Tony Bennett: An American Classic (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

9.1/10   

Director:

Rob Marshall

Writer:

Doug Wright (narration)

Release Date:

22 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Music

Plot:

Tony Bennett sings classics with an array of top-notch guest artists, and stars pay tribute to his career.

Plot Keywords:

Tribute | Jazz Music | Singing | TV Special | Song

Awards:

Won 7 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Tony Bennett	...	Himself - Performer
Christina Aguilera	...	Herself - Performer
Billy Crystal	...	Himself - Speaker
k.d. lang	...	Herself - Performer
Chris Botti	...	Himself - Performer
John Legend	...	Himself - Performer
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Herself - Speaker
Juanes	...	Himself - Performer
Bruce Willis	...	Himself - Speaker
Diana Krall	...	Herself - Performer
Elton John	...	Himself - Performer
Michael Bublé	...	Himself - Performer
John Travolta	...	Himself - Speaker
Stevie Wonder	...	Himself - Performer
Robert De Niro	...	Himself - Speaker

Runtime:

42 min | USA:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Theatre - 615 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

RPM Television Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Steppin' Out

Now that's entertainment!

Singer Tony Bennett turned 80 on August 3, 2006. He has been performing since the age of 10. Just like with most entertainers, he has had his share of major successes and failures. In the last decade, he has been able to span the generation gap by performing on MTV and winning several major Grammy awards. I think one major reason for Bennett's recent success is he has not made creative compromises. Instead of going for what is currently "in", he has stayed with the standards that are being rediscovered by audiences of all ages.

When I saw the name Rob Marshall on the credits of "Tony Bennett: An American Classic", I knew I was gonna have a lot of fun watching this TV special. Oscar-winners Dion Bebee (cinematography), Colleen Atwood (costume designer) and John Myhre (production designer) collaborated with Marshall on Chicago and/or Memoirs of a Geisha. The slick, visual splendor from those two movies are apparent in this special.

While the numerous musical duets were very entertaining and the little positive biographical anecdotes on Bennett's life were interesting, what did it for me was that the entire special hearkens back to when the three major TV networks used to produce numerous variety specials from the 50's through the mid-70's. Usually the entertainer (whose name would certainly be in the title of the special) would perform with numerous special guest stars and perform a proverbial duet or two, a few comedy bits, several dancers and a live studio audience. My personal favorite duet was an homage to TV variety specials with Bennett and Diana Krall.

I hope this special will be released on DVD. I believe this love letter to Tony Bennett deserves to be seen by a larger audience.

Update (December 20, 2006): The program has been released on DVD. Check out Amazon.com or other websites for information.