Henri cuts short Manilow set at NYC virus recovery concert

NEW YORK – This time, Barry Manilow didn’t marque it done the rain.

Unlike the Grammy-winning signaling artist’s 1980 hit, “I Made It Through Rain,” the superstar-laden “Homecoming Concert” successful New York City's Central Park was canceled due to the fact that of unsafe upwind arsenic Hurricane Henri approached the Northeast connected Saturday.

Manilow began performing “Can’t Smile Without You,” arsenic portion of a medley of his hits erstwhile the announcement interrupted his performance, ordering performance goers to instantly permission the parkland and question shelter. The vocalist continued on, not realizing astatine archetypal what was happening.

Organizers repeated implicit nationalist code for concertgoers to “calmly determination to the nearest exits and proceed to areas extracurricular of the park.”

The five-hour concert, intended to observe New York City’s betterment from the coronavirus pandemic, was astir halfway done erstwhile the upwind became an issue. Heavy rainfall and lightning filled the sky.

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As the assemblage — estimated astatine much than 60,000 — began leaving the performance area, determination was a infinitesimal of optimism that the amusement mightiness resume erstwhile the upwind cleared. But a fewer minutes later, different announcement said it was canceled arsenic the downpour intensified.

Mayor Bill de Blasio aboriginal tweeted, “While it’s disappointing that tonight’s performance had to extremity early, the information of everyone successful attendance had to travel first.”

The highly promoted mega-concert featured Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson, Carlos Santana, LL Cool J and Andrea Bocelli among the performers.

Fans intent of seeing Springsteen, Simon, and The Killers — who had not yet deed the signifier — expressed disappointment arsenic they were leaving. One antheral could beryllium overheard belligerently yelling that helium paid to spot Springsteen. The bulk of tickets for the amusement were handed retired for free, providing you could amusement impervious of vaccination. But high-priced VIP tickets that ranged from $399 to astir $5,000 were besides sold. There was nary connection connected whether determination would beryllium refunds.

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While the headliners were not capable to perform, the abruptly-ended amusement inactive provided immoderate standout performances.

Jennifer Hudson, backed by the New York Philharmonic, performed a spine-tingling mentation of “Nessun Dorma” from the Italian opera “Turandot.” Equally awesome was that her show followed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Afterward, Hudson told Gayle King that the show felt similar “an retired of assemblage experience.”

The famed New York Philharmonic opened the amusement with galore New York themed pieces, including George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody successful Blue,” Leonard Bernstein’s “New York, New York,” and Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” The orchestra besides backed Bocelli.

Earth, Wind & Fire was joined by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds for a two-song set. And Santana with Wyclef Jean performed “Maria Maria,” earlier Rob Thomas reprised “Smooth,” and their caller collaboration, “Move.”

The eclectic lineup besides featured immoderate “old school” hep hop with Melle Mel dusting disconnected the Grandmaster Flash classical “The Message.” Busta Rhymes performed “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.”

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In 1 of the evening’s astir spirited performances, a radical of backup singers hummed the iconic opening of “Mama Said Knock You Out” arsenic a lively LL Cool J wearing mint greenish sweats and yellowish kicks emerged done them with a rousing mentation of the opus that sent the assemblage successful hyperdrive. He was past joined by Rev. Run of Run DMC for a snippet of “It’s Tricky.”

Special impermanent speakers included Stephen Colbert, Gayle King, Clive Davis, and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Schumer praised New York City’s resilience for coming backmost aft hard times, citing the Sept. 11 panic attacks, Superstorm Sandy, the fiscal crisis, and now, COVID-19.

“After COVID, New York is bigger, better, and stronger than before,” helium told the crowd.

He past thanked front-line workers, saying the metropolis came backmost due to the fact that of them.

Organized aboriginal successful the summer, the performance was intended arsenic a solemnisation of New York City overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. But connected Saturday, the performance kicked disconnected amid worries astir the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.

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Matt Schweikert, who came to the amusement from New Jersey, expressed interest astir the uptick successful cases, but wasn’t peculiarly disquieted astir his wellness astatine the concert.

“They were large taking the due precautions having you got done aggregate checkpoints. I’m assured that everyone present is vaccinated. They’re sober too, truthful that’s great, and I deliberation we’re headed successful the close direction,” Schweikert said.

Native New Yorker Imani Duckette was “excited” to person the vigor backmost successful public.

“Everybody seems beauteous safe, and I consciousness beauteous comfortable,” Duckette said.

New York City implicit the past week has averaged conscionable nether 2,000 caller COVID-19 cases a day, according to authorities statistics. That’s up from conscionable nether 200 cases per time successful precocious June. Only astir 54% of each metropolis residents are afloat vaccinated against the virus.

Before the performance connected the grass, assemblage members were chiefly socially distant. And portion galore were wearing masks, immoderate ditched the look coverings arsenic the performance progressed.

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