When the legendary music of Neil Diamond fills the theatre, it’s impossible not to feel the energy, nostalgia, and heart that defined an era. Now, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical brings that story to life on stage—an uplifting journey through the hits and humanity of one of America’s most beloved performers.
Among the talented cast bringing the tour to Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre this November is Jer, a proud non-binary performer and Swing whose versatility and authenticity shine both on and off stage. Born and raised in Hawaii and now based in New York City, Jer’s path from island roots to national tours (Jesus Christ Superstar, Cinderella, Spamalot) is a testament to passion, perseverance, and pride.
Between rehearsals and tour stops, Jer sat down with GoPride to talk about the joy of performing Neil Diamond’s music, embracing identity on stage, and the spirit of aloha that guides their journey.
The national tour of A Beautiful Noise plays Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) from November 19–30 only.
GP (Matthew Inawat, GoPride): It looks like you've had an incredible journey from Hawaii to New York City as well as touring across the country.
JER (Jer, A Beautiful Noise): It's been a blessing, honestly!
GP: How has growing up on the islands shaped who you are as a performer today?
JER: I think I have an innate appreciation and gratitude that stays with me as I'm doing this. I come from small-town Hawaii and that culture was instilled in me. The familial sense and appreciation for what we have. Hawaiians give a lot of gratitude and appreciation to many things within their life to make sure that they live in a very righteous way. There are a lot of practices and morals that Hawaiians instill, and that definitely stuck with me as I became a professional in this field. It can be difficult - in any entertainment industry, it can be cutthroat, it can be so many things - but the gratitude aspect is the thing that keeps me going.
I think anyone wants to work with someone who's grateful and happy to be at work.
GP: You're part of a show that celebrates the life and music of Neil Diamond, one of the most iconic songwriters in American history. What's it like being part of a production that honors such a musical legend?
JER: To be very honest, at first - many of our company members could probably say the same thing - we didn't really know about the weight and the gravitas that Neil Diamond had, especially what his music meant for people, and how much of his music we do know and are aware of; we just didn't know he was the one behind it all. And we quickly realized what that was as we started performing it. More than just what the show is, the people who come to see the show just love Neil Diamond so much. That's more than just a musical theatergoer; we're seeing people who are fans of Neil Diamond who had seen him at his concerts, and they're coming out to get that one last opportunity to have a Neil Diamond experience. What's special is that it is his music, it's endorsed by him, and a lot of who he is. His soul is wrapped up in this piece. People get to see that still, which is beautiful.
GP: You cover multiple roles and keep the show running smoothly as a swing in the show. Tell us a little bit about the different roles, and what's the most rewarding and the most challenging part?
JER: I cover all of "the Noise" - that's what we famously call our ensemble. They represent the thoughts and musical ideas in Neil's head.
The show is a biographical piece. It goes through the life and times of him, his music, and what happened in those times that inspired those lyrics and those tunes. What's special about being a Noise, or at least covering all of the Noise, is that their vocal parts are written as solo lines. No one person is singing the same vocal line as anyone else. They may double on some parts, but how it was designed is: we all have our own solo vocal line, and sometimes we're the only ones on that line, and we have to make sure we know it and hit it.
So, challenge-wise, musically it brought up a lot of challenges because I had to learn 10 different lines. To know all those different lines is definitely a challenge and a feat once you get through it.
The most rewarding one for me is that I get to cover a lot; and I've been swinging for the past four years, but this is the first time I'm covering a solo-a featured solo. It comes toward the end of the show where it culminates a lot of what we're talking about with Neil. We go through his life and time - an older Neil talking through his therapist - and at the end of it, one of the Noise members sings a song called "Shiloh." It talks about where he came from as a kid. He's an immigrant from Poland; so it has that heavy, meaningful depth behind it, too. I get to cover that song every once in a while. It talks about a young child trying to escape inner turmoil and use art as a form of escape - and that's what he did. I think that's something all artists, and even as a queer young artist, can resonate with.
GP: You wonderfully talked about how the show explores Neil Diamond's journey to self-discovery and acceptance. As a non-binary performer, have you found any parallels or emotional connections between Neil's story and your own journey of authenticity?
JER: Yeah. What this story does so beautifully is it gives him a "human-ness" that I don't think a lot of people, especially when it comes to fame, attention, stardom, really see. People will see only that side of it. At the end of the day, the story breaks down the fact that he is a human who loves his art; who's a poet; who had something poignant to say and wanted to say those things. And the only way he knew how to do it was through his art form.
For me personally, a lot of queer people, especially in theater, go to theater because it is an art form and a forum for us to express our true and honest feelings. There was automatically, at least for me, a safe space and a safe haven to escape the homophobia, the bullying, and the bigotry that came toward queer people especially growing up. I was just a kid. I didn't know why everyone was being so weird to me, but I love singing and dancing, and everyone here is so nice to me, so I'm going to keep doing it. I did both - I played baseball when I was a kid, and I also did theater - and I went to theater because they were a lot nicer to me.
