Consider this an unqualified rave. NBC is offering a deluxe sweeps and holiday treat in Tuesday’s prime-time special Tony Bennett: An American Classic (8/7c), which is as lustrously filmed as it is impeccably sung. For those of us who’ve been waiting for Oscar-nominated director Rob Marshall (Chicago) to tackle a new musical project, here it is. Marshall has lovingly conceived and masterfully executed a shimmering, swinging hour of razzle-dazzle showmanship that redefines what a variety special can be.I’m tempted to say they don’t make ’em like this anymore, but the truth is, even back when they did, they didn’t make ’em this good very often. (What this special reminded me of most, especially in the elaborate and evocative production numbers, was Bob Fosse’s landmark Liza With a Z special that Showtime so magnificently resurrected and restored earlier this year.)This is the rare music special that looks as good as it sounds. And it sounds spec...
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Liza with a ZWatching this landmark concert special was simultaneously exhilarating and depressing. As a long-time Liza Minnelli fan (not just in Cabaret, I loved her so much I even saw her in Rent-a-Cop… in the theater), I grew up listening to the Liza with a Z soundtrack. I'd play it over and over and over again until even our gay upstairs neighbor begged me to buy a new record. But I never actually saw it until tonight. Even as Liza has devolved into self-parody, I continue to defend her. She's one of a kind, and I'm not just talking about her iconic look or her manic talent. Liza is the living link between the Golden Age of Hollywood and the Tinseltown we know today. In this 1972 televised concert special she straddled the two eras, appealing to her parents' peers with "God Bless the Child" and "My Mammy" while courting
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