Kellams: The national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical is on stage at Walton Arts Center through Sunday afternoon. This week, actors Tiffany Tatreau and Hannah Jewel Kohn, who portray Diamond's first and second wives, Jaye Posner and Marcia Murphey, came to the Carver Center for Public Radio.
Tiffany Tatreau says both women are very important parts of the Neil Diamond story. My character, Jaye, was there before the stardom.
Tatreau: She really is there at this origin point of his transition from being a songwriter who is writing hits and then giving them to other people. You know, that was his job. That was his bread and butter — “Red, Red Wine,” and “I’m a Believer” for The Monkees. And then before he became the singer himself, you know, even in our show, he says, “I’m not much of a performer.” And Jaye is really there through that transition of songwriter to star and watches that and supports that journey.
I think about how we have so many people, when you pursue a dream, who support you. In our show, we really have these women who support him — Ellie Greenwich, who mentors him, and the people, the women who love him — that guide him on this huge ascent.
Kellams: And Marcia, the second wife, is kind of with him as stardom is emerging. Yeah.
Kohn: They were together for 25 years, so a long, long time. I play Marcia Murphey. She is Neil Diamond’s second wife, and she meets him at The Bitter End, where she works.
I always like to say that he comes into The Bitter End with a lot of clouds. And when you see the show, you’ll understand what that means. But it’s negative thoughts about yourself, limited beliefs, doubts, insecurities. He’s in a lower state, right? And she sees this gift in him. She’s been through a lot in her life, and she knows that he needs to just push himself a little bit because he has something really special.
She is witty and sharp and says things like they are, and she just kind of speaks her mind to him and pushes him to really believe in himself. So she plays this huge, pivotal part in his life and success. I mean, together for 25 years. She was with him through it all and continued to support and love him up until, of course, heartbreak.
Kellams: You’ve both mentioned that these are women who supported Neil Diamond. In preparing for these roles, have you thought about who was there to support you as your careers began?
Kohn: Oh, absolutely. One hundred percent. When I first read the script, I actually saw a lot of myself in Marcia Murphey. And so I thought about how many times I have been in a situation where I didn’t really think it was going to be possible. The people behind me — my family, my sisters, friends, and loved ones — pushed me, continuously pushed me, to really believe that I have a gift and need to share it with the world.
I take in all of my memories from childhood of when those things occurred in my life, and I put them into the show. It’s really special to get to do a part like this where there’s heartbreak and love and support. There are just so many different colors to Marcia. I’m having a blast stepping into her shoes.
Tatreau: Yes. I think, you know, you kind of have two things at play here, which is the show about a performer setting out on this journey, setting out for this dream. And I do feel that when I got this call to come on this tour, it was a big dream come true.
There’s nothing better than getting to call your mom and tell her that you got it. She is someone who picked up the phone every time. My husband, my Aunt Kathy — just so many people who always picked up the phone and, when there were hard days, said, “You’ll get up tomorrow.”
And I think that’s what we get to see a little bit of in Jaye and in Marcia and even in Ellie, and even in the doctor, saying, “Pick it up again tomorrow.”
Kellams: Growing up, did you hear Neil Diamond songs? Was that part of anything?
Kohn: Yeah. I remember hearing Neil Diamond’s music for the first time at a bat mitzvah growing up. I just remember seeing all these adults — everyone rushed to the dance floor when they played “Sweet Caroline” — and everyone’s “bah, bah, bah.” That was my first memory of Neil Diamond’s music.
I’ve really taken in how much he’s loved all around the world. It’s really a joy and special to share his story because people love him, and they eat up his music. It’s crazy.
Kellams: He’s one of those artists that a lot of people now don’t realize — “Oh, that was him too, that was him too, because we know him for “Sweet Caroline.”
Tatreau: But we were just talking about how people are always shocked when they discover “Red, Red Wine.”
Kohn: Yeah, and “I’m a Believer.”
Tatreau: Exactly.
Kellams: How about you growing up?
Tatreau: Yes. These were albums that were on loop in my house. My dad was just a music guy, and he passed when I was younger. I didn’t connect quite until I saw a playlist of all of his favorite songs — and so many of them I get to sing in the show. Knowing that I get to sing “Love on the Rocks,” and my dad loved that song, that’s really special — to have that kind of connection to the music and feel like it’s part of this bigger thing.
Kellams: Neil Diamond worked in the Brill Building, right?
Kohn: He did.
Tatreau: We sure do. We start off our memory lane tour in the Brill Building, 1965, with Ellie Greenwich, where he knocked on doors and was starting to sell his songs. She saw something in him that we get to see fully realized.
Kellams: Tiffany Tatreau and Hannah Jewel Kohn are on stage in A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at Walton Arts Center through Sunday afternoon. They visited the Anthony and Susan Hoy News Studio on Wednesday.
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