American Idol 2015 winner Nick Fradiani cast as Neil Diamond in Broadway’s A Beautiful Noise
Nick Fradiani has been the alternate for Neil Diamond (then) in the Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise since it debuted at the Broadhurst Theater. Now, with star Will Swenson leaving the production, the American Idol Season 14 winner will step into the lead role on Tuesday October 31.
In a press statement Nick said, “Neil Diamond’s music was a huge part of my childhood. I grew up with my father performing his songs, and even taking me to see Neil as my first concert. To have the opportunity to take over the role of Neil Diamond – Then in A Beautiful Noise on Broadway is truly an honor. I have seen first-hand the love, passion, and excitement the audience has brought to our theater over the past year, and I’m so lucky to continue being a part of this beautiful story.”
Will Swenson will play his final performance as Neil Diamond – Then on Sunday, October 29.
Nick has posted a few covers of Neil Diamond songs on Facebook. His rendition of “I Am…I Said” garnered over 3 million views.
Watch Nick Fradiani sing Neil Diamond’s “I Am…I Said”
Obviously show producers appreciate Nick’s talent, as they could have hired another Broadway star to step into the role after Swenson left and kept Nick on as the Alternate who plays the role once or twice a week. Nick usually performed on Wednesday or Thursday nights and would step in as understudy when Swenson couldn’t play the role.
Three finalists from the penultimate season on FOX currently have high-profile careers. Singer-songwriter Jax, who finished 3rd that season, is a chart-topping pop artist (Victoria’s Secret) and Top 10 finalist Daniel Seavey has become a successful solo artist.
In addition to Nick, the cast of A Beautiful Noise also features Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominee Mark Jacoby as Neil Diamond – Now, Chita Rivera Award winner, Tony Award, and Drama Desk Award nominee Robyn Hurder as Marcia, and Shirine Babb as Doctor. They are joined by Jessie Fisher as Jaye Posner; Michael McCormick as Fred Weintraub, Tommy O’Rourke; Tom Alan Robbins as Bert Berns, Kieve Diamond; and Bri Sudia as Ellie Greenwich, Rose Diamond.
Neil Diamond helped create A Beautiful Noise
A Beautiful Noise includes a score of Diamond’s most beloved songs, a book which four-time Academy Award®-nominee Anthony McCarten (I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Theory of Everything) distilled from hundreds of hours of conversations between himself and the legendary singer-songwriter, direction by Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, American Idiot), and choreography by Olivier Award® winner and four-time Tony Award nominee Steven Hoggett (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once, Sweeney Todd).
With his first break into songwriting in the 1960s and his meteoric rise in the 1970s, and plenty of crushing disappointments and heart-stopping triumphs along the way, Neil Diamond has maintained an almost unthinkable level of superstardom for five straight decades. How did a poor Jewish kid from Brooklyn become one of the most universally adored showmen of all time? There’s only one way Diamond wanted to tell it: a musical set to his era-defining smash hits that entranced the world.
A Grammy Award-winning artist, Diamond is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has been presented with the Johnny Mercer Award, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, three of the highest honors bestowed on songwriters and artists. He has also been the recipient of the NARAS Music Cares Person of The Year Award and the prestigious Kennedy Center Award for his contributions to American culture.
