Wows Merrill audience
to the tune of 6 encores

Frank Sinatra called him “the best singer in the business.” Judy Garland described him as “the epitome of what entertainers were put on earth for.” And if the six standing ovations Tony Bennett received during his nearly sold-out show at Merrill Auditorium on Saturday are any indication, the 87-year old vocalist has quite a career ahead of him.

“Tony Bennett is the gold standard when it comes to classic pop singers,” says Senter Shaw, who traveled from Windham to hear Bennett belt out hits like “The Best Is Yet To Come” and “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” during his one- night-only Waterfront Concerts appearance. “How many performers can command the stage the way he does and create this kind of magic for an audience? A Tony Bennett concert is just the ultimate ‘feel good’ experience.”

Backed by his own quartet, Bennett launched his 90 minute set with “Watch What Happens” — an appropriate title considering everything that followed. Even with some attendees paying a top ticket price of $140, the ecstatic reaction and sustained applause throughout the show suggested that Bennett’s fans got their money’s worth. And then some. True believers in the front row gyrated to the music while mouthing all of the lyrics. Staunch supporters cried out, “We love you, Tony!” at regular intervals. Whether performing a rollicking version of the Gershwins’ “They All Laughed” or the quintessential heart-on-your-sleeve ballad “Maybe This Time,” Bennett captivated the crowd with his still-powerful voice, robust performance style and impeccable showmanship.

“We’re multi-generational Tony fans,” said Ashley Michaud of Sanford, who attended the concert with her mother, Kate Dinardo. “I grew up listening to him and we’re here in a kind of tribute to my grandmother, who also loved his music.” Dinardo said she was especially looking forward to Bennett’s rendition of Jerome Kern’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” which the singer delivered in one of the evening’s quieter, more wistful moments. In Bennett’s hands, the older-than-rope “Sing, You Sinners” sounded fresh and up ]-to-the minute and his trademark rasp was perfectly matched with the smoky and soulful “One For My Baby.”

The latter half of the concert was devoted to the string of songs that Bennett turned into hits early in his recording career including “Just In Time” and the inevitable “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Before performing his 1962 smash “The Good Life,” Bennett noted that he had recently recorded a new version of the tune as a duet with Lady Gaga. “I want you all to buy copies of this album because she really needs the money,” Bennett quipped.

The romantically minded selections like “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” seemed especially appropriate to Dennis Twomey of Limington. He and his wife were celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary. “Our daughter gave us the tickets and seeing Tony Bennett in Maine is the perfect way to spend our anniversary,” said Twomey. “The show was just incredible. We were very impressed.”

Even after Bennett performed virtually every song in his repertoire, the audience demanded several encores and the singer complied with Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” and an “unplugged” rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)” which he sang sans microphone. After Bennett took his final bows and left the stage, one of his die-hard female fans could be heard exclaiming, “Don’t be a stranger, Tony!”

(Mark Griffin’s reviews have appeared in The Boston Globe, Slant and Movie Maker)