We've run some commentary (and even a few videos) from Tony Orlando's farewell performance at Mohegan Sun back on March 22nd ...
But our very own Shelley Sweet-Tufano was there that night ...
And files this official report ...
TONY ORLANDO FAREWELL CONCERT:
Just what is different about a final live concert?
Will it be longer, shorter?
Will there be surprise announcements or guests?
Will it really be a final concert, or will it be a teaser?
I am asking all of these questions as I sit in the Mohegan Sun Arena 45 minutes before Tony Orlando's final live concert on March 22nd. Honestly, I didn't think about this before. I just knew that if Tony planned his last performance at Mohegan Sun, I was going to attend. I should write him a thank you note.
Video tributes are playing as I sit pondering the above questions. Here are the names of the people who have been recorded and are now talking to Tony via film to honor this final event:
Frankie Valli
Deana Martin
Marie Osmond
Smokey Robinson
Larry the Cable Guy
David Pack (Ambrosia)
Bucky Heard & Bill Medley
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr
Adam Sandler
Barry Mann
The most interesting of the comments is Frankie Valli, trying to convince Tony to change his mind. Wait a minute! Frankie says this is HIS last tour, so is he just teasing us?
I have read it here that Cousin Brucie and Tony have been replaying the Palisades Park Introduction every night of Cousin Brucie's show for weeks in anticipation of Tony's last concert. You all sounded a bit fed up. Thankfully, I have not heard this and once warned, chose not to listen in so that I could have a one-off experience tonight.
Yep, Cousin Brucie is introduced and proceeds to recall the time at Palisades Park that he first introduced Tony Orlando to a packed audience. Brucie maintains that half the audience were relatives of Tony's and so the show was a shoo-in. A video break-in by Criss Angel (illusionist) doing a show in Vegas brings the audience in Vegas AND Mohegan to their feet cheering Tony's career before Criss vanishes in a puff of smoke. Let the music begin!
Tony talk/sings about his life: Being raised in Manhattan, right smack dab in NYC. He then moves into 'Stand By Me' and before beginning Neil Diamond's 'Coming to America,' he states that although this is his last live concert, he and his band will accept concerts for Veterans or fundraisers for Veterans "free of charge." His song, 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon,' has been giving all proceeds to Veteran organizations all these many years and has now furnished millions of dollars to aid current and former Vets of all ages in their needs. If you have ever been to Tony's concerts, you know that he spends time honoring Veterans from each war since WWII, asking for them to stand and be honored while we all sing: "You put your life on the line for us!" Tonight, we even have one Veteran from WWII and one from the Korean Conflict. Then, a moment of silence as the stage goes dark. (I don't know who was on lights tonight, but they did not take cues very well, being late to respond to each prompt.) And suddenly on stage appears Lee Greenwood, singing 'God Bless the USA.' POWERFUL! There is flattery going back and forth between Tony and Lee as this segment of the show proceeds. When Lee leaves, Tony gives the background story of 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon.' Apparently, he is boring a couple of ladies backstage, so they start talking to him about knowing the story and complaining that they have not been included. WHO? Of course, DAWN needs to join Tony to properly sing the string of Tony Orlando and Dawn hits.
Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson are the voices that formed with Tony to create the hits so familiar to us. Beginning with 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon,' we continue to 'Candida,' 'Knock Three Times' and 'Sweet Gypsy Rose.'
Tony starts relating stories about Elvis Presley and I accept it as part of his own musical history until ... he introduces Priscilla Presley, who is sitting in the audience. Well now! After all, this IS his last live concert, so I am now ready for endless possibilities. But really Tony, I agree with Telma. You now sing 'He Don't Love You' to Priscilla Presley? As Telma says, "That takes nerve!"
Tony Orlando and Dawn were the first multi-racial group to have their own TV show. With Tony being a self-proclaimed "Greekorican," they were held up by some as unworthy of anything but hate mail. When asked by the producer on how they intended to respond to this, they sang a song on their next show. 'Abraham, Martin and John.' The hate mail stopped. Tonight, they sing it exactly as they did on their show. Breathtaking and heart stopping.
