Sweet Caroline ♪ ♪ >> That was the cast of the Neil diamond musical beautiful noise.

The show is a rollicking trip through a musical catalog to rival any other.

It certainly left his body is singing along.

We are happy to have two men who play the iconic Neil diamond on stage.

>> I saw the show.

It was fabulous.

I am a Neil diamond fan.

I saw him in concert at Madison Square Garden some years back.

But I have a question for the two of you.

I will ask you the same question.

I have seen the show described as a concert where a play breaks out or a play were a concert breaks out.

How would you describe the show?

>> That is the best one I have heard.

It is a unique show in its structure.

There is probably the temptation with one of these kinds of shows to make it a big concert, seeing all of Neil's songs and have a great night and a great evening and go home but ours is a much different idea.

Structured in a play format.

Then these huge numbers erupt out of it.

>> Half of our audience thinks they are at a rock concert.

I think it is a play.

But from my perspective, in view of what I need to do with what I call my scene partner, my therapist, I definitely have to approach this play and hope for the best.

Let's talk about that if you will.

Explain what you mean by that and the structure of the show and how it starts out with you.

>> Our concept is Neil is in psychotherapy and working with his therapist, the elements of his life arbitrate understated by young Neil or Neil then.

That is how the musical numbers are presented.

From my standpoint, I am in therapy the entire evening.

>> It is interesting to contrast.

I will get to that.

When you talk about the idea of portraying an iconic figure that is still with us, talk a little bit about how you prepared to become him.

>> And after approaches every role of the differently on this one is unique in that Neil is a really well-known personality, everyone knows exactly what he sounds like, what he looks like and what he has done.

So there is the danger of not nailing that because people know exactly what to expect.

I just started his movements and sound on YouTube trying to get it just right.

>> This is not somebody you did not know very much about.

>> That is true.

Neil is my dad's favorite singer of all time and I just grew up with Neil as part of my breakfast practically.

He was just always on the loop in our house and in the car so I very much had all these songs in my bones.

It is a nostalgic project for me.

>> SR that Neil himself had said he was both flattered and embarrassed about the idea of having this show based on him.

He said he insisted that if it was going to happen that it would portray him warts and all.

I guess the warts part comes back to you.

In this conversation because you have this beautiful noise taking place in the story and will evolving as the Neil and then coming back to you.

It is some tough conversations.

>> That is what therapy is.

It does get tough.

It goes to painful places.

The experience of rehearsing this in the studio, I have Neil diamond sitting there 10 feet away watching himself in therapy.

I never thought about doing that before.

It is quit intimidating.

It is the nature of psychotherapy.

You go into many times painful issues.

That was overwhelming.

I sometimes can't believe that he and Katie, his wife have done that and the script is very explicit but the difficulties he has encountered in his life including his current illness.

>> The same question to both of you.

I know he was there.

Did you find yourself as you are rehearsing and doing this glancing over toward him to say how was he reacting?

Does he think I am getting this right?

>> That was unavoidable.

Performing as Neil diamond in front of Neil diamond trying to emulate his sound and tell his story within 10 feet of him, it was impossible not to want to see if he was interested or liking it.

I think we were all having this out of body experience.

Particularly the first time we ran the show for him.

And also, he sort of closed his eyes the first time and we thought that he thought it was terrible then he was sort of meditating.

He was dancing in his seat and then he opened his eyes and was singing along and we were like I think he likes it.

That was kind of thrilling.

Super intimidating.

One of the more bizarre and surreal experiences.

Request it is him is like good news and bad news.

The good news is he is right there for you and the bad news is he is right there for you.

>> At one point, the first time he saw a run through, he was up on that catwalk area in the studio and he raised his arms high over his head and he held them there and I don't know what he was doing, I don't know if he was stretching or if it was a physical manifestation of what he was experiencing but it was an indelible thing to me to see that.

I actually use it in the show at one point.

We sing a very famous song and I tried to emulate what he did because for me, it is effortful to do that and it kind of matches what he's been through in a little motel room in Memphis to write this iconic song.

It kind of physical eyes is it for me.

You get after the danger of maybe not getting there.

>> That was a great scene.

There are great teams but especially that one.

He locked himself in the motel room in Memphis.

Let me ask you about something that got a lot of attention.

And deservedly so.

Neil diamond being there on opening night, coming on stage and suddenly you get Sweet Caroline and he is up there and you are there.

Your audience is up there.

Did you know he was going to come up on stage and purchase debate?

>> We did not know if he was going to sing or not.

They were definitely going to be standing there with a microphone in the gym and say would you like to do anything?

We were prepared to do our curtain called the way we normally do.

I think you has done that song sometimes -- thousands of times.

It was just in his bones.

Then he grabbed the mic and sang sweet Caroline for us.

If you like the ceiling blew off the theater in the moment he started singing.

>> It is such an anthem.

We talked about the idea of the Boston Red Sox singing it.

Every night, this is like 1959 or 1970.

Every night, last song to close the song down, sweet Caroline.

What about this?

Often times you hear people say this is a show for all ages but it is not always.

Especially for music.

There are some types of music for music personalities that don't necessarily work now.

Why do you think you can accurately say this is a theater show for all ages?

>> It is his music.

It resonates now just as it did with previous generations.

All they need to do is be exposed to it.

I don't know how will feels about it but it is so heartfelt.

It seems to -- it is not cerebral.

I don't think.

His lyrics and his music are very much who he is and I think anybody of any age, any particular cultural background can appreciate that.

It is remarkable to me.

Maybe they had to be brought by their parents or grandparents.

I think it resonates with anybody who is on the planet at this moment.

>> I said when I was there it was like a concert.

I had never been in anything where everybody is singing along.

Sometimes up on their feet singing along, going into this, did you expect that this show would generate that kind of extraordinary response from audiences show after show?

>> We did not know what to think.

We knew sweet Caroline was a sing-along song and we knew the worldwide anthem for sporting events for all kinds of things.

We have -- we had a feeling that people might sing-along for that one.

We had a contingency plan and then we went out of town to Boston to do our tryout.

Neil was in the audience.

Everyone saw he was there so everyone sang along like crazy.

The next night, everyone sang along again.

Then they continued to.

We thought I guess that is how it is going to be.

It is very much a sing-along every night.

It is also a thoughtful show.

Not just a concert.

You come out having enjoyed singing.

It is called a beautiful noise.

It is sensational.

I want to thank you for joining us.

Congratulations.

I hope you are both well.