Cheek to Cheek Tour
Tour by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga | |||||||||||||
Cheek to Cheek Tour poster lithograph | |||||||||||||
Associated album | Cheek to Cheek | ||||||||||||
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Start date | December 30, 2014 | ||||||||||||
End date | August 1, 2015 | ||||||||||||
Legs | 5 | ||||||||||||
No. of shows |
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Box office | US $15.3 million | ||||||||||||
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The Cheek to Cheek Tour was a co-headlining tour by American singers Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga in support of their album Cheek to Cheek (2014). The tour, which began with a two-night run at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, played a total of thirty-six shows across Europe and North America during the first half of 2015. Many of the tour's shows were part of music festivals, such as the Ravinia Festival, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Gent Jazz Festival. The Cheek to Cheek Tour grossed $15.3 million from 27 shows with a total attendance of 176,267.
Background
In September 2012, American jazz singer Tony Bennett confirmed to Rolling Stone that he would record and release a jazz album with singer Lady Gaga.[1] On July 29, 2014, the duo appeared on The Today Show to formally announce their collaboration, titled Cheek to Cheek, and confirmed the release date in the US as September 23, 2014.[2] Following the announcement of the release, a mini concert was held at the Rose Theater of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Titled Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live!, the concert aired on PBS on October 24, 2014, and a DVD of the performance was released on January 20, 2015.[3][4] In the meantime, Gaga also finished her world tour, ArtRave: The Artpop Ball in support of her third studio album Artpop (2013); the tour ended on November 24, 2014.[5]
After promoting Cheek to Cheek through multiple avenues like TV appearances, live performances, advertisements and campaigns, Bennett confirmed that he and Gaga would tour jazz festivals in 2015, supporting the album.[6] According to him, Gaga was tired from playing bigger venues, and wanted to have the tour visit smaller venues for at least three-four days, or for three-six weeks. Bennett also explained that he was accustomed to playing in acoustic music halls and outdoor theaters, so Gaga had been looking at such options. "I'm not interested in playing to 45,000 people a night, so [Gaga's] finding places where we could work for three or four days, or three or four weeks, in one place at a time. That's how she wants to work with me."[7]
Development
On New Year's Eve 2014, the duo started the Cheek to Cheek Tour by performing at the Cosmopolitan Casino of Las Vegas, making it their first concert in US following the album's release.[8] They also performed at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards and its scheduled a post-Grammy concert on February 8, 2015, at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, just after the conclusion of the ceremony.[9][10] More shows were scheduled in 2015, including Hollywood Bowl on May 30; the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 8; and Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 19.[11] Many of the tour's shows are a part of music festivals, such as the Ravinia Festival, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Gent Jazz Festival.[12] Besides the shows scheduled, the duo also performed at the WellChild Charity concert in London and will perform at the Plaza Hotel in New York on June 24, at a fundraiser in support of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.[13][14]
