Anka’s Still a Heartthrob in Fans’ Hearts

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

The former teen idol not only gives his adoring audience just what they came for, but he also does so graciously. On the first of a two-night stand Friday at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, the tuxedo-clad Anka strolled through the near-capacity audience to mingle, stopping to hug and gently kiss some of the women.

Constantly grinning, he seemed genuinely delighted to share memories and 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, although he did squeeze in a song from last year’s collection of bilingual duets called “Amigos.”

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),””My Hometown” (1960) and “Goodnight My Love” (1960) had many in the audience oohing and aahing.

Didn’t anyone cringe upon hearing Anka, 56, sing lyrics as naive and corny as these from his 1957 No. 1 hit, “Diana”: “You and I will be as free / As the birds up in the trees”?

Anka’s vocals sounded bland at times, particularly on the Anka compositions that have been recorded more memorably by such others as Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones. His 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 sabotaged him. Instead of unobtrusively supporting each selection, the band overwhelmed with both slick synthesizer fills and bleating horns.