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December 11, 2009 Thaindian News"Barry Manilow Is Charged Up About His New Show" by Ranjan Bhaduri
Eminent singer and song composer Barry Manilow is upbeat about his new show. In a recent interview he said that the last 5 years that he spent playing at Hilton are possibly the best time of his career. He is about to open a new show next year in Paris. The 66-year-old singer said that the thought of taking his upcoming show to Paris gives him an adrenalin rush. At present he is working with Jeff Hornaday and Madonna. The former is the choreographer of Paul McCartney. The huge Theatre des Arts that can accommodate will be revamped for his show. Barry Manilow also said that he checked out the theater and was pretty impressed with it. He thinks it will be the perfect venue for his show.

Barry Manilow has revealed that his compositions for the grand show will be based on the theme of love. He added that Paris is a city known for its romantic image and the show will reflect it. He is leaving no stone unturned to make this production a memorable one. In his illustrious career Barry Manilow has achieved many awards and created new milestones. The sale of his records is approaching 100 million.

Despite the unprecedented success of his albums Barry Manilow remains grounded. There was a time he worked for Bette Midler but even then he did not think of getting the success and emerging a superstar. His fans are pining their hopes on the album ‘Greatest Love Songs of All Time’. They expect it to be a classic masterpiece from the ace singer.

December 11, 2009 SDGLN.com"Barry Manilow: Bringing hope and love to the holidays" by Mona de Crinis
Barry Manilow is a giver. And this month, a slew of local charities are going to reap big benefits from his generosity. They’re going to have a very merry Christmas. Or should that be a very ‘Barry’ Christmas? Either way, Manilow’s got a philanthropic plan for the holidays that’s a definite win-win for the desert community.

The pop music icon and Coachella Valley resident, together with the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, recently presented "A Gift of Love...," a five-night holiday concert series at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. The series kicked off on December 4, and continued December 5, 7, 8 and 9, and focused on 25 desert charities—each night benefiting five selected non-profits.

Manilow performed his popular hits in addition to special holiday songs featured on his new Christmas album, In the Swing of Christmas, released this past fall, as well as from earlier holiday collections, Because It’s Christmas and A Christmas Gift of Love.

Although he’s quite proud (and rightfully so) of all three holiday albums, Manilow says he’s thrilled about his most recent release. "This one’s got a jazzy influence," he explains during a recent interview, sitting on the McCallum stage a few weeks before his show. "It’s different. I tried some new things, and I’m really excited about it."

There’s definitely some warm and fuzzy synergy when you think ‘Barry Manilow’ and ‘the holidays.’ So it’s not surprising that Manilow says he’s particularly fond of ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’ The man loves him some Christmas! "It’s a time when people don’t scream at each other for at least a couple of days," he says jokingly. Then, in a more serious timbre, Manilow identifies the positive qualities of the holiday as a time for giving, a time for joy, a time for love, and a time for celebration.

It’s a music-filled holiday, he observes, then adds with a big grin, "And I’m really good at it! Maybe it’s because I just really love this time of the year."

In addition to the holiday concert series and recently released Christmas album, Manilow just performed his first ever solo concert at the Hollywood Bowl in October. And for all you hopeless (and hopeful) romantics out there, the man who writes the songs that make the whole world sing will be releasing an epic album, The Greatest Love Songs of All Time, in January 2010, a perfect musical accessory come Valentine’s Day.

For his performance at the McCallum, Manilow took great care in choosing the 25 organizations that would benefit from this magnanimous offering of time and talent. "We tried to cover everything, from Desert Paws to the Stroke [Recovery] Center," he says.

But this is not the first time Manilow has thrown his gilded hat into the philanthropic ring. His devotion to charitable endeavors is legendary, even though much of it is given discreetly without much much fanfare. When asked why he’s so driven to give back to the community, Manilow laughs and says, "Jewish guilt."

Non-profits are really struggling because of the economy, he adds after a moment. "Not only are people not buying things, they’re not donated to charities," he says. "And they’re really hurting. I’m hoping that by giving something to 25 charities, it will help." Manilow is quick to point out that "A Gift of Love..." is only a drop in the proverbial bucket when it comes to organizations in need, and praised others in the valley willing to take out their checkbooks.

One of the causes near and dear to his heart, Manilow admits, is Guide Dogs of the Desert. He recalls how moved he was when he visited the organization during a graduation ceremony where puppies who had been living with foster families for the first year of their lives were given back to Guide Dogs to begin their training. "It’s so emotional!" he says emphatically.

