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Neil Diamond Fanatics were already on cloud nine on the opening night of his Broadway musical A nice sound on Sunday December 4th. But there was a real treat when the 81-year-old crooner surprised audiences at the Broadhurst Theater with a rendition of his anthem ‘Sweet Caroline’.
I thought the highlight of the evening was watching Neil Diamond watch and make love @beautifulnoise and then THAT happened. pic.twitter.com/P5Mpw9qYlE
— Jamie DuMont (@jamiedumont) December 5, 2022
The show’s audience and cast screamed as Neil took the mic. His voice was as smooth as ever when he sang, and as the crooner approached the track’s iconic chorus, a beautiful chorus began to harmonize behind him.
And the soft-rock legend dressed the role, rocking a toned-down version of one of his signature sequined jackets. Instead of full glitter, the chic look featured a metallic python print over black.
Broadway professional and podcaster Jamie Dumont captured the moment for Neil fans around the world. He went to twitter with the clip and shared: “I thought the highlight of the evening was watching Neil Diamond watching and loving @beautifulnoise and then THIS happened.”
It was a rare outing for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who was on the production with his wife Katie McNeil. Neil has largely stayed out of the limelight since retiring from touring in January 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In fact, it was the last time he performed in New York since 2017.
Fans were heartbroken when he first announced the news in 2018. In a statement shared with NPR and other outlets, he said: “It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from the concert tour.
“I’m so honored to be bringing my shows to the public for the past 50 years. My sincere apologies to everyone who bought tickets and are planning to come to the upcoming shows.” He added that he will be writing music “for a long time.” He finished with a nod to his hit song, “Thank You,” and told fans, “That ride was ‘so good, so good, so good.'”