Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has always been committed to its role as the leader in Atlantic City’s live concert and entertainment offerings. And we’ve made providing resort visitors with the best in summer entertainment a priority.
So we were pretty proud of ourselves to have presented Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett at Borgata’s Event Center on Friday, July 24.
This was a show that sold out in minutes back in February, and the two great entertainers did not disappoint.
Performing with a full orchestra, they opened the show with the classic, and fairly appropriate, “Anything Goes,” followed by their smash hit “Cheek to Cheek.”
It’s a rare thing to see an 88-year-old singer in Bennett hold his own with a 29-year-old singer in Gaga, but the reviews are in and Bennett’s voice was as smooth and pure as if he were 29 as well.
As Billboard Magazine said in its review:
“Even though Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga’s “Cheek to Cheek” duets album has been with us for nearly a year, nothing quite prepares you for the startling contrast and sheer delight of seeing the 88-year-old vocal legend and the 29-year-old pop icon onstage together, singing material written before Gaga’s father was even born.”
“So when a dapper Bennett and shimmery Gaga took the stage at Borgata’s Event Center on Friday night in Atlantic City, the novelty of the unlikely-yet-organic pairing didn’t wear off until after they’d finished a one-two-three punch opener of “Anything Goes,” “Cheek to Cheek” and “They All Laughed.”
For modern music fans, the idea of two star singers sharing a stage and swapping banter and mixing together classic song stylings might seem a little foreign, but it was much more common when Bennett started his career.
With Lady Gaga, Bennett has undoubtedly brought the idea back.
“Gaga and Bennett … clearly relish every moment and every note together,” Billboard said. “Their affection for each other was palpable, as was the audience’s enthusiasm for the duo (competing shouts of ‘You sing it, Tony!’ and ‘I love you Gaga!’ rang out throughout the night).
Here’s some other tidbits from the show:
The set list:
ANYTHING GOES (BB)
CHEEK TO CHEEK
THEY ALL LAUGHED (BB)
SING YOU SINNERS (BB)
NATURE BOY
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS (BB)
THE GOOD LIFE
BANG BANG
BEWITCHED
FIREFLY
SMILE / WHEN YOU’RE SMILING
STEPPIN’ OUT
FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE
I WON’T DANCE (BB)
LADY’S IN LOVE WITH YOU (BB)
SOLITUDE (BB)
I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE
LUSH LIFE
I’VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING (BB)
IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS
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
SAN FRANCISCO
BUT BEAUTIFUL
THE LADY IS A TRAMP (BB)
IT DON’T MEAN A THING (BB)
BB – Big Band
Lady Gaga had seven costume changes during the show.
There was a lot of banter between the two during the show, including this from Bennett: “We made an album together, “Cheek to Cheek,” he told the crowd. “Try to buy it — she really needs the money.”
At one point, Lady Gaga said “Thanks for giving me a chance AC.”
The engaged Gaga shared that Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa wasn’t just the night’s concert venue — it was the site of a buried bad romance. “I broke up with a guy I dated in this hotel,” she said. “He gambled too much. I’m not kidding.” After delivering a knockout, balls-out version of “Bang Bang,” she made it clear the dark theatrics of the song weren’t heartfelt — “I’m not actually all that sore anymore,” she laughed.
“The highlight of the evening was easily Gaga’s stunning version of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose,” a song she recently added to her live catalog. Wearing pink, naturally (the song title roughly translates as “life through rose-colored glasses), Gaga turned out a flawless solo vocal showcase on par with her jaw-dropping Sound of Music medley at the Oscars. While Bennett and Gaga earned multiple standing ovations during the show, the response to “La Vie en Rose” wasn’t just enthusiastic — it was astonished.”
You can read the full Billboard review here.
As for Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, we’re proud to have presented another amazing night of entertainment in Atlantic City.
“We could not be more excited to enhance our already stellar 2015 entertainment calendar with the announcement of this exceptional collaborative concert taking place in the Event Center,” said Senior Vice President of Operations, Joe Lupo before the show. “Having hosted both incredible artists individually in the past, it is truly an honor to see them come together here at Borgata as part of this amazing tour.”
So, what did you do last Friday night?
Check out Borgata’s full entertainment schedule here.