AIDS is another area in which Manilow’s fierce passion to make the world a better place is clearly evident. After all, he says, he lived it. "I was there from the beginning," he remembers. "A lot of young people weren’t there at the beginning of it. I was there in the ’70s when suddenly this very strange thing started happening to friends of mine. Even though I was on the road most of the time, I was very much aware of it. By 10 years into it I had lost half my phone book. All these people that I had worked with and that I knew were gone, and at a relatively young age. I had never thought that I would be that close to death; it was shocking ... So whenever anybody asks me to do something for this disease, I’m there."

But it’s not just the AIDS community that has benefited from Manilow’s quiet generosity. In 2008, he donated over $500,000 in musical instruments to schools in the Coachella Valley as part of the Manilow Music Project, which was created under the umbrella of his larger non-profit Manilow Health and Hope Fund in response to the needs of local schools and their depleted music programs.

"I don’t know what I would’ve become without music in my schools," he says of growing up in Brooklyn. "If I didn’t have music classes, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I was pretty average in my studies; didn’t have that many friends ... then I found band classes. I found where I wanted to be, but also I became a better student. And I know that whether or not these kids are going to become famous musicians, it makes them better people; makes them better students. It helped me become the person I am today."

December 11, 2009 Chicago Sun-Times"Barry Manilow orchestrates special concerts for Chicago" by Bill Zwecker
In a recent phone chat, music legend Barry Manilow shared a lot of thoughts about his long "love affair" with Chicago, the way he goes about writing "the songs the whole world sings," his new albums, his new gig in Las Vegas and his excitement about his upcoming concerts at the Rosemont Theatre, Thursday through Dec. 19.

Chicago Sun-Times: You have a long history of performing in Chicago. What are your first thoughts when you think of our town?
Barry Manilow: I have to admit it's the weather. I first came to Chicago very early in my career and the first time I was there, the hotel operator rang me up with a morning wake-up call: "Good morning. It's 8 a.m. It's 12 degrees with a wind chill factor of 14 below." Fourteen below! Who the hell wants to know that? But I also want to say how much I love Chicago and Chicago audiences. I got to know Chicago before I was well-known. I played piano around town. I will always remember Mr. Kelly's. That's where I really broke out. I was there for a year.

CST: You have an album being released Jan. 26 titled "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time." Picking the ones that made the final cut had to be tough.
BM: You're right. We started out with hundreds of them, then whittled them down to 40 or 50. I worked on this with [producer] Clive Davis and that was such a big help. We finally got down to the 15 songs I recorded. I have to admit a lot came from the '30s and '40s and '50s. You can't top Gershwin or Irving Berlin. That's why we've got songs like "How Deep Is the Ocean," "I've Got a Crush on You" and "Our Love Is Here to Stay."

CST: Clive Davis is arguably the most successful music producer and "talent picker" of contemporary music of the last half-century. What's his secret?
BM: It boils down to an uncanny knack of actually hearing exactly what the public wants to connect with at a certain point in time. I don't think even he knows how he does it, but he'll hear an artist or a song and just go, "That's it! You're the one!" He's a genius at that. The only other person who I know who has that instinct is Bette [Midler].

CST: Tell us about your shows next week at the Rosemont Theatre.
BM: You know, I did a big show at the Hollywood Bowl with a 60-piece orchestra. It was the first time I ever did anything like it and it was fabulous. So I want to do that again and I thought Chicago would be the perfect place to do it. We're coming with a 56-piece orchestra to the Rosemont Theatre, and I can't wait.

CST: I understand there is a show in the works inspired by your music? What's the latest?
BM: It's not really a musical or stage show. There are people who have come to me with an idea for a movie. It would be about a group of individuals who, separately, have been affected by a song of mine in different ways. It all would culminate in them coming to a concert of mine. I would be in it, of course, performing those songs at the concert. It's just in the early stages, but I think it could be very funny and very moving at the same time. We'll see.

CST: Is there anything you haven't done that you're dying to do?
BM: Even though I did two shows -- two musicals -- they never made it to Broadway, for various reasons. That's one thing I dream about. Having a show that makes it to New York -- to Broadway.

CST: You also are going to have a new showplace in Las Vegas. What's that all about?
BM: I'm going to Paris! After five wonderful years at the Hilton, I'm excited about a new show at the Paris Las Vegas. We open March 5 and I will do 78 shows every year there for the next two years. I know a lot of Chicagoans go to Vegas, so I hope a lot of them will come out and see me there.

CST: You have raised a lot of money to provide schools with musical instruments. Obviously, this is a cause near and dear to you.
BM: I think it is a responsibility for people like me -- people who are entertainers -- to get out there and remind everyone what a crime it is that arts programs have been slashed or eliminated at so many schools. If it wasn't for music classes, I would never have become what I've become. When I was growing up, some kids had gym -- that wasn't my thing. Neither was joining a gang. So I joined the school orchestra and that became my gang. It's where I learned to interact with friends and that's where I discovered music and how it would truly become my life. Most people don't know that all they have to do is call up their local middle school or high school and ask them what they need. A set of drums or even a music stand -- that doesn't cost very much. They may even have an old trumpet or violin sitting up in the attic. Give it to a school -- it could change a kid's life forever!

