Paul Anka Strolls Through His Past

It’s hard not to admire the entertainer within veteran crooner Paul Anka. His artistry, however, is another matter.

The former teen idol, now 56, not only gives his adoring fans just what they came for, but he does so graciously. On the first of two nights at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, the tuxedo-clad Anka strolled through the near-capacity audience stopping to hug and kiss some of the ladies.

On Friday, he seemed genuinely delighted to share memories and some laughs with the crowd, as he did when he quipped: “Thank you for taking my picture and for the little pinch on the rear end. Yes--thank you, sir.”

As expected, Anka’s chart-topping romantic oldies from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s dominated the 90-minute program. Despite being tossed into a medley, “Lonely Boy” (No. 1, 1959), “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” (No. 2, 1959), “Puppy Love” (No. 2, 1960) and “My Home Town” (No. 8, 1960) had many in the audience oohing and aahing.

The singer’s vocals sounded bland at times, particularly on compositions of his that have been recorded more memorably by such others as Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones. Anka’s voice had neither the emotional range to pull off “My Way” nor the sexy sass for “She’s a Lady.”

Even when Anka had a chance to shine on the emotion-charged “All by Myself” and “I’m Not Anyone,” his 14-piece orchestra tended to overwhelm him.