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RAVE review for PBS' Cheek to Cheek Live
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/a...-Kiss-20141025
SOUND OFF: Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett's CHEEK TO CHEEK: LIVE! Is A Big Wet Kiss
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Today we are shining a special solo spotlight on this weekend's hotly anticipated PBS presentation of Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's CHEEK TO CHEEK: LIVE! Miss the special? Click here to watch online.
SOUND OFF: Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett's CHEEK TO CHEEK: LIVE! Is A Big Wet KissI Can't Give You Anything But Love
"Look at all the little jazz babies in the first row," Lady Gaga gleefully shares with the audience before launching into a sensitive and delicate rendition of the title song from this year's unexpected hit studio album collaboration with music icon Tony Bennett of the same name, "Cheek To Cheek". One of the foremost features making CHEEK TO CHEEK: LIVE! such a sensational thrill beyond even that of the album it represents is to witness the chance that it allows for Lady Gaga to imbue the live event with her trademark theatrical tendencies - and she does just that, with a stream of stylish costumes and fabulous hairstyles, though never overwhelming the proceedings with any of it. While this may not be traditional PBS fare in general to begin with given her controversial reputation in the music industry and beyond for wild stage shows and general button-pushing mise en scene, Gaga pays considerable credence to the idea of less is more here - appreciably so. After all, the opportunity to perform alongside a modern living legend such as Bennett is a rare one and Gaga pays him the respect that he has rightly earned while still displaying some of the outre spunk and outlandish allure that remains her bread and butter - well, that and great vocals, that is. And, great vocals these are - maybe even more impressive than the sumptuously produced studio album itself.
Beginning in a cyanic-hued silhouette behind a scrim, an elegantly Egyptian-outfitted Gaga takes the stage alongside a natty, tuxedo-clad Bennett to step in front of the impressive jazz orchestra assembled, arms wrapped around each other, at the start of the hour-long PBS special. The intimacy, excitement and masterful musical performance merely starts there - and gets better and better as it goes along. An unadorned entrance is the ideal opener to a classic duets show such as this and the pair kick it all off with a rollicking "Anything Goes" before launching into the winsome "Cheek To Cheek", both songs highlighted by lilting and lovingly crafted arrangements and orchestrations. Familiar MOULIN ROUGE! opener and Jazz Age standard "Nature Boy" follows suit. The pair split up for two solo selections after that, with Bennett's moody and mournful "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" showing strong evidence for his surprisingly strong vocal skills at nearly 90 - no small feat, especially with a tricky melody and unusual build as this song surely contains, particularly the ending. The audience rightly rises to their feet to applaud the massive final note - thusly affording Bennett his well-earned due. The vocal fireworks increase even further with the next number, featuring Gaga in a red leather pantsuit and huge Diana Ross-esque Afro covering the Sonny Bono slow-burner "Bang Bang" with explosive results. A powerhouse, especially that epic diva-tastic ending! Terrific times two
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Another song, another costume change, another showstopper - Gaga trades in crimson leather for black lace and matching spiky wig for a funky and full-bodied "I Won't Dance" accompanied by several showgirls. Gaga dons a wizard-sleeved metallic gown for the next number, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", which turns out to be one of the best songs of the night - blasted to the rafters by Gaga, then the band, then main man Bennett himself bringing it all home. The witty reworking of the lyrics from "Baby" to "Lady" for Gaga are particularly delightful in Bennett's assured, adoring delivery. Clearly, Bennett is smitten with the diva - and, considering she gives a performance this sophisticated and entertaining with material this unexpected, keeping up with the jazz legend every step of the way (not to mention the sensational Brian Newman quartet and the jazz orchestra itself) is a surefire testament to her titanic talents. "Lush Life", which comes next, confirms these facts even further - this music lives in Gaga's soul, just as it does in Bennett's, and the pairing of the two in a sleek and stylish presentation such as what PBS has afforded CHEEK TO CHEEK: LIVE! along with their considerable gifts as performers makes for a true treat for fans old and new. "Oh, yes, I was wrong again," Gaga sings in "Lush Life" - and so it must also go for those naysayers among us who doubted that an admittedly potentially disastrous match-up such as Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett singing jazz classics could have been. Instead, it's a stroke of genius - the idea, the album and now this excellently captured live performance.
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[ONLY EXCERPTS ARE INCLUDED FOR COPYRIGHT PURPOSES. SEE FULL ARTICLE]
What are your thoughts on the review? Did you watch the show yourself? Feel free to discuss this amazing live performance and watch it here if you haven't already: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/tony-b...-episode/3574/
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