CST: What's Barry Manilow's idea of a perfect day?
BM: That's easy. Doing absolutely nothing except playing with my two dogs, my Labs. That's pure bliss.

December 10, 2009 Las Vegas Sun"Barry Manilow discusses his 'new beautiful show' at the Paris" by Robin Leach
Award-winning singer-songwriter Barry Manilow says the past five years of playing in Las Vegas at the Hilton were the best of his career. He didn’t want to leave town when his contract expired, and he’d always had a dream to play on the Strip. Both wishes come true when he opens at the Paris in March with a new extended deal.

Said 66-year-old Barry: "I am so excited to take my brand new show to Paris Las Vegas. This is the first time I have ever been on the Strip, and we’re putting together a brand new beautiful show. I thought the Paris Las Vegas, what’s more romantic than that, so we are putting together the most beautiful show I can imagine. I will be singing as many of the hits, of course, as I can and loads of new songs. I hope everyone can make it there, because I think it’s going to be really great."

He’s working with Madonna and Paul McCartney’s director/choreographer Jeff Hornaday, who staged their world tours and High School Musical. The 1,500-seat Theatre des Arts will undergo changes for Barry’s shows. He’s bringing his singers from the Hilton and plans to expand his band in the new location. "It was time for a change, and moving to the Strip is like being in Times Square," Barry added. "I’ve checked out the theater already, and I love the room." Barry is the first artist contracted for a show run there since the Mel Brooks musical The Producers closed there in February last year.

The mega-best-selling entertainer is already underway with rehearsals for the new production at the same time he is finishing his new album "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time" set for release Jan. 26. Barry has included his own renditions of "The Look of Love" by Burt Bacharach, "We’ve Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters and "12th of Never" by Johnny Mathis on the album, which features jazz and American standards. "As Time Goes By" from the classic Casablanca and the theme from Love Story also are among the [16] fantastic love songs.

Arista Records mogul Clive Davis, Barry’s longtime collaborator, commented: "Barry and I have a mission to bring a new generation the great songs that are the soundtrack of our lives. This album does just that, and Barry is sounding better than ever." "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time" comes right on the heels of his just-released Christmas album -- his third -- "In the Swing of Christmas." Recording magic in the studio enabled his voice to be [dubbed] many times over to become a 21-piece choir!

Some of the "greatest love songs" will be the backbone of his new show. "It's going to be romantic," Barry said. "Paris is a romantic city, so the Paris Hotel has to reflect the love. I want this to be the most beautiful production of my career."

December 9,
2009
antiMUSICBarry Manilow Covers Love Songs on New Album
Barry Manilow's brand new studio album entitled The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time is set for release on January 26th.

On The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time, produced with Michael Lloyd (Somewhere in Time and Dirty Dancing), Manilow presents loving interpretations and arrangements of classic, nostalgic love songs for the Manilow and music fan alike. The album selections include jazz and American standards, as well as songs from the "Great White Way" and silver screen including: "As Time Goes By" (originally written by Herman Hupfeld for the Broadway musical Everybody's Welcome and re-introduced in the film classic Casablanca), Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is The Ocean," "You Made Me Love You" (written by James V. Monaco), George Gershwin's "I've Got A Crush On You," Fats Waller's "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "The Shadow of Your Smile" (written by Johnny Mandel), "When You Were Sixteen" (written by James Thornton and revived and popularized by Al Jolsen in 1929), "The Theme From Love Story (Where Do I Begin)" (written by Francis Lai), "Nevertheless, I'm In Love With You" (written by Harry Ruby), Gershwin's "Our Love is Here To Stay," Johnny Mercer's "Fools Rush In," and "It Could Happen To You" (written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen).

The album also features great renditions of "The Look Of Love" (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David), "We've Only Just Begun" (Written by the songwriting team of Roger Nichols and Paul Williams), and "The Twelfth of Never" (written by Jerry Livingston and Paul Francis Webster).

"The real joy in creating this album was taking these classic songs that everyone knows and using my chops as an arranger to deconstruct then recreate them to make them my own," explained Manilow.

The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time will be released on January 26th, 2010 A special pre-order campaign at the www.manilow.com website and at Amazon will ensure that fans will receive The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time in its very first week of release.

Be sure to tune in this week to see Barry Manilow perform a holiday favorite from his just-released Cd In The Swing Of Christmas on The Jay Leno Show on December 10th.

