Much like many attendees of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, which he describes as “north of 65 (years old),” Robert Westenberg adores the iconic singer of “Sweet Caroline,” “Song Sung Blue,” “America” and many others.

Westenberg remembers Diamond in his prime in the 1970s and ‘80s — and now he plays a version of him in the touring show, which stages in Portland at Keller Auditorium Jan. 6-11.

“Huge fan. I loved his music then and still love his music,” said Westenberg, 72. He plays the Neil “Now” as the star looks back at his career, while former American Idol champion Nick Fradiani plays Neil “Then” and does almost all of the singing.

“I listen to (the music) nearly every day and I don’t get tired of it,” Westenberg added. “There’s a reason he was the most popular performing and recording artist in the world for so many years. He was a seminal part of my life, and I have massive associations with his music, and affection for it.”

Producers Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio collaborated with Diamond, who’s 84 and living with Parkinson’s, to tell the “uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-stopping American rock icon,” publicity says.

It’s a story told in memoir form set to Diamond’s wonderful songs — Westenberg’s Diamond sits through a therapy session the entire show — and it’s similar to Jersey Boys, about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, about the great singer/songwriter King.

“Some of my most thrilling nights have been while I was on tour, bringing my music to audiences across the world,” said Diamond, who has sold more than 120 million albums. “Having A Beautiful Noise go on tour is an honor.”

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Davenport added that “Neil is one of the best live entertainers the world has ever seen,” and Gaudio said that it’s an “incisive book that tells Neil’s story honestly with fantastic choreography and one of the best directors on Broadway (Michael Mayer) guiding the entire production — and, of, course, Neil’s fantastic songs.”

Westernberg had been an actor for many years, and earned a Tony Award nomination for his part in Into the Woods. Lately, he has been teaching at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and directing college and professional acting productions.

He got a call from A Beautiful Noise organizers, who encouraged him to audition for the Diamond “Now” part. He didn’t get a call back — until more than a year later, when he received an offer to play the part on tour, which lands in Portland as part of the Broadway in Portland series.

“It was a complicated decision. It was a fantastic opportunity. My wife said if I didn’t take it, I’d regret it,” said Westenberg, who accepted the offer and began on tour in September 2024. “But it’s a grind, going from city to city, doing eight shows a week and sometimes nine (as in Portland). You have to be disciplined and professional and pace yourself.

“It’s been a real joy and rejuvenation, getting back in touch with the craft. I love what I do.”

While Westenberg’s Diamond helps tell the story, Fradiani stars by singing all the great songs.

“He does it all. It’s Nick’s show,” Westenberg said.

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“I think he has one of the greatest male voices in musical theater stage. He has beautiful pipes. Every night I just enjoy the richness and depth of it. He’s captured an essence of Neil Diamond that is uncanny. It’s effortless for him. He’s been playing the guitar since age 2. He’s just a natural charismatic performer, exactly what you need for that part. He carries the show. Phenomenal guy.”

Of course, Westenberg, the longtime Diamond fan, has his list of favorite songs — the likes of “Cherry, Cherry”; “Kentucky Woman”; “Shilo”; “Solitary Man”; “Soolaimon”; “Holly Holy”; “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show.” (And, a bit of trivia: Diamond wrote “I’m a Believer,” made famous by The Monkees, as a young songwriter.)

Many people know about Diamond, even young people who find themselves attending and enjoying the musical, Westenberg said. To a certain demographic — as he stated, “north of 65” — Diamond rates as an all-time great performer. It’s certainly a time for people to get to know Diamond, as his story has also been told in the movie Song Sung Blue, now in theaters, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.

Westenberg has his take on Diamond:

“He was sort of a reluctant performer when he started. He started as a writer and composer with Tin Pan Alley and cranking it out trying to pay rent. … The breadth and how prodigious his work is — there are so many rich songs that are part of our culture. There’s a compelling argument for him being one of the greatest songwriters ever. The simplicity of music is where his power is. He matches lyrics with music, like a hand and a glove. It’s like a sculpture, and finding life within it — Neil was the same way with music.”

Westenberg had the pleasure to meet Diamond at Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, where Diamond once shot scenes for the 1980 movie The Jazz Singer.

Said Westenberg: “He could not have been more kind about his support and approval of the show. We’re capturing the heart of his journey. There was a gratitude in that, and it could not have been more rewarding.”

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A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

• Where: Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St., Portland
• When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, Jan. 6-9; 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 (added show); 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10; 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11
• Ticket and show information: BroadwayinPortland.com
• Parkinson’s Disease benefit performance: $10 from each ticket sold for the 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, performance will go to Dance for PD Oregon and Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon. Neil Diamond announced in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s; the A Beautiful Noise company has raised almost $750,000 for Parkinson’s Disease support and advocacy so far.