Several have heard the old adage about how one gets to Carnegie Hall, but rarely is it said in Christopher Walken’s signature intonation and emanating from Kevin Spacey as it did Thursday night at the 25th anniversary of the Revlon Concert for the Rainforest Fund presented by Sting and Trudie Styler at the famous concert venue.
After Sting introduced him as “President Underwood,” referring to his role on Netflix’s “House of Cards,” Spacey channeled several of his best impressions, including Johnny Carson and President Bill Clinton, before giving the crowd his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.”
Clinton himself then took the stage for a surprise appearance.
“No one can know for sure what will happen to the politics of America and the world so we all have to do what we can,” Clinton said about saving the rain forest. “We do know one thing. We know that every tree and every rain forest on Earth is better off standing than cut down.”
“The last thing I want to say is I love all these performers: James Taylor, Stephen Stills, Dionne Warwick, Patti and Paul, but I know Kevin Spacey came out here and made fun of me,” Clinton quipped as Spacey came out onstage to join him.
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“But I want you to know that I’ve always admired you,” Clinton said to Spacey. “Always wished that I could’ve been in your line of work and dammit if you didn’t get in mine.”
The evening closed with Paul Simon performing “Graceland” and a duet of his songs “The Boxer” and “Bridge Over Trouble Water” with Sting. The group joined together for one last finale.
Opera singer Renee Fleming, Dionne Warwick and actor Oscar Isaac were among the performers. Stephen Stills sang “For What It’s Worth” with a little help from Sting and the rest of the gang.
Trudie Styler spoke to the aud about the beginning of the fund, climate change and why they started the benefit event.
“When Sting and I first started this work, we’d often get called tree-hugging tantric yogis, and I take that as a compliment,” she said.