For the show, the stage was decorated in a simple manner with just a crystal curtain.[15] Gaga continued with the dresses from the PBS special, with some changes during the tour. Gaga's dress designer Brandon Maxwell[16] explained that he and his team did the wardrobe for the dancers and Gaga. They first took references from director Robert Wilson regarding the set and lighting designs. The team then started with eight full racks of clothing, between 200 and 300 dresses, and afterwards zeroed in on eight costumes for the show, along with its accessories. Designers used for the costumes include Roberto Cavalli, Michael Costello, Mathieu Mirano, Valentino as well as David Samuel Menkes, who created the leather jumpsuit. Gaga had wanted costumes with teal or turquoise colours and flowing gowns, belted in the middle. Maxwell took care to ensure that the dresses were not too tight in Gaga's abdomen area, since it would have been difficult for her to sing. Sandals were provided by Brian Atwood, Stuart Weitzman and Sophia Webster, while a pair of boots were designed by Giuseppe Zanotti. They created custom made shoes which made Gaga appear tall and move freely in the long gowns.[17] Gaga herself altered one of the halter dresses, denoting it as the "naked dress".[18] During the tour, Bennett was accompanied by the Tony Bennett Quartet (which includes Mike Renzi) and Gaga with the Brian Newman Quintet.[19][20]
Critical response
The Cheek to Cheek Tour received critical acclaim. Marc Graser from Variety called Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett as "perfect dance partners". He was impressed with Gaga and Bennett's potential vocals, stating the concert "charmingly effective in showing off the talents of both artists on a stage simply decorated with crystal-studded curtains".[15] Writing for Las Vegas Weekly, Mark Adams gave a positive review, saying "every performance was flawless". He complimented the vocals of the duo and noted that "the two stars might be decades apart in age, but they’re both at the top of their game now". Adams finished off the review saying "it seems like an odd pairing. But anyone who has heard these two true professionals sing together knows that it just works".[21] Ashley Lee of The Hollywood Reporter defined the concert as "an effortlessly powerful Bennett and a respectfully restrained Gaga pair for a decadent set of standards".[22] A review in The Vancouver Sun stated that the "Duo lights up the Queen Elizabeth Theatre" and also praised Gaga's performance on stage claiming "she is a born entertainer".[23]
Stuart Derdyn from The Seattle Times wrote that although neither Bennett's vocals nor Gaga's vocals were perfect, their solo performances were commendable. He also noticed the positive reaction from the audience, adding that "if there had been any more standing ovations, you could have mistaken [the show] for an aerobics class for the well-dressed."[24] Writing for the San Jose Mercury News, critic Jim Harrington found the solo performances as more appealing, adding that although Gaga added "shock factor" to the concert, she had commendable vocals to be on par with Bennett.[25] Denny Directo from Entertainment Tonight reviewed the shows in Hollywood Bowl. He praised the whole concert and the duo's vocal ability, saying that "[Gaga] was born to perform the American Songbook" and "[Bennett] is a national treasure whose career spans over six decades and he's still got it". At the end he added, "These two are the real deal".[26] Conversely, Barry Brecheisen from Orange County Register gave a negative feedback of the show, saying that Gaga's singing ability was restrained and her untimely departures from the stage for costume changes was distracting. "That's all the more frustrating considering her solo spotlights were the evening's standouts, outshining the almost de rigueur standing ovations Bennett garnered", the reviewer added.[27]
In London, Bennett canceled the second show at the Royal Albert Hall because of coming down with a flu, hence only the first show was reviewed by the British media.[28] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, journalist Neil McCormick rated the show with four out of five stars. He complimented the camaraderie between Bennett and Gaga, and believed that their vocals were most meaningful "on deep ballads like 'Nature Boy'".[29] Caroline Sulivan from The Guardian rated the show same as McCormick but noted that Bennett was present more often on stage than Gaga. She complimented some of the performances as being "great moments", including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Nature Boy" and "I Won't Dance", as well as Gaga's cover of Édith Piaf's "La Vie en rose" and "Bang Bang".