Legendary singer Tony Bennett thrilled a packed house at the University of Mary Washington on Dec. 9 with a performance that went into overtime.
An audience of about 1,300 piled into Dodd Auditorium for the sold-out Friday-night show, part of the UMW Philharmonic’s annual celebrity series.
“Having Tony Bennett perform with us was a dream come true,” said Philharmonic Conductor Kevin Bartram. “He really brought it, and I know that our crowd loved the show.”
Fans could not get enough of Bennett’s familiar favorites, including I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Rags to Riches and The Way You Look Tonight. The singer returned to the stage at the end of the evening for not one but four encores, for a show that was about 18 minutes longer than usual, according to Bennett’s production manager, Tom Young.
“[Tony] really felt the love,” Young told Bartram following the show. “He really put out the energy tonight. It was a rare night.”
Bennett released his first hit song, Because of You, in 1951, and went on to win multiple Grammy and Emmy awards and sell millions of albums worldwide. Now 90 years old, the icon remains a crowd favorite, having recently performed Santa Claus Is Coming to Town with Miss Piggy in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
Before Bennett took the stage, the UMW Philharmonic, comprised of both Mary Washington students and community musicians, performed three holiday-related pieces.
“I don’t recall us EVER doing another college orchestra before,” Young told Bartram. “We have done a lot of colleges over the years, but never with the college orchestra. You have a great combination of community members and students. It really works.”
Since its 2004 inception, the Philharmonic has performed with such famous artists as Marvin Hamlisch, Judy Collins, Kenny Rogers, flutist Sir James Galway, the Canadian Brass and, last year, Joshua Bell.
Up next in the Philharmonic’s Celebrity Series, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth, whose career spans film, television, voiceover and stage, performs at UMW on Saturday, March 18.
For information about upcoming concerts or to become a Friend of the Philharmonic, contact 540-654-1324 or email philharmonic@umw.edu.