Complete Track Listing:

1. As Time Goes By
2. How Deep Is The Ocean?
3. You Made Me Love You
4. We've Only Just Begun
5. The Twelfth Of Never
6. I've Got A Crush On You
7. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
8. The Shadow Of Your Smile
9. When You Were Sweet Sixteen (1898)
10. The Look Of Love
11. Theme From Love Story (Where Do I Begin)
12. Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)
13. Our Love is Here To Stay
14. Fools Rush In
15. It Could Happen To You
16. I Only Have Eyes for You

December 8,
2009
American SongwriterBarry Manilow Chooses “The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time'" by Kevin Richards
Song-belter Barry Manilow has hooked up with music mogul Clive Davis for a new studio album, titled The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time, which is due January 26 on Arista Records. Produced with Michael Lloyd (who did the Dirty Dancing soundtrack), the album “presents loving interpretations and arrangements of classic, nostalgic love songs for the Manilow and music fan alike,” and draws its material from movie soundtracks, Broadway, jazz, and American standards.

So what are the greatest love songs of all time? There’s “As Time Goes By” (originally written by Herman Hupfeld for the Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome and re-introduced in the film classic Casablanca), Irving Berlin’s ”How Deep Is The Ocean,” “You Made Me Love You” (written by James V. Monaco), George Gershwin’s “I’ve Got A Crush On You,” Fats Waller’s “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “The Shadow of Your Smile” (written by Johnny Mandel), “When You Were Sixteen” (written by James Thornton and revived and popularized by Al Jolsen in 1929), “The Theme From Love Story (Where Do I Begin)” (written by Francis Lai), “Nevertheless, I’m In Love With You” (written by Harry Ruby), Gershwin’s “Our Love is Here To Stay,” Johnny Mercer’s “Fools Rush In,” and “It Could Happen To You” (written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen).

Manilow also works his magic on “The Look Of Love” (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David), “We’ve Only Just Begun” (Written by the songwriting team of Roger Nichols and Paul Williams), and “The Twelfth of Never” (written by Jerry Livingston and Paul Francis Webster).

“The real joy in creating this album was taking these classic songs that everyone knows and using my chops as an arranger to deconstruct then recreate them to make them my own,” explains the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy-winning artist.

Says Clive Davis: “Barry and I have a mission to bring to a new generation the great songs that are the soundtrack of our lives. This album does just that and Barry is sounding better than ever.”

Clive Davis has collaborated with Barry on virtually all his recordings. In 1974, Manilow was the first signing to Davis’ Arista Records; Davis helped him score a #1 with his debut single, “Mandy.” The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time is the latest in a series the pair have cooked up since 2006 (The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties through 2008’s The Greatest Songs Of The Eighties.) We anxiously await Manilow’s Greatest Songs Of The 00’s!

December 5,
2009
The Desert Sun"Barry Manilow delivers holiday gift to his loyal fans, local charities" by Bruce Fessier
Barry Manilow launched the Coachella Valley holiday concert season Friday with a splash only slightly more reserved than the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Manilow, the Palm Springs resident who is the best-selling adult contemporary artist of all time, has been performing special one-time performances to benefit a Coachella Valley charity almost annually for more than a decade. This year, he outdid himself by creating a unique benefit concert at the McCallum Theatre and performing it over five nights to benefit 25 local charities selected by his Stiletto management team.

Manilow, dressed in a red sports jacket over a black shirt, tie and pants, followed mentalist Gerry McCambridge onto a stage decorated with two Christmas trees surrounded by presents and a large green wreath hanging over center stage.

He kicked off the concert with “Happy Holidays/White Christmas,” just as he started a 2003 “Live By Request” concert from New York City that became his latest DVD, “Barry Manilow Happy Holiday!” He was accompanied by a 56-piece orchestra with strings and horns. “It's so great to be here celebrating the holidays at home,” he exclaimed, which proved to be the perfect introduction to his second song, “(There's No Place Like) Home For the Holidays.”

Fans came from as far as Australia and Europe for the holiday concert that sold out the 1,123-seat McCallum after an aggressive promotion by Manilow and the charities who were benefiting from his five-night engagement. Vicky Harrison of Cathedral City said the Desert AIDS Project gave her her first opportunity to see Manilow in concert.

The program featured Manilow standards such as “Daybreak,” “Somewhere In the Night” and “Looks Like We Made It,” as well as songs from his three Christmas CDs, including his latest, “In the Swing of Christmas,” which earned a Grammy nomination last year for its Hallmark release.

Manilow, who says he just loves Christmas music, told an audience of Manilow fans mixed with curious McCallum regulars, “Consider me your skinny Jewish Santa Claus.”He thrilled fans with his big power ballads, but also swung Christmas tunes like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”

The concert was expected to raise $500,000 for the 25 charities, which would equal the value of the musical instruments Manilow donated to Coachella Valley schools last spring. The concerts continue tonight at the McCallum.

