time," Swenson says. "We had a poster of him in our garage and stacks of 8-track tapes by my dad’s stereo. I knew every song in this show before there even was a show; Neil’s music is in my DNA and so I’m nostalgic about the music."

Diamond himself showed up—and performed!—at opening night, making the night even more memorable for Swenson than it would already have been. "My dad was at opening night and I got to introduce him to Neil Diamond, and he told me it was the greatest day of his life," Swenson says. "That was beautiful."

Here, the actor shares an opening night diary with T&C.