For admirers of Neil Diamond, it appears that this year’s Hot August Night is approaching early.
Broadway actor Robert Neary will be the star of So Good, the ultimate tribute concert to the best-selling singer-songwriter, on Thursday, June 13 at House of Blues! The Experience of Neil Diamond.
Prominent actor Robert Neary, who gained recognition for his roles in Grey’s Anatomy, Sons of Anarchy, and General Hospital in addition to his work on theater and cinema, saw the project as a platform for showcasing his leading man abilities.
Since I was eight years old, I’ve truly been a fan of Neil Diamond for my entire life, says Neary. “I worked as an actor for about forty years. I still am, however things changed drastically for me and my category of work after I performed in a Broadway production with a few special guests in 2017. I had to reinvent who I was. After learning that Neil Diamond had retired, I sat down and organized a fantastic tribute event. I discovered a fantastic band, and now, three years later, here we are. We came together during the pandemic, worked on it, sent it to agencies, and began traveling the nation.
After playing in the critically praised Broadway production of Alan Menken’s musical A Bronx Tale, Neary talks about searching for anything to make his mark on stage. He says, “I knew it would be amazing if I created something only I could do.” It’s more than simply a tribute show; I’ve studied the man and am familiar with every aspect of his life story, demeanor, appearance, and voice. That is, in essence, my response when I put everything together in the performance. In terms of Neil Diamond and the genuine concert experience, it’s among the best things they’ve seen. It speaks for itself, really. We’re selling out places because of the amazing reviews.
As a performer, Neary outlines his personal rules for keeping the experience pure for Diamond devotees. “As an actor, a professional that’s been on Broadway, I tell people: this is starring Robert Neary, so they don’t think its just a tribute show, they can actually look up my name and go to IMDB and Google and see everything I’ve done. I set out to immerse myself in becoming… and I never say that I’m Neil Diamond, because I actually got that note by Neil’s wife. ‘You just can’t speak in first person, you can’t make people think you are Neil Diamond, you can’t lead them astray – but we love the tributes.’ So I will put on the persona especially when I perform, I sound like him. When I speak, I’ll speak in third person to tell the stories behind the songs. But I speak with the deep voice, and everything and it sounds like Neil Diamond.”
Neary goes on to provide insight into the writing process for the presentational interludes between musical performances. He continues, “I discovered so much about his life.” The backstories of a great deal of the songs we perform. I was just a huge fan of his singing and the music, but I had no idea that he had a rich life until I really dove into this project and learned about his background. He struggled with sadness, which inspired him to write “I Am I Said,” one of his best songs to date. I go into great detail about that tale. I discovered so much more about him.