The Radio City Music Hall gala will air Dec. 20 on NBC.
Most people are barely able to blow out the candles on their cake when they turn 90, but that’s hardly the case with Tony Bennett, whose landmark birthday was celebrated in an all-star concert taped Sept. 15 at Radio City Music Hall. In this celebratory evening of music, the nonagenarian singer -- whose career is still going strong -- demonstrated his formidable lung power with a trademark rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon,” performed sans amplification. Considering the vastness of the venue, that’s no small feat. The show, called Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come , airs Dec. 20 on NBC.
That the venerable singer is beloved was made amply evident by the sterling roster of performers on the bill. The show’s genial host was Bennett himself -- well, not really: It was actor Alec Baldwin, doing his hilariously expert impression. “I know your birthday was a couple of months ago,” he told Bennett, who was sitting in a prime seat in the auditorium. “But when you’re 90, every day above ground is a call for celebration.”
