Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. (Courtesy of Joseph Sinnott)
This Friday we are invited to an evening of classic jazz standards and man, are we in for a treat. On PBS’ Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek: Live! we will get to see duet and solo performances from the couple’s highly acclaimed album Cheek to Cheek. The singers are joined by a 39-piece orchestra, soloists Christ Botti and David Mann, and jazz musicians associated with both of the singers. And how’s this for a local connection? The set and lighting design is by renowned director Robert Wilson, who’s from Waco.
The show is filled to the brim with stunning performances so be ready for a night of musical bliss.
Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t miss Cheek to Cheek LIVE!:
Chemistry: Some would think that an album’s worth of live duet performances by an 88-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman could feel awkward. Not with these two. Bennett and Gaga actually have a lot in common; they are both from New York and proud of their Italian heritage, have sold millions of albums and won a good amount of Grammy awards. Plus, Cheek to Cheek is not their first time singing together. Through the show you come to realize that these two performers are not just singing, there’s something else happening there, they genuinely like and care for each other. While talking about the process that went into their album, Gaga mentioned the impact that Bennett had in what were possibly some of the most difficult times of her career, going as far as saying that Bennett saved her life. That respect and admiration is palpable throughout the show.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett on Cheek to Cheek Live! (Courtesy of Joseph Sinnott)
Fashion!: When celebrities wear crazy outfits most of the time they are being weird. When Lady Gaga wears crazy outfits, she’s just being Lady Gaga. Part of what made her famous in the very beginning was just that, the fashion that would make you do a double-take and that of course is including her iconic mile-high heels. For this part of her career, as the Lady takes on jazz she has decided to leave her crazy wigs and outrageous outfits for her ArtRave tour. On Cheek to Cheek Live! you will see Gaga wearing long, classy gowns and stunning headpieces chosen by her stylist Brandon Maxwell. And if you are a fan of Project Runway you will see several gowns by Michael Costello, one of the show’s finalists. While Gaga wore mostly gowns, for two of the songs she wore a custom-made red jumpsuit that should be on the dictionary next to the definition of the world “cool.” My personal favorite outfit of the night is the Valentino black lace dress Gaga wears for “I Won’t Dance” along with a feather crown by Cindy Vogel. When not wearing headpieces she wore wigs showcasing full Italian curls.
Tony Bennett on Cheek to Cheek Live! (Courtesy of Kevin Mazur)
Tony’s smooth moves: Can you believe Tony Bennett is 88 years old? You won’t believe it after watching this show. Bennett’s voice is, as always, on point but that’s not all. While he could just lay back, relax and just sing, in several of the performances the crooner shows that he still has some sweet moves. That voice, swagger and overall coolness helped him break his own record as the oldest person ever to have a No. 1 album on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. Yeah, legendary.
Bang Bang: Years from now, when we look back at Lady Gaga’s career we will see a wide variety of things. We will undoubtedly hear about her huge hit “Bad Romance,” her crazy antics, and most assuredly her intense love and relationship with her Little Monsters. Today I am submitting this performance to that list. Lady Gaga goes into “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” in full force with a masterful interpretation and solid vocals. The performance is so strong that it moved the song’s original interpreter, superstar diva Cher, to offer her seal of approval and praise.
You can see that specific performance below, and if you want it for your collection the song is included only on the iTunes version of Cheek to Cheek.
Killer music and vocals: Simply put Cheek to Cheek LIVE! is a full hour of great music. For their album Cheek to Cheek Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga carefully chose some beautiful jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. What I like about many of these jazz hits is that they bring with them a certain familiarity, you know, that feeling that you’ve heard them before and while you may not know the lyrics you can probably hum to the whole tune. Vocally, Gaga and Bennett don’t hold back. They bite into the material bringing their own interpretation while keeping the songs feeling like classics. The duo’s beautiful rendition of eden ahbez’s “Nature Boy” is a clear highlight, while Lady Gaga is at her most vulnerable while singing Billy Strayhorn’s poignant “Lush Life.” Two songs that are possibly some of Gaga’s strongest vocal performances in her career. Bennett’s voice will take you away to a different era, especially his rousing renditions of “Sophisticated Lady” and “How do You Keep the Music Playing.”
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE! airs on Friday, October 24 at 8 p.m. Central.