‘This is so good!’:The Neil Diamond experience is coming to Bucks in……

Neary never saw himself pursuing a career centered on his lifetime favorite artist. But for the past few years, that has been his thrilling reality. Neary dons his beloved sequinned jacket and plays Diamond’s greatest hits at venues throughout the UK in his tribute show So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience, which is part of Bristol Riverside Theatre’s William Penn Bank Summer Music Fest from August 7 to 11.

Throughout the 90-minute presentation, fans will hear around 20 of Diamond’s most popular songs, all performed precisely as he used to at his concerts. The lone exception is “Pretty Amazing Grace,” which Neary performs acoustically.

In addition, showgoers will hear little-known stories about how each song was created. When putting together the show, Neary did extensive study on Diamond, reading his authorized autobiography and learning about the musician’s background at the time he wrote these cherished songs. Many may not realize that when he penned “I Am…I Said,” he was experiencing a four-year depression.

The concept for So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience visited Neary in 2019, just months before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 epidemic. For years, this Long Island, New York native was a prominent performer on stage and television, guest starring on shows such as Sons of Anarchy and Criminal Minds, as well as appearing on Broadway in A Bronx Tale: The Musical and Smokey Joe’s Cafe.

But that year, Neary observed a change. He was getting fewer auditions, and finding consistent, compensated work grew more difficult.

“I decided, ‘OK, I need to reinvent myself,'” he told me.

At the time, preliminary negotiations were taking place about the Diamond-inspired jukebox musical A Beautiful Noise, but nothing was set in stone. Still, the idea of merging his love of Diamond with the stage excited Neary, who discussed it with his wife and brother, the latter of whom recommended he create his own performance.

Neary was confident in his abilities and succeeded.

He quickly teamed forces with The Mystic, a Long Island-based band with over 20 years of experience that Neary believed was the ideal fit for his concept. They began training and perfecting Diamond’s sound, with their first two gigs scheduled for March 2020. Of course, they did not go as planned due to shutdowns. However, this obstacle did not derail their progress in the slightest. So glad things opened up again! The Neil Diamond Experience began touring and has not stopped since.

“Now we’re touring across the country. We have 60 dates coming up through 2025. “Live Nation is promoting some of them,” added Neary. “It’s become sensational.”

In fact, a concert film/documentary of the show, which was shot last year in front of 10,000 at an outdoor venue, is slated to hit Amazon Prime this fall.

When asked if he ever expected the show to become this big, Neary candidly responded, “I did. When I put it together, I had every expectation that this was gonna be one of the biggest and best tributes. My bandmates were amazed that everything I said was going to happen came to fruition. Also, this wasn’t just, ‘Oh, let me try this.’ This was something I needed. I had two kids going into college at the time, and I wasn’t getting called for auditions anymore. I put my all into this, and I’m happy and grateful that it’s everything that I wanted it to be and more.”

Much effort went into making So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience a reality, from studying over records to construct the greatest lineup imaginable to assuring such a show could be legally staged. Neary chose songs primarily from Neil Diamond’s 50th Anniversary Collection and other greatest hits CDs.

“They [the songs] just kind of fell into place as far as how they start,” he added, pointing out that the final 25 minutes are a rollicking, joyous tribute to Hot August Night. “It’s a real show.”

In terms of legality, Neary learnt from a common friend of himself and Diamond’s wife, Katie McNeil Diamond, that there were no restrictions as long as he underlined that it was a tribute event and informed fans that they were not watching the genuine Grammy-winning performer.

There were no limits on Neary wearing his own version of Diamond’s renowned sequinned jacket.

“Oh, the jacket makes it!,” he said, recalling how he discovered it at a mall while shopping with his wife. “This is the real deal. It is handmade in Turkey and contains no imitation sequins or plastic. But because I only bought one, I carry it with me everywhere. It is never put in checked luggage. It is constantly with me, whether in my guitar case or my carry-on bag. I never give it to anyone. “I do all of my own handwashing.”

Diamond’s music, like his clothes, is timeless and currently appeals to multiple generations. At every presentation, Neary sees both original “Diamondheads” in the audience, as well as young adults, teens, and children who were either introduced by their parents/grandparents or are familiar with songs like “I’m A Believer,” heard in Shrek, and “Sweet Caroline.”

“If you listen to the lyrics, they are pleasant. They feel nice. “It’s timeless for people back then because he released songs and performed every year,” Neary added. “There is no music that people cannot relate to. It transcends time.

Looking ahead, Neary is open to taking on the occasional guest-starring part or commercial if he’s in town and has the time, but acting is no longer his primary priority. Rather, his major ambition is to continue performing the songs that served as his childhood soundtrack to fellow Diamondheads all throughout the country for as long as they exist.

Due to renovations at the Bristol Riverside Theatre, So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience events will take place at Benjamin Franklin Middle School’s indoor, state-of-the-art auditorium, 6403 Mill Creek Road in Levittown. Tickets and further information can be found at brtstage.org/shows/neil-diamond/.