Most of the actors who come through Cleveland with the touring Broadway musicals tell a similar story — falling in love with the theater at a young age, doing shows all through school and either majoring in theater in college or going straight to New York in search of a stage career.

Nick Fradiani, who plays young Neil Diamond in the bio musical “A Beautiful Noise,” followed a much different path. Fradiani had never acted before until he was asked to audition for the 2019-20 tour of “A Bronx Tale.”

“I got approached to be a part of ‘A Bronx Tale: The Musical,'” Fradiani said, during a phone interview from Providence, Rhode Island, where the tour was launching. “I loved the movie, so I said, ‘Let me give this a shot.’ I did a work session with Chazz Palminteri and the directors, and they ended up having me go out on the road as Lorenzo. I put a lot of work in that and really fell in love with the whole process. I ended up getting an agent in musical theater and worked really hard on the acting side of it and booked ‘A Beautiful Noise’ on Broadway after the pandemic ended.

“It’s a new part of my career, and it’s been really amazing. It’s something I think I’ll continue to do for as long as I can.”

Fradiani may have been destined to play this role. When he was 3 years old, his parents took him to see Diamond in concert. While he doesn’t remember the concert, Fradiani said, “I have distinct memories of Neil Diamond being an important part of my musical life. My dad is a musician, and used to do a Neil Diamond set, so I remember him singing a lot of Neil Diamond songs. It’s pretty full circle to be doing this. It still blows my dad’s mind for him to see this.”

On Broadway Fradiani started out as understudy for Will Swenson, playing the role at least once a week, before taking over the part and performing such Diamond favorites as “Kentucky Woman,” “Solitary Man,” “Song Sung Blue,” “I Am … I Said” and, of course, “Sweet Caroline.”

“Everybody that goes into the show is expecting, you know, a jukebox (musical), and you’re going to get all the Neil Diamond songs and have fun,” he said. “But it’s a real heartfelt, deep story. Bob Westenberg is playing Neil Diamond as well. There’s a Neil then, and a Neil now, with him looking back at his life through a therapy session. It’s just a really moving production, and I think you know, when you see it, you’ll understand. It’s just done so beautifully, and I’m just excited to be able to share it with the whole country.”

Fradiani has some experience with the pop stardom path that led Diamond to a career with 130 million records sold. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Fradiani was the 2015 winner of “American Idol.” The year before that, Fradiani competed on “America’s Got Talent.”

Singles “Beautiful Life” and “All on You” from his debut album “Hurricane” made the top 40 on the U.S. pop and adult pop charts, and he’s toured with “American Idol” and as a solo artist.

When asked whether he would have preferred to pursue music in Diamond’s era compared to today, Fradiani said, “That’s a good question. I don’t know. All those people in that time — like the Beatles and Neil Diamond and Billy Joel, Elton John, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen — those are my idols, and I look up to them as the golden period of rock music and pop music. So in my head, I think that probably would be the coolest time to come up. No social media and all that. That sounds like a nice thing.

“But I got to say, nowadays there are so many opportunities to have your music heard. You can share music, even if you’re not a huge star. You can do a Facebook Live and perform in front of tons of people all over the country on your phone, you know? There are a lot of things going on now and you can be a little more independent with your music than before. If you didn’t have a record label back then, you weren’t really putting out music, where now you can, so that’s pretty cool. But there’s something very, very beautiful about the ’60s and ’70s when it comes to music.”

Fradiani hasn’t abandoned his solo career. He put out an album in 2022 and recorded a single in the break between “A Beautiful Noise” closing on Broadway and the start of the tour, and he plans to release it this winter.

He suspects this role could have an impact on what he does in the future.

“I was talking with my friend Eric Donnelly, he’s a guitar player and songwriter in the band the Alternate Routes about when this is over,” Fradiani said. “Obviously, I’m not gonna keep trying to sing like Neil Diamond, but, yeah, I would like to incorporate maybe some vintagey sounds. I just love how simplistic and powerful his songs are. I think that’s why they’re so catchy. So we did talk about trying to incorporate some of his songwriting style into whenever I get to write and record again. I can see that being a thing.

“And he also gave me one of his guitars, so I’m hoping there’s still a song or two in it.”

If you go …

WHAT: “A Beautiful Noise.”

WHEN: Tuesday through Oct. 27. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: Connor Palace, Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

HOW MUCH: Tickets range from $30 to $125 and are available online at playhousesquare.org and by calling 216-241-6000.