The Australian premiere season of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical has expanded even before opening night. Producers Paul Dainty and TEG Dainty, Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio have confirmed that overwhelming demand has driven a two-week extension of the Melbourne season, now running through to Sunday 27 September 2026 at the Princess Theatre.
The musical will mark the first Australian appearance of acclaimed Broadway actor Will Swenson as Neil Diamond. Swenson originated the role on Broadway in 2022, earning widespread critical praise for a performance that critics described as nothing short of transformative.
Swenson arrives in Australia with a formidable résumé. A Tony Award nominee and Obie Award winner, his stage career spans Hair, Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert, Assassins, Les Misérables, Rock Of Ages, Waitress, Murder Ballad, and Jerry Springer: The Opera, the latter earning him his Obie Award. His return to the role of Neil Diamond reaffirms the connection many argue he was “born to play,” capturing not only the sound of Diamond but the charisma and vulnerability that shaped the artist’s legacy.
The Neil Diamond Musical was created in direct collaboration with Diamond himself. The production traces his rise from a Brooklyn songwriter to one of the world’s most powerful and bestselling performers. Across a career boasting more than 120 million albums sold, Diamond crafted songs that became embedded in global popular culture – from Cracklin’ Rosie and Forever In Blue Jeans to the stadium anthem Sweet Caroline.
His accolades include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Australia’s connection to Neil Diamond has its own defining history. His 1972 live album Hot August Night became a phenomenon locally, holding No. 1 for 29 weeks and remaining on the chart for a total of 65 weeks – one of the most remarkable chart achievements of its era. Diamond returned to Australia seven times with promoter Paul Dainty AO from 1976 through to 2015, each tour cementing his standing as a generational performer.
Following in the lineage of Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, A Beautiful Noise blends biographical storytelling with the full power of Diamond’s hits. Melbourne’s production arrives from the Australian producers behind TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, promising a high-calibre creative pedigree.
The Broadway creative team brings together Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig And The Angry Inch), Olivier Award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter And The Cursed Child), and four-time Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten, whose biographical works include Bohemian Rhapsody and The Two Popes. Scenic design is by Tony Award winner David Rockwell, costume design by Tony nominee Emilio Sosa, lighting by four-time Tony winner Kevin Adams, sound design by Tony Award winner Jessica Paz, and hair and makeup design by Luc Verschueren. Music supervision is by Sonny Paladino, with arrangements and orchestrations by Paladino, Bob Gaudio and Brian Usifer.
With the season already extended nearly a year ahead of opening, Melbourne appears set to embrace both the musical and the legacy it celebrates.
Presales open today. General public tickets are available from Thursday 11 December at Ticketek. Visit the official site at theneildiamondmusical.com.au.
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