BWW Reviews: Tony Bennett Wows Audience At Hershey Theatre in Current Tour

On Saturday, July 27, Tony Bennett arrived at Hershey Theatre for a 90-minute concert that included a collection of greatest hits, a collection of anecdotes, and a quartet of fabulous backup musicians. Current musical director, Emmy-winner Lee Musiker, at the piano was assisted by Harold Jones (a favored drummer for Count Basie), jazz guitarist Gray Sargent (who's also worked with Dave McKenna), and bassist Marshall Wood.

Bennett's opening act was his daughter, Antonia, who performed six standards starting with "Too Marvelous For Words". After swinging into "Embraceable You" - though it is difficult to listen to anyone else perform that after the classic (or is that infamous?) Louis Prima/Keely Smith duet - she moved into a "From This Moment On" that strongly recalled Harry Connick's arrangement. Perhaps the most original of her numbers was her rendition of Noel Coward's "Sail Away", the title song from his musical of that name. It's not commonly done, and it's a pleasure to hear it sung anytime. Originally sung on Broadway by James Hurst, the song deserves a more prominent place in the popular standards playlist.

As Ms. Bennett departed the stage, her father arrived to the first of several standing ovations from an eager and energized audience (if this was not a full house, it was close to it). He opened with "Watch What Happens", known to current audiences from his duet with Natalie Cole, but which he's previously performed as a soloist with the Buddy Rich Orchestra. That segued naturally into "Who's Got The Last Laugh Now". One of the most astonishing things about watching Bennett perform live is just how easy he makes this kind of performance look, yet it's the result of his noted work ethic that leaves nothing in a performance to chance. His daughter has yet to achieve that appearance of complete ease in her performance that her father has had for decades.

At over 85, does Tony Bennett still have it? Unquestionably, yes. The voice is still there - there have been changes to the timbre over decades, and a definite mellowing of the huskiness that has settled into it over that time as well, but it is still one of the most delightfully recognizable voices in the business, and Bennett is still the performer that Frank Sinatra claimed to be better than Ol' Blue Eyes himself. He no longer does some of the soft-shoe dancing on stage that he did even a decade ago, but some slowing is inevitable for everyone; he still looks better now than most of us ever have.

Several of Bennett's standards were presented in arrangements far different from the recorded versions that fans have memorized, but that almost all were arranged for full orchestra. A number of the current arrangements are not only stylish but spectacular, his "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" opening with a walking bass solo behind him and finishing with the quartet, as well as himself, at full volume. Wood's bass was also featured heavily in a fine solo in "That Old Black Magic" (although once again, it's hard not to hear Prima and Smith in the back of one's mind).

Other standouts included a charming rendition of "Once Upon A Time" (originally Ray Bolger's number in the otherwise quickly forgotten ALL-AMERICAN) and Anthony Newley's "Who Can I Turn To" (from THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT...), which featured an outstanding piano solo by Musiker. Not the recorded version, or even close to it, this arrangement is more in keeping with the huskiness that wasn't in Bennett's voice when he recorded the original orchestration.

Although Bennett has spent the past decade specializing in duets, the only duet of the evening with Antonia was a performance of Stephen Sondheim's "Old Friends" (MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG), squeezed in between a bravura performance of "Sing You Sinners" and "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)". This particular version of "Sing You Sinners" requested that the non-singers drive away the devil by clapping, rather than by dancing - quite possibly because there was enough audience to prevent any major movement by the crowd.

It comes as no surprise that there was an audience near-riot at the first words of "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," which was followed by the second of several standing ovations promptly after songs (the previous one being after his second Anthony Newley cover, of "For Once In My Life") - a few more came in rapid succession, culminating with his pairing of Chaplin's "Smile" and "When You're Smiling".

Bennett saved his "unplugged" moment for his encore, which, as it often is, was "Fly Me To The Moon" - unmiked, and a cappella. Even in the cavernous recesses of the Hershey Theatre, which really requires serious sound tech work to enhance audibility, Bennett could be heard perfectly around the theatre. It's a stunt, yes, but it's an invariably effective one, and a fine testament to his learning to sing back when you had to work to make yourself heard: Bennett not only has one of the finest voices in the business, but one of the greatest sets of lungs outside of opera (it's no particular shock to discover that he did train in Bel Canto singing after his military stint).

Any number of "older" performers, whether on tour or at the casino lounges and auditoriums that seem to have become their homes, wallow in easy arrangements, long earlier-career-anecdote sessions, and a weak performance of a few of their major hits, wrapping up a high-priced ticket show in an hour. There's no such corner-cutting for Bennett, who still gives a show that would put many younger singers, as well as ones from his generation, into exhaustion. And it's obvious that he's enjoying himself on stage. There's nothing better than watching someone who loves what they're doing, especially when you also love it.

It's always a pleasure when Hershey brings in concerts of this sort, and an equal pleasure to see The Mixed Bag of ages in the audience, including a few minors being indoctrinated into serious Great American Songbook by their families. It would be nice to see Bennett back in the area next year - the audience turnout suggests it can be supported. People who missed him this time around deserve the chance to rectify the situation, especially if they've never experienced Tony Bennett live before.

For Hershey Theatre information, visit www.hersheytheatre.com.

Photo credit: Mark Seliger

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