[30] A same rating was given by Ludovic Hunter-Tilney from Financial Times who complimented Bennett's vocals but felt Gaga's solo performances "stole the show".[31] Jim Farber from New York Daily News reviewed the first show out of four at Radio City Music Hall and described their live rapport as energetic and humorous.[32] Stephen Holden from The New York Times gave a positive review, praising their vocals and the development of the show. He also noticed the chemical difference between the performers on stage, with "Gaga's bright, saucy Broadway-trained voice and Mr. Bennett's mature saloon style".[33] In another positive review, Howard Reich from Chicago Tribune stated "Bennett and Gaga all but erased the decades separating them".[34] Joe Lynch from Billboard gave a rating of 4 stars for Gaga and Bennett's stand out vocal performances. He praised Gaga's delivery of "Bang Bang" and "La Vie en Rose" describing it as "astonished".[35] The Cheek to Cheek Tour ranked first in the Vulture's list of the 10 best concerts of 2015.[36]
Commercial reception
Jesse Lawrence from Forbes reported that there was high demand for the tickets, leading to additional dates being added to the itinerary. He also noted that the concerts had a much higher ticket price than the average, especially in the secondary markets. The first two dates were sold out immediately, with a high demand hence secondary market average price for New Year's Eve performance at The Chelsea was above $1,000 with a $329 get-in price for a limited quantity of tickets.[12] The end-of-the-year concert was the most expensive show at Las Vegas, with tickets averaging at $647.58 and the get-in price starting at $239.[37] For The Wiltern, ticket price was average $297.64 over a few hundred available tickets. Again, for the New York shows, all except the front row seats were sold out, leading to a third date being added on June 22, 2015. A similar situation occurred when tickets went on sale for their concert of June 8 at Royal Albert Hall in London, leading to an additional date to be added for June 9.[12] Tickets for June 26–27 shows at the Ravinia Festival also sold out before them being available for general public.[38]
In another article on Forbes, Lawrence wrote that there was a "massive" demand for tickets on the secondary market for the Radio City Music Hall's shows. According to TiqIQ, the average secondary price was $380.83 with cheapest ones at $143, being the most expensive tickets on the tour in the United States. The total average was up by 50.5% throughout the 24 dates in the country, at $252.91. He also wrote about the show at Borgata Events Center in Atlantic City, which had tickets averaging $406.90 and the get-in price listed at $220.[39] As it approached the final dates of the tour, there were more sold-out shows, with the average prices on the remaining dates and seats at $213.58.[40] The Pollstar 2015 Mid-Year Top 100 Worldwide Tour list revealed Cheek to Cheek Tour as the 69th highest grosser, with a total of $13.1 million from 13 shows, and a total of 146,795 in attendance.[41] At the end of 2015, the tour placed at number 71 on the Pollstar "2015 Year-End Top 200 North American Tours" list, grossing $15.3 million from 27 shows with a total attendance of 176,267.[42]
Set list
This set list is representative of the show on June 19, 2015. It does not represent all dates throughout the tour.[32]
- "Anything Goes"
- "Cheek to Cheek"
- "They All Laughed"
- "Stranger in Paradise"
- "Sing, You Sinners"
- "Nature Boy"
- "Watch What Happens"
- "The Good Life"
- "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
- "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
- "Firefly"
- "Smile"
- "When You're Smiling"
- "Steppin' Out with My Baby"
- "For Once in My Life"
- "I Won't Dance"
- "The Lady's in Love with You"
- "(In My) Solitude"
- "I Can't Give You Anything But Love"
- "Lush Life"
- "I've Got the World on a String"
- "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"
- "La Vie en rose"
- "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"
- "Let's Face the Music and Dance"
- "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"
- "Who Cares?"
