Radiant looking, she also sounds fantastic again. Aretha joined him on “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” from the new Duets II album.
With Elton–who performed five songs in tribute to Tony at the after party–Bennett did “If I Ruled the World.” When Elton saw that Tony was going to bring it home, he just got out of the way and let the legend finish. He did “Fly Me to the Moon” without a microphone or amplification. Hasn’t he sung these things like 2 million times? They are concise little paintings now.Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” was a gem. When he runs through his really greatest hits– “For Once in My Life,” “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”–he reinterprets, brings new meaning, is exploring the song and making it fresh. He’s got rhythm and it’s kept him light on his feet. He twirls, spins, does little dances that are not at all parody. Tony at 85 is like the 8th Wonder of the World. The show was an hour and half of perfection. Who knows how they’ll explain a revitalized Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”? Dating a yoga instructor has significantly altered Alec’s visage. The dinner raised money for Tony and Susan’s charity, Exploring the Arts. Oh yes, and Alec Baldwin, newly svelte, maybe 20 pounds lighter, skipping the Emmy Awards to host the after party dinner in a tent in Lincoln Center. and of course Tony’s family: son Danny, who’s managed him so well, with his wife, Carrie, and photographer daughter Kelsey, Tony’s daughters Joanna and Antonia, and his wife Susan. In the audience: Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Katie Couric, Steve (and Maureen) van Zandt, Robert and Grace DeNiro, Regis and Joy Philbin, Sony’s Sir Howard Stringer, Mort Zuckerman, Gay and Nan Talese, Richard Gere and Carey Lowell, Rachael Ray, former mayor David Dinkins, former governor Mario Cuomo, Nancy Pelosi and husband Paul, Jimmy and Margo Nederlander (expecting twins in November! congrats!), Broadway producer Teri Allen Kramer, Caroline Hirsch and Andrew Fox, Bill and Tani Austin of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Tony’s second song was “They All Laughed.” Bennett, always compared to Frank Sinatra, struggled for years, has lived the line from that song: he’s had the last laugh. There were three guest stars, all knockouts: Aretha Franklin, Alejandro Sanz, and Elton John.
There was no set backdrop to speak of, just the Met’s plain red curtain. Bill Clinton introduced him, and then Tony ambled out, joined his all-star jazz combo, and let it rip. He did a 90 minute show at the Metropolitan Opera house last night to celebrate his landmark birthday. It’s not that Tony Bennett is 85, it’s that he sings better now than ever, with astonishing pitch, range, depth and texture.
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