December 4,
2009
Press-Enterprise"Barry Manilow gives the gift of holiday shows" by Vanessa Franko
Barry Manilow started giving the gift of the holidays for 25 local charities on Friday night with the help of some local students. The Norco Choir from the Riverside Community College District's Norco campus joined Manilow for the song "Because It's Christmas" during the first of the singing superstar's "A Gift of Love" concerts on Friday night at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. The concerts are helping to raise funds for Inland groups. The choir will join him again tonight, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the first run of hometown shows for the Palm Springs resident.

Choir Director Dina Humble, who is a faculty member at the Norco campus, has conducted for Manilow in the past. Humble said Manilow wanted a multi-generational choir to accompany him on "Because It's Christmas" and said that some school children from Palm Springs also would perform with them.

She said the choir has 55 students. A core group of about 40 will be performing each night. The choir just performed its own concert on Thursday night, which sold out, Humble said. "It's a wonderful opportunity for the students to sing with a mega superstar," Humble said.

In an interview at the McCallum last month, Manilow said he had wanted for some time to do a run of concerts there, but wasn't able to work it out with his schedule. He is wrapping up his successful run at the Las Vegas Hilton and will be moving to Paris in Las Vegas with a new show in February.

The singer, who had top hits with such songs as "Copacabana," "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs," is donating proceeds from the McCallum shows to 25 charities in the area. "We tried to pick charities that represent all walks of life, from the AIDS organizations to Gilda's Club to Guide Dogs of the Desert," Manilow said. He attended a graduation ceremony in Snow Creek to see the guide dogs, which are raised by volunteers and are trained to be service animals. "You'd never see people bawl harder," he said. "It was so moving."

December 4,
2009
Spinner"Barry Manilow Never Expected Fame and Fortune" by Steve Baltin
Barry Manilow is the biggest selling adult contemporary artist of all time and one of this decade's comeback kids with a string of No. 1 albums 30 years after he was one of the most familiar faces of the '70s. It turns out that no one is more surprised by this than Manilow himself. "I never even thought Barry Manilow would have one album. I never thought in my life that I would have this career," the incredibly modest superstar tells Spinner. "I thought maybe if I were lucky I would be a songwriter or a musician or maybe an arranger or maybe a producer, like I did for Bette Midler and so many of the other singers that I worked with. But as a soloist, as a performer? No, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought this would be where I wound up."

Where Manilow has ended up is back in Las Vegas. The singer will begin a new two-year residency at the Paris Las Vegas on March 5, 2010, conveniently coinciding with the release of his 'Greatest Love Songs of All Time' album. As one would expect from the mix of Paris, love songs and Manilow, he promises a lot of romance. "I got the greatest love songs, Paris, the most romantic city and this gorgeous room in Vegas, so what I put together with this guy named Jeffery Hornady, who's a wonderful producer/director, is a beautiful, beautiful show," he says. "Every day we get together and the show becomes more and more beautiful. I think it's going to be one of my favorite productions."

While the love songs will be a part of the show, all of the Manilow standards will still make their presence felt. "It's all the classics, as many as I can, because we're talking about Las Vegas and these audiences really want to hear the hits," he says. "Certainly I would never take out things like 'Mandy, ' I Write the Songs,' 'Copacabana.'"

We know Manilow is a worthy addition to the rich Vegas legacy, the town made famous by the likes of the Rat Pack -- Sinatra, Sammy, Dean, etc. Is there anybody that he looks to in building a Vegas show? "I do my own thing. I just have to do what feels good for me," Manilow says. "The greats, well, they are the greats. I couldn't even come close to Sinatra, to Judy, to Elvis, I put them up on a pedestal and that's them."

December 3,
2009
Press-Enterprise"Barry Manilow brings a gift to the desert" by Vanessa Franko
Every night that he performs on stage, Barry Manilow has the time of his life. "When the curtain goes up, it's so glamorous, it's so exciting," he said in a recent interview at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. "If that didn't happen, I'd probably hang up my platform shoes."

Manilow, best known for hits such as "Copacabana," "Mandy," "I Write the Songs" and "Looks Like We Made It," has sold upwards of 27 million albums in the United States alone, and his roles as a singer, songwriter, producer, arranger and musician have linked him to everyone and everything from playing piano for Bette Midler to acting as a mentor on "American Idol." "I can't even imagine phoning it in or treating it like a job," he said.

Manilow, 66, is originally from New York and now makes his home in Palm Springs when he's not on tour or spending time doing his popular Las Vegas shows, which he will wrap at the Hilton later this month and reboot at the Paris Las Vegas in [March]. [On December 4th], Manilow begins his first of five holiday shows at the McCallum.

