Van Wezel's 40th Anniversary Celebration To Feature Tony Bennett Concert And After-party 1/5/2010

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall celebrates its 40th anniversary in grand style Tuesday, Jan. 5-kicking off with an 8 p.m. concert by superstar Tony Bennett followed by a party with wine, cake and fireworks.

After the concert by the indefatigable "singer's singer," the special Celebration Party for all ticket-holders will be held in the Grand Foyer and terrace. Tickets to all the evening's festivities are $75 -$120 (with a limited number of "smart seats" priced at $30).

Born in Queens, NY in 1923, Anthony Dominick Benedetto has nurtured his dual passions of singing and painting throughout his life. He began singing while waiting tables as a teenager then performed with military bands throughout his overseas Army duty during World War II.
The singer's big break came in 1949 when comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village. Hope suggested he use the name "Tony Bennett" for his show business career.

With dozens of platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received 13 Grammy® Awards as well as the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The MTV Generation adopted him as their own after Bennett appeared with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the 1993 MTV Video Awards. He appeared on MTV Unplugged and the resulting recording of the same name garnered him the top Grammy Award for Album of the Year. "Tony Bennett has not just bridged the generation gap," observed The New York Times, "he has demolished it. He has solidly connected with a younger crowd weaned on rock. And there have been no compromises."

Fellow superstar Frank Sinatra called Bennett "the best singer in the business."
His early chart-toppers included "Because of You," "Rags To Riches" and a cover of Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." Among his two-dozen songs in the Top 40 were "I Wanna Be Around," "The Good Life," "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" and his signature hit, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," which earned him two Grammy Awards.

Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums chart in the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and into the new millennium. He introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become pop music standards. He became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005, and was named an NEA Jazz Master in January of 2006. Billboard magazine bestowed him with their elite Century Award in honor of his outstanding contributions to music.

Bennett has received an Emmy® Award and a Cable Ace Award for his groundbreaking television special, Live By Request...Tony Bennett, which featured a unique interactive format in which the viewing audience called in song requests during the program (a concept created by Bennett that has become a regular special on the A&E network). He has also authored three books: What My Heart Has Seen, a beautifully bound edition of his paintings published in 1996; The Good Life, his heartfelt autobiography released in 1998; and Tony Bennett In the Studio, a sumptuous salute to his dual career as singer and painter, published in 2007.

He has exhibited his work in galleries around the world, and was chosen to be the official artist of the 2001 Kentucky Derby, creating two paintings in celebration of the iconic event. The United Nations has commissioned two paintings from him, including one for its 50th anniversary. Most recently, his oil painting "Central Park" was accepted to the Smithsonian's American Art Museum's permanent collection in Washington, DC.

The show at the Van Wezel is sponsored by the Van Wezel Foundation and the celebration is sponsored by Gateway Bank, Michael's on East and the Van Wezel Foundation.

For more information and to buy tickets, contact the Van Wezel Box Office at 941- 953-3368 or log onto www.vanwezel.org. Dinner is available prior to most shows by Michael's on East at the Van Wezel by calling (941) 366-0007 or logging onto www.bestfood.com.

Set along Sarasota's beautiful bayfront, the landmark Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is celebrating its 40th anniversary of entertaining audiences with a variety of music, dance, theater, comedy and children's shows. Its mission is to present a broad spectrum of the world's finest performing artists in order to meet the diverse cultural needs of all of Southwest Florida's residents and visitors. The Van Wezel is also committed to bringing visiting artists into the community for meaningful education and outreach programs.

Photo credit: Peter James Zielinski

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