The Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on November 2, 2022. The show is a jukebox musical featuring the music of renowned singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. It tells the story of Diamond’s life and musical career. A key question that fans of Neil Diamond and Broadway musicals often ask is: how long is the show A Beautiful Noise? In this article, we will provide a detailed answer to that question.
Show Length
The running time of A Beautiful Noise is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 15 minute intermission. Most Broadway musicals tend to run between 2 and 3 hours in length, so A Beautiful Noise is typical in that regard. The show has an Act 1 that is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, followed by a 15 minute intermission, and then Act 2 runs for about 1 hour.
Number of Songs
A Beautiful Noise contains a total of 34 Neil Diamond songs. Some of the most popular Neil Diamond songs featured in the show include “Sweet Caroline,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “America,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” “I’m a Believer,” and “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show.” The musical numbers are interwoven with spoken dialogue and theatrical scenes that tell the story of Diamond’s life.
What Accounts for the Show Length?
There are several key factors that contribute to the 2 and a half hour runtime of A Beautiful Noise:
Storytelling
In addition to the musical numbers, the show includes dialogue and theatrical scenes that tell a cohesive story spanning many decades of Neil Diamond’s life and career. There is a full narrative arc involving Diamond’s origins, rise to fame, romantic relationships, and professional milestones.
Number of Songs
With 34 Neil Diamond songs featured in the show, that accounts for a significant amount of runtime. Most of the songs are performed in their entirety or close to it. The music drives the storytelling and occupies much of the 2.5 hour timeframe.
Elaborately Staged Musical Numbers
The musical numbers in A Beautiful Noise are not just straightforward concert performances. Many of the songs are packaged into elaborate Broadway production numbers involving numerous cast members, complex choreography, scene changes, and costume changes. This adds to the overall length.
Dialogue Scenes
In addition to the musical numbers, there are also dialogue-driven scenes that follow a play format to connect the songs and tell Neil Diamond’s life story. The dialogue and acting components add to the runtime.
How Does the Length Compare to Other Jukebox Musicals?
The 2 hour and 30 minute runtime of A Beautiful Noise is very typical for a Broadway jukebox musical. Here is how it compares to some other recent jukebox musicals:
Mamma Mia!
Also a 2 hour and 30 minute show with a 15 minute intermission. Features the music of ABBA.
Jersey Boys
Runs 2 hours and 25 minutes with an intermission. Tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Moulin Rouge!
Spans 2 hours and 30 minutes with an intermission. Contains pop songs from the last 50 years.
Ain’t Too Proud
The musical about The Temptations runs 2 hours and 45 minutes including an intermission.
Show | Length |
---|---|
A Beautiful Noise | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Mamma Mia! | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Jersey Boys | 2 hours 25 minutes |
Moulin Rouge! | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Ain’t Too Proud | 2 hours 45 minutes |
As the table shows, A Beautiful Noise falls squarely within the typical range for a Broadway jukebox musical.
How the Runtime Compares to Other Neil Diamond Stage Shows
Neil Diamond has previously been the subject of two different stage shows before A Beautiful Noise – both of which were considerably shorter in runtime.
I’m a Believer: A Neil Diamond Musical (1983)
This early musical revue of Diamond’s career contained 20 songs and ran just 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.
The Neil Diamond Musical (2021)
Prior to Broadway, this Neil Diamond stage show premiered in Australia with a runtime of just 2 hours including an intermission. The current Broadway edition has expanded and added nearly an hour.
Show | Length |
---|---|
I’m a Believer (1983) | 1 hour 40 minutes |
The Neil Diamond Musical (2021) | 2 hours |
A Beautiful Noise (2022) | 2 hours 30 minutes |
The table illustrates that the Broadway production of A Beautiful Noise is the longest-running Neil Diamond stage show to date.
How the Length Compares to a Neil Diamond Concert
For comparison, when Neil Diamond himself performs in concert, the shows also typically run around 2 hours and 30 minutes in length. However, his concerts don’t normally have an intermission. Diamond’s prolific decades-spanning discography allows him to fill a 2.5 hour setlist easily.
So the current Broadway show A Beautiful Noise has a very similar runtime to Neil Diamond’s own concerts. However, the Broadway version divides the performance into two acts with an intermission, while Diamond just performs continuously.
Conclusion
In summary, the Broadway jukebox musical A Beautiful Noise runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes including a 15 minute intermission. With 34 Neil Diamond songs and extensive dialogue/staging, this length is comparable to other major Broadway productions and Diamond’s own concerts. The intermission divides the show into a 1 hour 15 minute Act 1 and 1 hour Act 2. This full-length Broadway treatment allows A Beautiful Noise to tell a rich story about Diamond’s life and career. For Neil Diamond fans, the 2.5 hour runtime gives the opportunity to be immersed in his music catalog in theatrical fashion.