Manilow said he has wanted to do shows at the McCallum for awhile, but this year was the first time he could make it work with his schedule. He performs Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The shows, billed as "A Gift of Love," are fundraisers for 25 area charities, including the Mourning Star Center, the Desert AIDS Project, United Cerebral Palsy of the Inland Empire and Desert Paws. "I love this town. They treat me so great here. They don't treat me like a celebrity; they treat me like a guy," he said.

Another of the performer's passions is the Manilow Music Project, which supports music education in schools and has routinely donated tens of thousands of dollars worth of musical instruments to students in the Coachella Valley and beyond.

He credits a school music program in Brooklyn as being the outlet that clicked for him. "That's why it's so important to me to keep musical instruments in the schools. That's what it will do for kids ... Music classes keep kids coming back to school," he said.

Manilow said he found his footing through music classes. He wasn't on a sports team. He didn't want to join a street gang. "My band is my gang," Manilow said. "My band is my sports team."

In recent years, Manilow has hit it big with a string of albums on which he gives vision and voice to songs from the 1950s through the 1980s, but writing songs is what drives him. "I've still got more to say," Manilow said. "I've still got a lot of ideas."

He is working with super-producer Clive Davis on a "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time" album. "There's George Gershwin and then there's everybody else," Manilow said in describing what makes a perfect love song.

But also in the works is a new album of originals, "more rock 'n' roll than I've ever done before, very guitar-oriented" Manilow said. He said he wanted to tackle the album, which he said is energetic and tells a story, because he thought it would be "challenging and scary." Manilow said it has lived up to those expectations, and he's still figuring out how to make it work.

Pushing himself is something he needs to do as an artist and a songwriter, he said. "On my deathbed, I'll be yelling, 'Wait, I've got one more idea,'" he said.

December 3,
2009
Playbill"Barry Manilow to Play Two-Year Stint at Paris Las Vegas" by Andrew Gans
Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, whose tunes fill the musicals Harmony and Copacabana, will open a new resident show in Las Vegas in March 2010. On March 5, 2010, Manilow will throw open the doors to the Paris Théâtre at Paris Las Vegas with a reimagined stage show. The Grammy Award winner will play 78 shows a year for the next two years.

The shows are produced by AEG Live in conjunction with Paris Las Vegas. Tickets for performances through July 18, 2010, are now on sale. Jeffrey Hornaday ("Flashdance," "A Chorus Line," "High School Musical") will direct the show in the 1,500-seat venue. Audiences can expect many of the hit tunes from Manilow's 35-year career.

In a statement Manilow said, "The audience in Vegas is always energized and electric, so I know that the Paris Las Vegas is going to be a special run. I'm planning something new for this performance; definitely not to be missed."

Tickets are available on-line at Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Paris Théâtre box office, or by calling (800) 745-3000. Ticket prices are $250, $175, $125 and $95. Visit www.parislasvegas.com for more information.

December 2,
2009
Las Vegas Sun"Barry Manilow: Still the romantic - He is to bid a grateful adieu to the Hilton as he prepares his new show at Paris — he promises the old songs will look more ‘beautiful’" by Joe Brown
Where do you go after “Ultimate”? If you’re Las Vegas headliner Barry Manilow, whose current Las Vegas act is called “Ultimate Manilow,” you head to Paris. Paris Las Vegas, that is: Manilow announced Tuesday that he’s packing up and headed for the heart of the Strip with an all-new show of his mostly-old hits. Tickets went on sale Tuesday, and an online auction for front-row seats is taking bids starting at $295.

“This is an exciting day,” says the 66-year-old singer-songwriter-arranger, calling from New York, where he appeared on the “Today” show Tuesday and will help light the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center tonight. Manilow seems somewhat bemused by the amount of interest. “There’s a lot of interest in what’s happening with entertainment in Vegas,” he says, with convincing humility. “It was time for a change,” Manilow says simply about the shift in venues. “And the Paris people were interested. I just wanted to flip things around a little bit.”

Manilow insists on expressing his gratitude to his home away from home — his final shows at the Las Vegas Hilton are Dec. 28-30. “The experience I had at the Hilton was the greatest five years I can remember,” says Manilow, who has consistently been one of the top-selling acts in town. “I will always look back and be very, very grateful to these people at the Las Vegas Hilton who were so beautiful to me.”

Manilow is moving to the very heart of the Strip. “It never even dawned on me that we were anywhere away from the heart of Las Vegas” at the Hilton, he says. “But going over there (to the Paris) and I realized, ‘Wow, this is like Times Square or something.’”

Manilow says he’ll bring along his backup singers, and hints that he may expand his longtime band. There will be some changes to the 1,500-seat Paris Theatre, which has been dark since the musical “The Producers” folded in February 2008. “I really did love the room when I checked it out,” Manilow says. “We’re not demolishing it, but we are making changes to the structure of the room. And the people at the Paris wanted to do their own restructuring on the showroom.”

