[Continued from Part 1]

After our dinner at Allegro, Dawn Hume and I sashayed past Jeff Koons’ Popeye, and into the Encore Theater, for An Intimate Evening with Lady Gaga.  I knew it was gonna be jazzy, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect (and really, I didn’t care).  Familiar with Miss Germanotta’s musicality, and having seen her performance at Sinatra 100, a year ago, and one of her concerts with Tony Bennett the year before that; I knew she was a big fan of jazz standards, and was psyched to see how she’d glam things up, in a suitably Wynn-centric fashion.

As a proper coda to Sinatra 100, she began her performance this night with the same song she’d last sung on that same stage – “Theme from New York, New York” (or, as Frank referred to it, “Liza’s song”); emerging in a floor-length, backless, silver sequin gown, with a snood-like hood. Make no mistake about it – Lady Gaga is a lotta things, but stupid ain’t one of ‘em.  Her selection of songs from the Great American Songbook (think: Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart, etc.) was especially well-conceived, both for being recognizable to the large number of visiting high-rollers (most of whom are not native English speakers), and for being favorites of Steve Wynn (a huge Sinatra fan).

But it wasn’t simply a night of Gaga Sings Sinatra (though, I daresay I’d have relished that, as well); but rather, she seemed to be taking her cues from such legendary torch singers as Julie London, Anita O’Day, Kay Starr, Cleo Lane, Blossom Dearie, and the legendary Ella Fitzgerald; and as the lyric goes, “it’s alright with me.”

And while the night was Gaga’s, Brian Newman (who’s a delight on the trumpet), and his jazz quintet were great at filling-in the gaps whenever a wardrobe change was in order (there were five), with songs including “Good Life” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”  She kept her silver dress on for “Coquette” (a fox-trot that became a hit for Guy Lombardo in 1927); her terrific cover of Louis Jordan’s 1944 classic “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” and when she implored us to call her “Irresponsible” – before heading backstage. 

The Lady’s next look was a bold crimson halter number with a plunging neckline and a structured cutaway skirt, by Dubai-based designer Michael Cinco, with a matching fox stole (used as a boa) that was perfect for “Firefly” (Tony Bennett’s 1958 hit that they performed together, on their Cheek to Cheek album and tour); then let her get vampy while channeling her inner Vera Simpson, with the Pal Joey standard, “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” (Rodgers & Hart).

Come back for the conclusion to this article, in Part 3!

An Intimate Evening with Lady Gaga
Encore Theater | Wynn Las Vegas
Click HERE for info

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