What's so beautiful is that this show is human. As a Noise member, there's no character I'm playing on stage. I'm playing myself. I get to play my fully realized self, and that's part of why we were hired. Because we gave something specific that was so individual and unique to who we are that only we could do it.
To give a little bit of ourselves and our response, and how we would respond. We don't have lines, but we are in the scenes and we're responding and present. That aspect within the show really does highlight and allow for expression in general-no matter if it's queer or not. But because it is a conduit for expression, why can't we have both? Why can't it be a worldly experience and have all of the expressions we have - queer, non-binary, trans, masculine, anything.
GP: What's one routine, ritual, or comfort item that helps keep you grounded while on the road? Touring life can be a whirlwind, right?
JER: Oh, it's insane. I've been touring for four years consecutively now and it's been hard. I'm away from home. I'm from Hawaii and family, my people, are the thing that keep me grounded. That's all to say, to make it easier for me, I travel with family heirlooms that stay with me, and I never take them off, even during the show. They allow me to wear it at least. I have a necklace that my grandmother owned. It reminds me to stay true to who I am, remember where I came from. I never take it off, so it feels like I will always remember where my heart is because of it.
As a routine, I like to practice a lot of yoga and meditation, as well as working out and lifting. I think it's important to have both so I can physically do the job, but my thing is making sure my mind is prepared too-especially as a swing. I don't know what I'm going on for in any given week unless it's scheduled, so I have to find tools to help ease the mind so I can just focus on what needs to get done.
GP: What a perfect way to focus. You've worked with puppetry in previous productions like Cinderella and Spamalot. That's such a unique skill. Do you find that experience influences the way you approach physical storytelling?
JER: I have an affinity for dance. I'm a dance captain here. It's always been in my life; it's my passion. But at the end of the day, in my training what I was taught - and what I believe wholeheartedly now - is that everything we do, whether it's singing, acting, or dancing, is all storytelling. It's all acting.
I went to a school that focused more on the storytelling aspect rather than the lines of it all. We did get training in dance and everything, but it wasn't always about the technique. It was about: how can we have that technique and now layer on the storytelling aspect?
For puppetry's sake, it's immediately coming out of my body into another form. In order to get the story across, you have to act through the piece-physicalize the piece-so you can tell a story. You have to really think about it and be specific about it when it comes to puppetry. Because of the specificity aspect in all storytelling, it makes the job clearer. The more clear I can be, the better I become, I think.
GP: For young artists-especially LGBTQ+ performers-who may be looking up to you, what advice would you give about staying true to yourself in this industry, and what does it mean to you to be a visible non-binary performer in the Broadway touring world today?
JER: It means the world to me. It's absolutely the world to me because I grew up not seeing people like me-at least immediately in a commercial sense, especially at this level. Now that I'm here representing it, it's amazing. What I try to do is be something I wasn't able to have for myself. I want to give that care and that patience and that grace to people, and show that you can still have all those attributes-you can be as queer, as non-binary, as trans as you are; you come as you are-and still get the job done and still do good work.
Beyond my expression, I know I do a really good job. I'm really good at what I do because I care for it. If you care for it, if you have a love for it, if you have the ambition and drive to keep working on it and keep bettering yourself in it-then that's what it is. That's what it means to be an artist, more than what it means to be a queer artist.
At the same time, what kept me going was the fact that it is representation. Maybe now that I'm giving that opportunity and light and permission for a younger queer artist to do exactly what I'm doing, maybe they can also do the same thing for people who look up to them-who are following their story. I'm not a very special story in that there are a lot of people who are like me. But I am special in the fact that I'm able to share my story and share my voice now. If ever you get into this, keep it whole, keep it safe, keep it tender, keep it pure-at least why you do it. That way you will live through it longer-have a long-lasting career.
GP: Tying this back into one of your earlier comments about growing up in Hawaii and family, I love how you bring that spirit of aloha; truly making it visible and carrying that spirit of love, connection and respect with you during your performances. When audiences leave A Beautiful Noise, what do you hope they feel or take away from the experience?
JER: More than just the concert, more than just the music, I hope they can look at the story that's being told in front of them and think. I want them to think about their lives and how the music affected their lives in such a way-but knowing where it came from, I think, has done a lot for a lot of people to do more for themselves. We talk about therapy in our show, and I think that's a very topical thing to bring up in entertainment and in musical theater.
People come to theater and to see art to be changed and to think-whether they realize it or not. That's why art exists-more than just for entertainment purposes. I want the people who are coming to see the show, knowing that they're going to have a good time because of the music, to realize that they're there for a lot more of a deeper meaning than just the music. I think that's what I want them to leave with.
The national tour of A Beautiful Noise plays Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) from November 19–30 only.
Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, the musical features all his greatest hits—including “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and “Forever in Blue Jeans”—and tells the inspiring story of how a kid from Brooklyn became one of the world’s most beloved songwriters.
Tickets and more information: BroadwayInChicago.com