Rob Marshall's
birthday gift to Tony Bennett

Out director Rob Marshall has agreed to direct and produce an NBC music special celebrating Tony Bennett's 80th birthday. The show, titled Tony Bennett: An American Classic, will air in September. The show will feature singers including Elton John, k.d. lang, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Krall performing duets with Bennett. Each song will represent a milestone in Bennett's life and will be accompanied by a short video. Between these musical shorts, actors Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, and Catherine Zeta-Jones will provide insights into Bennett's life. The show will conclude with Bennett singing his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Production designer John Myhre, costume designer Colleen Atwood, cinematographer Dion Beebe, and choreographer John Deluca (Marshall's partner), all of whom have won Oscars for their work, will collaborate with Marshall on the production.