Tony Bennett to Perform at NSMT on 12/7

The legendary Tony Bennett will perform live at North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) on Sunday, December 7, 2008, at a special 6:00 p.m. show.  Known as “the singer’s singer,” the fifteen-time Grammy Award winner has sold over 50 million records worldwide and performs to sold-out audiences receiving rave reviews everywhere he appears. Don’t miss this chance to experience the musical magic and artistry of Tony Bennett in NSMT’s intimate theater in the round!

Tickets for Tony Bennett go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 12, 2008.  NSMT Donors (‘Actor’ Level and above) and NSMT Six Show Subscribers may purchase tickets on Tuesday, September 9 and Wednesday, September 10, respectively. Tickets are $101 and $86 ($1 per ticket will go to Exploring the Arts, a nonprofit organization Mr. Bennett and wife Susan created to support and fund arts education in the public schools). To purchase tickets, please log on to www.nsmt.org, call 978.232.7200 or visit the NSMT Box Office at 62 Dunham Road in Beverly, MA (exit 19 off of Route 128).

Tony Bennett will release a brand new holiday CD this October, entitled Tony Bennett: A SWINGIN’ CHRISTMAS featuring the Count Basie Big Band. The CD will feature big band versions of such holiday favorites as “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and many more.

Tony Bennett’s amazing career spans more than half a century, with his initial successes via a string of hit singles in the early 1950's, including such chart-toppers as "Because of You," "Rags To Riches" and a remake of Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including "I Wanna Be Around," "The Good Life," "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" and his signature song, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," which garnered him two Grammy Awards. Tony Bennett introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music.

Fast forward to 2006: At the age of 80, Tony Bennett released Duets - An American Classic, which became his highest charting and best selling album to-date and won three Grammy Awards. He recorded some of his best-loved songs as duets performed live in the studio with some of the top names in

contemporary music, including: Bono, Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Elton John, Diana Krall, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Tim McGraw, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, trumpeter Chris Botti, and others. His most recent CD releases include Tony Bennett Sings The Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1 and a deluxe version of his beloved holiday recording, Snowfall.

Tony Bennett became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005, was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2006, and has received Billboard Magazine's prestigious Century Award in honor of his outstanding contributions to music. He has won two Emmy Awards and a Cable Ace Award and is the subject of several television specials and documentaries.

A painter and humanitarian as well as a singer, Mr. Bennett is a supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Walden Woods Foundation, the Save the Rainforest Foundation and other initiatives to fight discrimination. In addition to establishing Exploring the Arts, he conceived and spearheaded the effort to honor his great friend with the establishment of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, a public high school offering an extensive arts curriculum in New York City. His many international efforts have earned him The United Nations’ 2007 Humanitarian Award.

For more information on North Shore Music Theatre, a complete concert schedule or to purchase tickets, please visit the website at www.nsmt.org, call the NSMT Box Office at (978) 232-7200, or visit in person at 62 Dunham Road (Route 128, exit 19), Beverly, MA. North Shore Music Theatre’s 2008 Celebrity Concert Series is sponsored by Boston Acoustics.

Operating since 1955, NSMT has evolved into the largest non-profit producing theater in New England, with approximately 300,000 patrons annually.  NSMT has gained a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, specifically in the areas of developing new works and providing outstanding theater arts and education programs.  NSMT has received numerous industry awards including The Elliot Norton Award, The Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and The Moss Hart Award.  NSMT annually produces a six musical subscription series, an acclaimed concert series and award winning student productions. With its celebrated Theatre for Young Audiences program, a school touring program, and year-round classes for children, NSMT has become one of the region’s leading providers of theater arts and education.

Photo Credit Rob Rich

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