Tour choreographer Yasmine Lee credits the stellar cast of the Neil Diamond musical “A Beautiful Noise” for the energetic buzz one feels when watching the show.
Currently playing at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater, “A Beautiful Noise” follows Diamond’s rise to stardom from a young kid in Brooklyn to a rock icon. All the hits, “America,” “Forever in Blue Jeans” and “Sweet Caroline” are woven in, threading the story together.
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The touring cast features Robert Westenberg as Neil Diamond, Hannah Jewel Kohn as Marcia Murphey and Lisa Reneé Pitts as Doctor. “There’s an electricity in this company that allows the choreography to be liberating and do all of the storytelling and as well as be dazzling when it needs to be dazzling,” says Lee. As they travel from city to city and venue to venue, Lee adds, “They really are committed to the storytelling.”
Lee spoke with Variety about keeping the show fresh and energized on the road.
The show opened on Broadway in 2022. It’s now on tour. How do you keep the show clean and fresh for the road?
There are a lot of things that go into that. It’s stellar casting. We have a company of young actors who are dedicated, committed and incredible. They really take pride in doing good work and keeping it fresh for themselves, which keeps it fresh for the audience. Within the cast, I have two dance captains, and because they’re a part of the company, they also understand the work from the inside and can do maintenance work as the show is traveling around. I do go out and visit the company on occasion and do bigger check-ins and all of that.
The show is currently at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. How do you adapt the show when it goes to somewhere like San Francisco, where the stage dimensions are different? And within that, how do you work with the ensemble to adjust?
There are some technical adaptations that happen in terms of the audience perspective as well as sight lines.
In the song “America,” it’s not explicitly stated for the audience, but there is an entrance where I have placed the Statue of Liberty. As the cast comes on stage, there’s one point where everybody is gazing off into the distance, and that position represents the Statue of Liberty. On a technical side, it’s evaluating each stage, each venue, and seeing which small shifts need to occur. One of the things that I stand by and keep revisiting with the cast is that the show is the show. For instance, when we get to really large houses, I think the performers want to push out into the house further, in particular, if it’s a really kind of enthusiastic and loud audience, the cast kind of wants to meet that energy. I think of this show as a big, dazzling Broadway musical. I also think of it as a small play about the singular human being, Neil Diamond. Because it’s a play about a musician, there’s music, right? So I believe they must make the audience come to them. In that respect, I ask that they don’t push to the house, that they don’t adjust from stage to stage, other than the little technical things, but the play remains the play, and it’s effective because the audience leans in and gets their heart hooked in ways that I don’t think would be possible if it’s just dazzles forward.
How often are you doing a run-through with the cast and ensemble?
Unless there’s something that really requires my attention more urgently, which would be, if there’s a new actor, or some injury, or something that hasn’t been working for a while, either the dance captains or our stage management can flag and say, “Hey, we really need you to come out and look at this.” That situation aside, my sweet spot for visiting a show is about every five to eight weeks because it’s just tapping the edge where things might start to slip, unbeknownst to them.
The audience has expectations for their favorite songs, such as “Sweet Caroline,’ or other numbers they’re excited to hear. How much are you able to switch a performance up a little bit for the road?
Changes happen in the music department first. So if there are different orchestrations, or if something is shortened, or arrangements are different, then choreography and movement respond to what we’ve been offered.
And to expectations, I think trying to play to the expectations of an audience can be tricky territory for any artist. There’s an awareness, and then I think it needs to be forgotten for a little while, so that the information gets out. There’s a structure and a construct, and an idea, and then it can be tested and played with.
In terms of putting numbers together, is there more pressure on an ensemble piece, or in those quieter moments?
It’s really a case-by-case basis. I don’t know that one is more difficult than the other. I will say ensemble work is something that I love. I love building a company. I love building an ensemble. I love finding the voice of an ensemble and how they contribute to storytelling, in particular in “A Beautiful Noise,” because the ensemble is the noise in Neil’s head. So they’re all some facet of our protagonist. I have a personal affinity for ensemble work. And when I have the moment, the opportunity to work one-on-one with our actors, it’s so wonderful.
Is there a number in the show that you’re particularly proud of pulling off?
“Forever in Blue Jeans.” It’s a moment in Marsha Murphy’s life. We only ever see the ensemble on stage if Neil is on stage, because they are the “Noise” in his head. It’s the only time in the show where we pull the “Noise” on stage when Marsha’s on stage. It’s a moment where we’re saying that his wife is affected by the noise in his head. In some sense, she can hear it. So I think it’s a little bit of a leap, and it’s successful. It works every night beautifully. The “Stadium” medley is a fan favorite, a company favorite. It’s so much fun. It’s high-end. It’s high octane. It’s the moment in the show where Neil is in concert. We get to see the dancers in their full performative nature. In terms of pushing our performers, it’s a really challenging moment, but they achieve it.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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