Opera Australia rehearses Neil Diamond musical 'A Beautiful Noise

Opera Australia is in the second week of rehearsals at its Southbank studios for the stage production A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. The show opens with an aged Diamond, portrayed by Terence Crawford, confronting his Parkinson’s‑related health decline and reflects on his rise from Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighbourhood.

The production, which debuted in Boston in 2022 and has toured the United States, features 25 songs drawn from Diamond’s catalogue, including a stadium‑style medley. Musical supervisor Sonny Paladino notes that every track must serve the narrative, and choreographer Yasmine Lee is guiding a group of young dancers in stylised movement. The Australian run follows the musical’s U.S. tour and highlights Diamond’s enduring legacy despite his illness.