Laguna Playhouse presents I Left My Heart

"For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He's the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more."

That's high praise coming from Frank Sinatra, but Tony Bennett - whose career has spanned more than five decades - has long been considered one of the best interpreters of pop and jazz standards. The music icon remains as popular as ever, and celebrates his 85th birthday on August 3. To mark the milestone, The Laguna Playhouse is pleased to present the hit musical I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett, which kicks off the Playhouse's 2011-2012 season July 5 - August 21.

Tony Bennett achieved acclaim in 1962 when he released the song that soon became known as his signature tune: "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." That song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and achieved gold record status (as did his album of the same title). Bennett won the Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance for "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

In total, he has won fifteen Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. His voice remains powerful through time, and he continues to share his music with the world.

I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett features three singers and a live on-stage jazz combo who celebrate his career by performing more than two dozen songs all recorded by Tony Bennett, including "Because of You," "Stranger in Paradise," "The Best Is Yet To Come," "When Will The Bells Ring for Me," "Cold, Cold Heart," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "The Good Life," "Rags To Riches," and of course, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." The songs are tied together with narrative that helps tell the story of Bennett's career.

Tickets are $35 to $70. For more information, call (949) 497-2787, or visit LagunaPlayhouse.com.