Thursday, October 1, 2026
For Robert Neary, performing at Eisenhower Park is more than another stop on tour. It is a homecoming.
Neary, who grew up in East Meadow, returned to the park Aug. 13 with “So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience,” his touring tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter. The free show was part of Nassau County’s summer concert series.
Long before Neary was performing Neil Diamond songs for crowds across the country, Eisenhower Park was part of his childhood. He played Little League baseball there and spent winter days sledding down its hills, describing the park as essentially his childhood “backyard.”
“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t performing,” Neary told the Herald previously.
As a boy, Neary sang along to Elvis Presley records and pulled out his guitar to perform whenever company visited. By his teenage years, he was taking acting classes at Nassau Community College and becoming increasingly determined to make performing his career.
At 20, Neary left Long Island for Los Angeles after an acting professor encouraged him to pursue professional opportunities in California. After repeatedly searching for representation, he landed an agent and began securing film and television roles.
His credits included an appearance opposite Jason Bateman in “Teen Wolf Too,” a guest role on “Fame” and a two-year run as Officer Frank Marino on “General Hospital.”
Neary later returned to New York after landing a role in the Broadway production of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” a musical revue featuring the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The production also introduced him to his future wife, Natasha.
“I never thought I’d be on Broadway,” Neary said. “I grew up with Elvis Presley’s music, so it was just meant to be.”
Neary eventually returned to Los Angeles and continued working in television, film and commercials, but as opportunities became less frequent, he began looking for another way to perform.
After Neil Diamond retired from touring in 2018, Neary began learning Diamond’s catalog. In 2019, he approached members of the Long Island-based band The Mystic about developing a tribute show.
The musicians spent part of the coronavirus pandemic recording material and building what became “So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience.” Over the next several years, the act gained traction and began touring around the country.
That journey eventually brought Neary back to the place where his own performing ambitions began.
His Eisenhower Park concerts have drawn former East Meadow classmates, family members and other longtime supporters, with his wife also joining him onstage.
For Neary, who left East Meadow at 20 to chase a career thousands of miles from home, returning to perform at the park where he spent so much of his youth has brought that journey full circle.
