I LEFT MY HEART Pays a Meaningful Tribute to Tony Bennett

Broadway.Com
Reviewed by Don Grigware

A couple of years ago a winning salute to Frank Sinatra called My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra by David Grapes and Todd Olson was on stage at the Laguna Playhouse. It has gone on successfully to hundreds of productions worldwide. Now the same duo Grapes and Olson present I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett at the Laguna Playhouse through August 21. I liked the Sinatra piece a lot; I loved the latest one tributing Tony Bennett. Maybe because Sinatra has received many tributes and Tony Bennett, none - and as the boys say, "It's high time. Long overdue!" Important to remember that this is not a Bennett impersonation nor are the arrangements necessarily exactly like Bennett's; it is a loving salute to his music. Ingenious Vince Di Mura is once again musical director of this stylish little theatrical concert featuring the talents of three terrific actors/singers, who make the show shine even brighter.

These three Danny Gurwin, Rob Sutton and Dan Callaway not only have fantastic voices

but loads of charisma and exuberance to keep the show rolling forward with spark and flare. Gurwin is a born MC, so he delivers most of the anecdotes about Bennett's music and philosophy. Sutton has all the good looks and style of a Broadway leading man and Callaway' delivery is astounding. He blew me away with "That Old Black Magic", "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Fly Me to the Moon". Bennett, as pointed out in the show, thought of himself as a jazz singer first and foremost and believed firmly that the harder you worked, the luckier you would become. Good old fashioned advice for a man now 86, who demolished the generation gap by winning plaudits for his MTV Unplugged album and special at a time when rap and hip hop have been consistently outnumbering classic standards in airplay. When asked to record Janis Joplin, Bennett asked Count Basie if he should switch styles. "No!" ,he offered, "Why change an apple?" The boys capture Bennett's easy going style and generosity of spirit that have made him the top living vocalist.

Sinatra was known as a womanizer and very complicated; Bennett has always exuded very traditional values; he's a pacifist with grounded ideas. Both men: what genius! Whereas Grapes' and Olson's piece My Way shows the complexity of Sinatra through his music, I Left My Heart presents the simpler, far less complex personality that is Tony Bennett. But, regardless of how you view it, Bennett's music, like Sinatra's, is the best there is. Highlights of the show include: "Steppin' Out With My Baby", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Stranger in Paradise", "Best Is Yet to Come", "Embraceable You" "Puttin' on the Ritz" and those glorious movie hits like "The Days of Wine and Roses", "As Time Goes By", "The Shadow of Your Smile" and "Love Story (Where Do I Begin?)". Two lesser known hits "You Must Believe in Spring" by the Bergmans, Michel Legrand and Louis R.M. Demy Jacques and "A Child Is Born" by Thaddeus Jones and Alec Wilden are unbelievably beautiful with lyrics of substance, which perhaps prevented them from becoming instant overnight hits.

Vince Di Mura at the piano, Ernie Nunez on bass, Darrel Gardner on brass, and Richard "Drew" Hemwall on drums rock the theatre, and scenic and costume design by Bruce Goodrich are simplistic and elegant. Grapes' direction is superb as the boys and musicians - all musicians actually - blend together expertly and render with panache.

See this little show and you will not be disappointed! On an entertainment scale of 1-10, it's a 10+.

I LEFT MY HEART – A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett

Rage Magazine
by Bill Biss

There is an exclusive echelon of male singers who have managed to keep the heart of American popular music beating strong and steady… long after this American Popular Songbook became a “rap” sheet or popcorn machine of the latest thing in music today.

Just mention the names of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and a select few others, their iconic talent lasts on forever because of the invention of sound recordings.

One supreme vocalist who is still singing out vibrantly strong in this elite crowd is Tony Bennett. The wealth of his material in songs is carved into the hearts of many and will be presented as a tribute to this master by The Laguna Playhouse.

Aptly titled; I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett, three handsome, topnotch male singers/actors of Broadway-caliber skills (Marty Thomas, Pat McRoberts and Rob Sutton), go from “Rags To Riches” to “The Best is Yet to Come,” bringing forth Tony Bennett’s amazing song catalog with a live jazz combo.

This trio of men performs in harmony and individually, to bring out the very best of the essence, style and class of the many sides of Tony Bennett.

Along the way, as each song is presented, a narrative provides a look at the numerous facets of Bennett’s life and career.

I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett was conceived by David Grapes and Todd Olson. The two creators have also achieved major success with their concept show built around the music of Frank Sinatra (My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra). Arrangements for I Left My Heart at The Laguna Playhouse are provided by Vince di Mura. It’s no secret to the many audiences who enjoy Tony Bennett that Frank Sinatra considered him one of the best singers in show business.

Sinatra felt that Bennett is able to bring forth vocally and emotionally exactly what the song composers had in mind, as well as putting his own superb signature on each song. More than two dozen are delivered in I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett.

The Laguna Playhouse is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and Tony Bennett is celebrating his 85th birthday on August 3.

Together, the two span 175 years of entertainment… now, that’s “The Good Life,” so make it a point to purchase tickets for I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett.
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