Why this spectacular new show will have Neil Diamond fans in tears

"I know that they're screaming for Neil Diamond, but I'm happy to be the recipient of that love and stand in his shoes." said Will Swenson, who portrayed Diamond on Broadway, and has travelled Down Under for the Australian leg of the tour.

Swenson grew up listening to Diamond, and his father had posters of the rock star pinned up in their garage.

"He was my dad's favourite singer of all time," he said.

"Those songs were just in my bones growing up, so I knew every song before this was even a project."

While Australian audiences might expect a straight autobiographical plot with catchy jukebox performances, Swenson said the timeline shifts, weaving together personal memories and hit songs.

"We knew people were going to come wanting a big concert experience, but we also knew we were going to tell this emotional story," Swenson told The Senior.

"The creators of the show did a really creative thing, finding a new angle to tell a life story."

Swenson, 53, is a Tony Award nominee, and a beloved Broadway and West End performer, who has starred in dozens of on-stage hits including Hair, Les Miserables, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, and Rock of Ages, and appeared in feature films including The Greatest Showman, alongside Hugh Jackman.

Fans are often swept up by his high energy performances, embracing the chance to sing along to hits like Sweet Caroline and Cracklin' Rosie.

"I've never experienced what I experience in this show when I come out for the first opening number," Swenson said.

"They're so ready to have a night with Neil Diamond that they scream and scream."

Diamond, who retired from performing in 2018 following his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease, said watching the show was "therapeutic", allowing him to relive the joyful, and more painful parts of his life.

"The idea of a Broadway musical about my life has always been a daunting one," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee said in a statement.

"It wasn't until the symptoms of Parkinson's disease prematurely ended my touring career that I started to seriously consider the prospect.

"In the end, coming to terms with my life and accepting it has somehow come full circle."

A Beautiful Noise explores Diamond's early life in Brooklyn, charting the Sweet Caroline singer's rise to international superstardom.

The show was a roaring success on Broadway, running for two years and playing 647 shows.

Australia has a long connection with Diamond, who has toured here seven times, including in 1975, for his Thank You Australia tour, and most recently in 2015.

Swenson was praised for his performance on the show's debut, with Forbes saying the actor "electrifies audiences".

But preparing for the all-singing, all-dancing job of playing Diamond is demanding, and Swenson said he pours most of his energy into the role.

"It's physically pretty taxing, because it's a lot of energy to perform those songs and play the guitar, and to create Neil's sound," he said.

"You end up ... living a very quiet life.

"You try not to speak too much or speak too loudly, and make sure you're hydrated, and a lot of physical therapy and stretching, and all those boring things."

The actor said his own favourite Diamond song changes from night to night, but he is currently enjoying the gospel-style hit Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show.

"He's finally come into his power," he said of the 1969 hit.

"A full band is all over the stage, and he's in sequins, and just at the height of his glory."