NEWS
Engelbert Humperdinck shines in two-hour Chevalier Theatre show
By LuAnn M Thibodeau Posted May 17, 2019 at 12:58 PM, Wicked Local Medford Magical, majestic, almost mythical... From the first note of “Crazy,” to the last note of “For The Good Times,” Engelbert Humperdinck didn’t fail to please his fans at the sold-out Chevalier Theatre Friday, May 10. Starting promptly at 8 p.m., The King of Romance, clad in a dark gray tux and pants, accented by a signature red shirt, had the crowd in his hands as #thevoicethatmeltsbutter sang a mixture of his older song standards as well as many of his new ones. Such fan favorites, many of which are gold or platinum records, such as “Am I That Easy to Forget” (“my lucky song,” Humperdinck said), to “Il Mondo,” “The Way It Used To Be” and “Blue Spanish Eyes,” Humperdinck kept the audience glued to his performance. Along the way, Humperdinck paid homage to his longtime friend and songwriter extraordinaire, Les Reed, who recently passed away. He broke down as he sang the triple platinum song that Reed wrote for him, “The Last Waltz.” Humperdinck also sang some of his newest hits, such as “Angel On My Shoulder” (which is also the title of the current tour) and “I’m Glad I Danced With You,” a song written by his daughter and her partner, and through the wonders of modern technology, he was accompanied by his granddaughter Olivia, as she appeared on the giant screen and sang his wife Patricia’s part. Humperdinck again was emotional as he sang this song to his wife, who has been battling Alzheimer’s Disease for more than a decade. He also introduced his new single, “I Need You,” which began streaming (“what does that mean, streaming?” he quipped), a song he dedicated to the audience because “without you, I wouldn’t be here.” More than just a great singer, the thespian of music also entertained his fans with jokes and stories along the way. At one point, the band broke into a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” as the crowd sang along and sent wishes to the recently turned 83 years young Humperdinck (May 2). He thanked the audience and said he felt 53 – and looks the younger age as he has lost 31 pounds and looks slim and trim as he moves and dances around the entire stage. The man – the legend that myths are made of – performed for almost two hours without a break. Backed by an excellent band and two female singer/dancers, Humperdinck had complete command of the stage throughout the night. And always wanting to acknowledge the love of his fans, he thanked them as he said “applause is the food of an artist, and thank you for not starving me or my band tonight.” He ended his last song by shaking hands with all of the fans that had gathered around the stage, then donned a bright red boxer’s robe with gold wings and “Engel” printed at the top and “Bert” at the bottom, and received the last of many standing ovations as he mimicked a prize fighter and showed some good boxing and martial arts poses, then exited stage left, until he returns for what his fans hope will be many, many more concerts. Humperdinck is definitely not ready to retire from a career that was catapulted by his blockbuster hit song “Release Me,” which knocked the Beatles from number one when it came out on Jan. 13, 1967, and which he sang with his rich baritone voice that has a range of three and a half octaves, something that most singers can only dream of. And the man and the legend live on and on.