For the as-yet-untitled new show, Manilow hired director/choreographer Jeffrey Hornaday, whose credentials Manilow calls “just hair-raising” — Hornaday staged world tours for Madonna and Paul McCartney, as well as one of the “High School Musical” movies. Manilow says they have sketched out and storyboarded “a beginning, middle and end” for the staging.

“I wanted to make it romantic,” Manilow says of the upcoming show. “I thought, you know, Paris is the most romantic city, and I’ve got this new album coming out called ‘The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,’ and all this was kind of telling me where it wanted to go. I just decided I want to make this the most beautiful production I know how to create. So, of course I’m going to sing ‘Looks Like We Made it,’ of course I’m going to be doing all the hits. But they’re going to look more beautiful.”

Manilow says he’ll leave space to wing it — spontaneity is rare in the big headliner shows. “The audiences in Las Vegas are very kind to me, and they allow me to do whatever I want to do,” he says. “I know they want to hear the hits, so I give them as many as I can. But whenever I want to throw in some obscure album cut, they are fine with it. There are blocks in the middle of the show, where I said, ‘guys just give me some gorgeous lighting and leave me alone to play around.’”

Manilow recently released his third Christmas album, “In the Swing of Christmas,” with a jazz-trio format — at one point a multitracked Manilow becomes a 21-voice caroling choir. “I love these things,” Manilow says. “The first one was kind of a romantic one, and the second one was a big-band album. What I like about (Christmas songs) is the songwriting of that style — Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, ‘White Christmas,’ ‘Home for the Holidays’ ...”

Manilow’s original intent was to mentor and showcase a young musician — he calls pianist Matt Herskowitz “the new Dave Brubeck, a brilliant young guy who plays piano like he has four hands.” When even Manilow didn’t have the juice to land Herskowitz a contract in the current market, it turned into a Christmas album.

When he began his Vegas run, Manilow says, he would fly back to sleep in his Palms Spring home after every show. “That got to be a bit extravagant, so now I stay in Vegas during the run.”

Manilow, always forward-thinking about merchandise — you can buy Manilow water and wine and the glasses to drink them in and even a thong (a “B-string”) to wear while you’re drinking them — has Paris-branded T-shirts, tote bags and key chains available for pre-order.

If You Go... Who: Barry Manilow. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday beginning March 5-28, May 1-30, June 4-6, July 2-18. Where: Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas. Tickets: $95 to $250. manilowparis.com

When
Where
Articles/Reviews
December 1,
2009
Las Vegas Review-Journal"It's official — Manilow moving to Paris" by Mike Weatherford
Barry Manilow moves to the long-dormant theater at Paris Las Vegas next year, opening a new show there March 5. What had not been revealed is that Manilow now will be produced by AEG Live, which has come to have a dominant role in Las Vegas entertainment by operating the Colosseum at Caesars Palace and The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Manilow wraps a five-year run at the Las Vegas Hilton on Dec. 30. A news release for the new show says it will be a “reimagined” effort directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, who has staged tours for pop stars such as Madonna. His film choreography includes “Flashdance,” “A Chorus Line” and the Michael Jackson 3-D film “Captain Eo.” Hornaday also has been announced as the director of the fourth movie in the “High School Musical” franchise.

Manilow signed on for a two-year run, with 78 shows per year in the 1,500-seat theater. Tickets go on sale today at $95, $125, $175 and $250. The Paris theater has been dormant since “The Producers” closed in February 2008. Manilow has a new album, “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” set for release Jan. 26. A movie using his songs also has been reported, but the announced plot would have fans headed to a concert at Mandalay Bay, not Paris.

December 1,
2009
TheatermaniaBarry Manilow to Open New Las Vegas Show on March 5" by Andy Propst
Tony and Grammy Award winner Barry Manilow will open a new resident show at the Paris Théâtre at Paris Las Vegas on March 5. Jeffrey Hornaday will direct and choreograph. Manilow will perform 78 shows each year for two years at Paris Las Vegas, and the production will feature all the songs that have made him a pop culture icon over the past 35 years.

To date, twenty-nine albums by Barry Manilow have been certified platinum, while three -- Barry Manilow/Live, Even Now, and Greatest Hits -- are each certified triple platinum. Manilow's Broadway credits include his Tony Award-winning Barry Manilow on Broadway and Barry Manilow at the Gershwin. He also contributed songs to Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell Revue and The Madwoman of Central Park West. In the West End, his music was featured in Barry Manilow's Copacabana - The Musical, which went on to tour the U.S., Australia and Asia.

For further information, visit www.ManilowParis.com.

December 1,
2009
PollStarManilow Trades Hilton For Paris
Barry Manilow’s Vegas residency gets a new venue beginning next year as the man who gave the world “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Could It Be Magic,” heads to Paris Las Vegas beginning in March 2010.

