As Humperdinck took the stage, in the round, he was greeted with a warm standing ovation from the Long Island audience, and he kicked off his set with a soaring rendition of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” which was penned by Willie Nelson, as red lights dimmed from the stage.
He immediately broke into the mellow, piano-driven “Am I That Easy to Forget” and “My World (Il Mondo).” “Good evening. Welcome to my show,” he said, effusively. “I’m so happy to be here,” he added, and shared that he has been playing Westbury for nearly 47 years.
Humperdinck noted that his song “After the Lovin'” was certified triple-platinum, and he stated that back in the day, Dean Martin was a good friend that took him under his wing.
He picked up the pace with the mid-tempo “Quando, quando, quando,” as his two female background singers joined him on stage in their elegant outfits, and Johann Frank nailed the electric guitar parts.
“Welcome to my world,” he told the Westbury crowd and revealed that he has an album called The Man I Want to Be. “I thank you all for coming here,” he added.
From that album, he treated the audience to his own distinct rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are,” which was harking and expressive.
Equally impressive was “I’m Glad I Danced With You,” his duet with his talented, young granddaughter Olivia Healey Taliaferro (who possesses a crystalline voice), which earned them a standing ovation. Olivia appeared on the giant televised screens.
He sang “Angel on my Shoulder,” which was an ode to gratitude, that was well-received by all, and he covered Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” prior to introducing his gifted bandmates.
“The Last Waltz” was a major hit for him worldwide, and tonight, he did the song justice, and it was followed by a medley of songs that included “This Moment in Time,” “The Way It Used to Be,” “Les Bicyclettes De Belsize,” the country tune “There Goes My Everything,” the sultry “Spanish Eyes,” and the powerful “Love Is All,” which resulted in yet another standing ovation for the English crooner.
“Can I have a drink?” he asked, and the answer was a resounding “yes” from the fans. “You have been absolutely fantastic,” he said, extolling his audience.
He belted out a unique version of “The Power of Love,” where the classic love ballad was sung from a male standpoint, with Johann Frank rocking the electric guitar. Humperdinck threw some Broadway in the mix with the song “On Broadway,” as everybody was clapping along with him.
If that weren’t enough, he even gave his fans a glimpse of his new holiday album, Warmest Christmas Wishes, which was just released on October 12, with the pre-Christmas tune “Driving Home for Christmas.”
Humperdinck closed his lengthy set with his signature song “Release Me,” and he returned for an encore, where he sang “For the Good Times,” as he blew kisses to the crowd.
Warmest Christmas Wishes is available on iTunes.
The Verdict
Overall, Engelbert Humperdinck was sensational at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Long Island. He proved that he is a true song stylist and that his music is timeless. With an illustrious music career that has spanned over five decades, Humperdinck is still at the top of his game vocally, and he commanded the crowd’s attention the entire time. All of his band members and backup singers were incredible as well. Humperdinck’s live show at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury garnered an A rating.
Read More: Engelbert Humperdinck chatted with Digital Journal about his Christmas album and his 50-year career in the entertainment business.