- "Fly Me to the Moon"
- "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
- "But Beautiful"
- "The Lady Is a Tramp"
- Encore
- Édith Piaf's "La Vie en rose" was included on the set list on May 30, 2015.[43]
Shows
Cancellations
Date | City | Venue | Reason |
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June 9, 2015[lower-alpha 11] | London | Royal Albert Hall | Bennett's flu |
Box office score data
Venue | City | Tickets sold / available | Gross revenue |
---|---|---|---|
The Cosmopolitan | Las Vegas | 4,200 / 4,200 | $813,675[56] |
The AXIS | 7,942 / 8,654 | $1,057,009[57] | |
Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles | 33,357 / 34,534 | $2,671,774[58] |
Meadow Brook Music Festival | Rochester | 6,738 / 6,738 | $594,810[59] |
TOTAL | 52,237 / 54,126 | $5,137,268 |
Notes
- ↑ This concert was a part of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival[45]
- ↑ This concert was billed as "A Gala Evening in support of WellChild".[46]
- 1 2 This concert was a part of the Ravinia Festival[47]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival[48]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the Montreux Jazz Festival[49]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival[50]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the North Sea Jazz Festival[51]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the Gent Jazz Festival[52]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the Umbria Jazz Festival[53]
- ↑ This concert was a part of the Festival Jardins de Cap Roig[54]
- ↑ Live Nation confirmed that the date would not be rescheduled to another one, since Gaga and Bennett were busy with other commitments. Fans who had tickets for the show through Live Nation or Ticketmaster were refunded.[28][55]
References
- ↑ Doyle, Patrick (September 28, 2012). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Plan Jazz Album Together". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Chan, Anna (July 29, 2014). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett reveal their jazz album's release date on TODAY". The Today Show. NBC News. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ "'Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE!' Swings on THIRTEEN's 'Great Performances'" (Press release). PR Newswire. August 14, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Cheek To Cheek LIVE! to be Released on January 20th!". November 11, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ↑ Carly, Brennan (November 25, 2014). "Lady Gaga Concludes Her 'Artpop' Tour With a Sprawling Paris Show". Spin. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Reich, Howard (August 8, 2014). "Tony Bennett on Lady Gaga, and his dreams for his 90th birthday". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Graff, Gary (August 21, 2014). "Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga Already Planning 'Cheek to Cheek' Sequel". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Lady Gaga to perform with Tony Bennett on New Year's Eve". Business Standard. October 8, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
- ↑ Stutz, Colin (January 27, 2014). "Lady Gaga Announces Grammy Performance With Tony Bennett". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ↑ "Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga In Special Post-Grammy L.A. Show". All Access Music Group. September 26, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ Waddell, Ray (October 28, 2014). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Team Up for More Live Shows in 2015". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- 1 2 3 Lawrence, Jesse (November 4, 2014). "High Demand For Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga Tickets Lead To More Dates, High Secondary Market Prices". Forbes. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ↑ Strecker, Erin (June 8, 2015). "Lady Gaga Meets Prince Harry in See-Through Dress". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Johnson, Ted (June 12, 2015). "Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett to Perform at Hillary Clinton Fundraiser". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- 1 2 Graser, Marc (January 1, 2015). "Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett Make Perfect Dance Partners as 'Cheek to Cheek' Tour Rings in New Year". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Brandon Maxwell Stylist: Top 25 Stylists 2015". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Malarbrigo, Vicoria (October 20, 2014). "The Looks of Lady Gaga. Slideshow and Q&A with Gaga's Stylist, Brandon Maxwell". PBS. Great Performances. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ↑ Reszutek, Dana (May 28, 2015). "Lady Gaga Wears "Naked" Dress On Stage, Continuing The Trend She's Long Supported". Bustle. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Gelfand, Janelle (February 18, 2015). "CCM jazz alumni swing with Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ↑ Farber, Jim (June 19, 2015). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett cheek to cheek and in sync at Radio City Music Hall". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ↑ Adams, Mark (January 3, 2015). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett dazzle at the Cosmopolitan's Chelsea". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ↑ Lee, Ashley (December 31, 2014). "Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga Sing Reverent Duets for Generations at The Chelsea: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Lynne Segall. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Review: Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett excite in Vancouver". The Vancouver Sun. May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ↑ Derdyn, Stuart (May 26, 2015). "Ovation after ovation for Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga in B.C.". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- ↑ Harrington, Jim (May 29, 2015). "Review: Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett delight fans in Concord". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- ↑ Directo, Denny (May 31, 2015). