How do you tell the story of a successful musician who wrote hundreds of songs, dozens of top-10 hits, and whose career spanned decades? Well, in the musical “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,” you start in a therapist’s office. 

Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond, the show begins as an aged Diamond (Robert Westenberg) reluctantly talks to a therapist (Lisa Renee Pitts) about his career, childhood, life and fears. It’s an interesting, yet slow, way to start the show, as his memories come to life on stage.

The young version of Diamond (Nick Fradiani) captures the “gravel wrapped in velvet” voice of the superstar, while also demonstrating his crippling anxiety and loneliness. 

After partnering with music producer Ellie Greenwich (Heidi Kettenring), Diamond sells his songs to other performers, including the Monkees, who made “I’m a Believer” one of the biggest hits in the 1960s.

As Diamond’s solo career takes off, he leaves his wife, Jayne (Tiffany Tatreau), for Marcia Murphy (Mary Page Nance), who stays with him through the majority of his touring career, often lamenting his absence. They eventually split up, leaving her with one of the biggest divorce settlements at the time. 

The show includes performances of many of Diamond’s hits, including “Cherry, Cherry,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” “Shilo,” “Song Sung Blue” and, of course, “Sweet Caroline,” which got the crowd involved. Having a live band on stage was a bonus. 

While the musical numbers were well-performed and energetic, they contrasted with the story, which seemed to lag, especially as Diamond (in both the young and old versions) wallowed in melancholy. Everything led up to the pivotal moment when Diamond reached his therapeutic epiphany with “I Am…I Said.”

For all who regularly read my reviews, y’all know I have a low tolerance for musical biopics, since they tend to follow a similar formula: Star is talented, gets a break, rises to fame, screws up his family/career, wallows in self-pity/alcohol/drugs/sex, and is redeemed. It’s often a trite retelling of their story, interspersed with their greatest hits. 

However, my husband, a huge Neil Diamond fan, loved the show. 

Presented by Zions Bank and Broadway at the Eccles, “A Beautiful Noise” is playing at Eccles Theater in Salt Lake through Sunday, Jan. 25.