Between 'Tony Orlando' and 'Tony Orlando and Dawn,' there was a time when he could not record songs, under his own name, due to contract obligations. So, the arrival of 'Dawn' (the group) came about with Tony lending his vocals to 'Candida.' The backup singers on this piece included the song's producer, Jay Siegel. Here he is tonight to join Tony onstage and sing the remarkable 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight.' I had seen Jay walk into the Arena with his wife and take a seat in the audience so his appearance on stage was not a surprise to me. As a matter of fact, I texted my friends, who were sitting in various other Arena areas: "Jay Siegel is here!" Some people just don't get past me.
Someone I haven't seen live in years is introduced now: Andy Kim. My kids and I attended many concerts of his when they were in their teens, but lately I have not seen his concerts announced. Now, as he talks to us, before singing 'Sugar, Sugar' from the Arena floor, he explains that he has not been performing for quite a while. However, Tony has set him up with his musicians to start a concert season this fall ... so, start looking for them.
WHO ELSE IS IN THE AUDIENCE??
I will tell you!
Tom Cantone - Mohegan Sun head of Sports and Entertainment
Kevin, Sr and Denise Jonas - you may have heard of their sons ... The Jonas Brothers
Bill O'Reilly - Political Commentator
Tony's wife, Francine
Marvin Scott from WPIX
Tony's kids, Jon and Jenny Rose
Criss Angels' family
And on stage at the piano? Tony's younger brother, David.
Tony turns the stage over to David, who proceeds to perform 'Baby Grand' and 'Easy Like Sunday Morning.' What best to follow this? A video tribute from Lionel Richie. One thing tonight is for sure ... there is NO shortage here of fame on stage, on video nor in the audience.
This is a last concert working together for Tony's band as well. Tony turns them loose, doing songs that are favorite picks and the stage becomes wild. I have included the artists whose arrangements they chose …
'You Can Call Me Al' (Paul Simon)
'September' (Earth Wind and Fire)
'La Bamba' (Ritchie Valens)
'Hang On Sloopy' (McCoys)
'If I Had a Hammer' (Trini Lopez)
'Black Magic Woman (Santana)
'A Whiter Shade of Pale' (Procol Harum)
'Whole Lotta Love' (Led Zeppelin)
'I Got You Babe' (Sonny and Cher)
'With A Little Help From My Friends' (Joe Cocker)
YES, we are still going strong here at Mohegan! It's Doo-wop time with Johnny Petillo, once lead singer of The Duprees.
'You Belong to Me'
'Tears On My Pillow'
'Earth Angel'
'Blue Moon'
What?? Tony wants us to watch a Tic Tok video? Who is this singing 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon'?
He's good. He's a kid. He's HERE! His name is Ky Baldwin, and Tony has brought him to the stage proclaiming him as an up-and-coming star. He does an energetic dance and song version of 'I Just Want to Be Your Everything,' even resembling Andy Gibb a bit.
How can we ever wind this show to an end? CAN we even do that? AHA, TONY!! You chose a Beatles Block to finalize the epitome of your live concert career.
'Can't Buy Me Love'
'Something'
'Ob-la-di Ob-la-da'
'HEY JUDE'
Under thunderous applause, the audience stands and backstage joins Tony onstage. Nobody leaves. Everybody hugs and kisses. They applaud each other. They just don't care what time it is, how long we have been in the Arena watching this HAPPENING, how hungry, tired or bathroom challenged everyone is. (Actually Tony said, "I don't care if you have to pee. Too bad!") They want to keep this memory intact forever.
Tony calls for the lights to go up and announces the 'Last Dance.' Donna Summer's recording begins and everyone has fun dancing out the exits.
I know the internet is flooded with videos of this event with reviews and tributes of all shapes and sizes. This review is meant to connect any dots or missing links that you each may have, and to Tony Orlando, his band and all his friends and supporters: THANK YOU! God bless you all in your future endeavors.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Correspondent-Forgotten Hits
