Bill Murray Serenades Fans with Surprise Concert of Broadway Tunes in N.Y.C. Park
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Bill Murray is showing off his singing skills.
On Wednesday afternoon, the 71-year-old actor serenaded fans with a surprise performance in New York City's Washington Square Park, as seen in video footage shared online by documentary film director and social media personality Nicolas Heller.
Joined by cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang and pianist Vanessa Perez, Murray sang an array of Broadway classics, including "It Ain't Necessarily So" from Porgy and Bess and "America" from West Side Story. The actor also performed Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem Dog.
On Instagram, Heller shared clips of Murray's performance. In one video, the Ghostbusters star can be seen preparing for his impromptu set. "I'm gonna put the mask on, I'm gonna try to be as subtle as I can," he says.
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In another clip, Murray performed another West Side Story hit — "I Feel Pretty" — with glee for the large crowd gathered before him. "See the pretty girl in that mirror there? Who can that attractive girl be? / Such a pretty face, such a pretty dress / Such a pretty smile, such a pretty me!" he sang.
In the comments section, fans praised Murray for the spur-of-the-moment concert. "Protect him at all cost[s]. He's a ray of sunshine," one fan wrote as another added: "He is what we needed today."
Earlier this week, Murray appeared on KTLA 5 alongside Vogler, 57. There, the duo chatted about their musical talents while promoting their upcoming concert documentary, titled New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization.
"I saw him singing in The Jungle Book and I saw him reciting poetry at a poetry gala and I thought, 'Wow, he can sing! He can recite poetry. I can play the cello," said Vogler.
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"... We can do a show and go around the world, and his answer was, 'I would love that,'" he continued. "So we got Mira and Vanessa involved ... and we put the pieces together — the music and songs and literature ... and poetry — and then we started touring."
Calling it an "amazing experience," Vogler said the group performed in over 65 shows across the globe. "Every time we felt how special this collaboration is, and I'm very grateful I have this in my life and that he inspired me so much," he added.
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Murray, for his part, explained that he became attached to the project after experiencing what it was like working alongside the band.
"Well, I like to sing in the shower," he joked. "... So I thought, I'm not doing the world any good using all this water, just getting my singing thing out. So to have this opportunity ... any one of us could sing in front of this band ... [but when] you get in front of it, it takes you where you did not think you could go."
Added Murray: "I never thought I could sing like this, but these music and players make it possible."
New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization will hit theaters next month on Feb. 2.
