Diana Ross Live in Central Park

On July 21, 1983, Diana Ross' concert at The Great Lawn of New York City's Central Park, attended by 450,000 fans,[1] was cut short by a massive lightning storm. The concert was staged as a benefit to raise funds for a children's park, later known as the Diana Ross Playground, located inside the park at West 81st Street and Central Park West. The concerts were aired worldwide on the Showtime cable network, and directed by Steve Binder, who produced Ross' 1981 ABC network television special, as well as Elvis Presley's 1968 comeback special. Ross produced the concert. The concert was choreographed by Michael Peters, perhaps most famous for choreographing the video for Michael Jackson's 1982 smash hit, Beat It. The stage was designed by Tony Walton, who had the designed the scenery for Ross' 1978 film, The Wiz. The lighting designer was Allen Branton. The orchestra was conducted by longtime Ross collaborator, Joe Guercio.

Ross performed gratis; the only expected revenue was to be derived from the sales of the concert's memorabilia. However, the storm destroyed all of the stands and materials. Ross's entrance involved Jamaica (Queens), New York's Bernice Johnson Dancers performing a West African-inspired dance in grass skirts, as images of Ross in full tribal makeup (designed by makeup artist Rene de Chamizo) were displayed upon the stage's 34-feet-wide-by-24-feet-high video screens. She appeared among the dancers in a rainbow-colored fringed Issey Miyake coat that she let slip seductively from her svelte figure, revealing a tight-fitting, beaded orange bodysuit, that she later covered with a matching chiffon robe, which blew dramatically in the wind, providing some of the concert's most iconic footage. The live broadcast was interrupted a few times when the cables were inundated with mud. Less than 25 minutes into her performance, dark clouds began to gather over the audience, and a downpour ensued. In defiance of the gathering storm, Ross remarked, "It took me a lifetime to get here, and I’m not going anywhere." But young people were sitting high up on the metal sound towers as the lightning came toward the park. Ross begged them to come down. At one point, she said, "My children are here." She didn't want them to see anyone get electrocuted. The crowd was rowdy to begin with, drinking beer, throwing bottles and shoving. As the storm became worse, the crowds pushed closer and closer to the stage. There was general fear of a stampede. Virtually naked in her bodysuit facing into the wind and rain, Ross controlled the mass of people, at one point even telling the police to put their arms over head to decrease the pushing. That evening's performance lasted 45 minutes before the storm's increasing severity, and pleas from various New York City officials and event producers, convinced Ross to leave the stage. Ross implored the audience to leave safely and quietly. She then hinted at a possible second performance, to take place the following evening, July 22. News reports noted sporadic incidents of muggings of concertgoers on their way out of the park. That evening, 2.26 inches of rain fell, two-thirds of that month’s total precipitation. Winds of nearly 50 mph were reported, and electrical power was disrupted for nearly 40,000 homes throughout the NYC metropolitan area during the storm.

On July 22, 1983, the New York City Parks Department determined that the ground was dry enough for the crowd to stand on for a second concert, which began at 6pm that evening. Ross' second entrance involved her leaving her producer's trailer, in full costume, and running across a maze of technical cables to the opening strains of her 1981 Top 5 hit, "I'm Coming Out". Audience attendance estimates for the second concert typically range from between 350,000.[1] Some of the concert's highlights included a performance of Michael Sembello (composer of Ross' #8 Billboard pop chart hit, Mirror, Mirror)'s hit Maniac, during which Ross danced with choreographer Peters, before performing a live recreation of her Pieces of Ice video and a cover of Jackson's "Beat It", while wearing a rhinestone-studded lingerie teddy-style costume. There were also muggings after this concert.

Following the concerts, then-NYC mayor Ed Koch announced that the city had lost nearly $2 million. The initial production costs had not been covered by the lost merchandise, and the second concert required the hiring of all involved for a second performance, which was not in the production's original budget, nor was the grounds' cleaning required to make the second show possible. Koch wondered (to the press) how would the city build a playground, when the expected funds had not materialized. During a subsequent mayoral press conference, Ross personally handed Koch and Parks Commissioner Henry Stern a check for $250,000. Stern later said Ross’ gift provided a far larger amount for the city than all the Central Park concerts combined since 1967.

On September 11, 1986, groundbreaking for the Diana Ross Playground took place on Central Park West and 81st Street in New York.

These two concerts were part of the Up Front Tour to promote Ross's 1983 album.

TV Land awarded Most Memorable Television Performance in 2006, ABC Network chose it as one of the Top 20 Television Performances and VH1's 100 Greatest Moments on TV.

Filmed on July 22, 1983 at Central Park

1. "I'm Coming Out"
2. "Home"
3. "Family"
4. "It's My House"
5. "Let's Go Up"
6. "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
7. "Supremes Medley: "Reflections"/"Baby Love"/"Stop! In The Name Of Love"/"Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart"
8. "God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)"
9. "Mirror, Mirror"
10. "Maniac"
11. "You Can't Hurry Love"
12. "Upside Down"
13. "So Close"
14. "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"
15. "Ribbon In The Sky"
16. "Beat It"
17. "Muscles"
18. "Endless Love"
19. "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)"
20. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
21. "All For One"

• Diana Ross Live in Central Park

• Fan Club
• Official Facebook Page
• Official Twitter Page