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Defy Age in Dazzling Hollywood Bowl Concert". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ Brecheisen, Barry (June 2, 2015). "Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga underwhelm at Hollywood Bowl show". Orange County Register. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- 1 2 Crummy, Martin (June 9, 2015). "Tony Bennett cancels concert with Lady Gaga after falling ill". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ McCormick, Neil (June 9, 2015). "Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Royal Albert Hall, review: 'the age gap of voice and style, bridged by pure emotion'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (June 9, 2015). "Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga review – cheeky fun from jazz royalty and pop's Mother Monster". The Guardian. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (June 8, 2015). "Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Royal Albert Hall, London — review". Financial Times. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- 1 2 Farber, Jim (June 19, 2015). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett check to cheek and in sync at Radio City Music Hall". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (June 20, 2015). "Lady Gaga Brings Thrill to Tony Bennett's Immutable Style". The New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
- ↑ Reich, Howard (June 27, 2015). "Review: Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett span eras at Ravinia". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ Lynch, Joe (July 26, 2015). "Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett Bring All That Jazz to Knockout Atlantic City Concert". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (December 11, 2015). "The 10 Best Concerts of 2015". Vulture. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
- ↑ Lawrence, Jesse (December 23, 2014). "For New Year's Eve Concerts, Las Vegas Leads The Pack With Top Ticket Prices". Forbes. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Media Alert: Bennett/Gaga Tickets Already Gone As Ravinia Opens Sales To The Public" (Press release). GlobeNewswire. April 27, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- ↑ Lawrence, Jesse (June 19, 2015). "Tony Bennett And Lady Gaga's Radio City Music Hall Residency Averaging $380 Ticket On Resale Market". Forbes. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ↑ Lawrence, Jesse (July 22, 2015). "Lady Gaga And Tony Bennett Tickets Still Strong As Cheek to Cheek Tour Approaches Finale". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Pollstar 2015 Mid-Year Top 100 Worldwide Tour" (PDF). Pollstar. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Pollstar 2015 Year-End Top 200 North American Tours" (PDF). Pollstar. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ↑ Jung, E. Alex (June 2, 2015). "Lady Gaga Made Her Dreams Come True by Singing 'La Vie en Rose' in a Pink Dress". New York. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Tour information for The Cheek to Cheek Tour:
- "Events". Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Universal Music Group. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- "Events". Lady Gaga. Interscope Records. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ↑ Spera, Keith (April 26, 2015). "Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga: hard to hear, easy to root for at New Orleans Jazz Fest". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ Alexander, Susannah (October 27, 2014). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett to play charity concert at Royal Albert Hall". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ Jordan, Candace (March 8, 2015). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's "Cheek to Cheek" Tour coming to Ravinia". ChicagoNow. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ "La programmation exceptionnelle du Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival" [The exceptional program of the Monte Carlo Sporting Summer Festival]. Nice-Matin (in French). June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett top bill at Montreux Jazz Festival". Hürriyet Daily News. April 16, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ Meyer-Christensen, Mette (June 1, 2015). "Copenhagen Jazz Festival klar med det fulde program" [Copenhagen Jazz Festival ready with the full program]. Gaffa (in Danish). Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Tony Bennett en Lady Gaga op North Sea Jazz" [Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga at North Sea Jazz]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). December 2, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Lady Gaga en Tony Bennett naar Gent Jazz 2015" [Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett to Gent Jazz 2015]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). December 2, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Lady Gaga superstar di Umbria Jazz 15" [Lady Gaga superstar of Umbria Jazz 15] (in Italian). RTL 102.5. May 13, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Sting, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga to play 2015 Cap Roig festival on the Costa Brava" (Press release). Barcelona. Agència Catalana de Notícies. March 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ Fergunson, Kate; Rutter, Claire (June 9, 2015). "Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's cancelled Royal Albert Hall show will not be rescheduled". Daily Mirror. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Billboard Boxscore : Current Scores". Billboard. January 14, 2015. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Billboard Boxscore : Current Scores". Billboard. May 13, 2015. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Pollstar's 2015 Year End : Top 200 Concert Grosses" (PDF). Pollstar. January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Billboard Boxscore : Current Scores". Billboard. February 17, 2016. Archived from the original on February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cheek to Cheek Tour. |
- Cheek to Cheek Tour Official website