Manilow’s current Vegas run shows him wrapping up 2009 at the Las Vegas Hilton Dec. 30. After a three-month break, the singer launches his two-year run at the intimate 1,500 seat Paris Theatre March 5.

Along with the new venue comes a new show. Manilow’s Paris Theatre gigs will be directed by stage / film choreographer and director Jeffrey Hornaday (“Flashdance,” “A Chorus Line,” “High School Musical”) and will celebrate the artist’s 35 years of pop hits. “The audience in Vegas is always energized and electric, so I know that the Paris Las Vegas is going to be a special run,” Manilow said. “I’m planning something new for this performance; definitely not to be missed.”

Las Vegas middle and high school music programs also benefit from Manilow’s Paris residency. Proceeds from weekly Platinum Experience Tickets, which include front row seats, champagne receptions, meet-and-greets, a photo with you-know-who and an autographed program, will go directly to The Manilow Music Project (part of the nonprofit The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope) and will help provide instruments for students in the Las Vegas Unified School District.

December 1,
2009
New York Times"Vegas, Baby: Barry Manilow Plans His Return to the Strip" by Dave Itzkoff
Step aside, Garth Brooks, and move over, Bette Midler: you’re about to face a little (friendly) competition in Las Vegas. On Tuesday, Barry Manilow — Mr. I-Write-The-Songs himself — announced that he’d signed up for a two-year residency at the Paris Las Vegas hotel. The show, to be produced by AEG Live, will open on March 5 at the hotel’s Paris Théâtre and will be directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, the choreographer whose credits include “Flashdance” and the film version of “A Chorus Line.” It will mark Mr. Manilow’s second stint on the Las Vegas Strip, following an earlier residency at the Las Vegas Hilton that ran from 2005 to 2008.

At the end of a lengthy, interview-filled afternoon, Mr. Manilow spoke with us about his new Vegas show. These are excerpts from that conversation.

New York Times: Do you still have any breath left in your lungs?
Barry Manilow: Holy mackerel. I do, I do. I’m amazed that there’s people that are still interested in what I’m doing after all these years.

NYT: You’re about to undertake your second tour of duty in Las Vegas, and I’m tempted to ask, didn’t you learn anything your first time around?
BM: I like Vegas for a lot of reasons. Everybody warned me, the audiences are going to be dull, they’re not going to respond, there are going to be a lot of tourists. That has not happened.

NYT: How will your show at the Paris be different from the one you performed at the Hilton?
BM: Paris is the most romantic city in the world, and I’ve got this new album I’m working on, called “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” that should be be coming out right around the time I open at the Paris. It’s these great songs from the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, that were written by Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer and even [Burt] Bacharach. Certainly, I’ll be doing the hits. But the whole feel is very romantic — not slow, but just romantic and passionate.

NYT: So no covers of Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” yet?
BM: No, I’m afraid not. I’m just a sucker for the songs that were written way before me.

NYT: There’s been an increasing arms race of spectacle in Vegas — what will you do to keep pace with your predecessors?
BM: The basis of what I do has to start with the song. When “Copacabana” hits, yes, it will be produced. But I won’t do a production piece just for color and visual fun. I would do it only because it’s “Copacabana.” So I’ve got the material and we’re building all this stuff based on the songs. Will it be as magnificent as Elton [John]’s or Celine [Dion]’s? I don’t know. But I know that it’ll make sense.

NYT: But there will be production numbers?
BM: Oh yeah, it’ll be wildly produced. I’ve got this huge catwalk that goes over the audience’s head where me and my singers will go running around.

NYT: Is it too soon to put in a personal request for “Mandy”?
BM: Not at all. There are some songs that I will not ever leave out. And that is one of them.

NYT: Among the performers who are also coming to Las Vegas is Garth Brooks. How do you plan to go head-to-head with him?
BM: Oh, no. I read that, too. All I can tell you is that I’m going to be in the audience. Going head-to-head with me? I’m a fan. I also hear that he’s doing an acoustic show, and that’s pretty brave to do, but I bet you it works, he’s so talented.

NYT: So there really are no rivalries on the Las Vegas Strip?
BM: This Vegas thing, for me, it’s really about a bunch of colleagues, not competitors. I called Donny [Osmond] as soon as he won “Dancing With the Stars,” and said, I’m going to be down the block. He came to see my show, and as soon as I can, I’ll see his. But he doesn’t need my notes.

December 1,
2009
Los Angeles Times"Barry Manilow moving to Paris (Las Vegas) in 2010" by Randy Lewis
Barry Manilow is moving to Paris -- the one in Vegas, that is. His new show, at Paris Las Vegas, will be just around the corner from the Las Vegas Hilton, where he’s spent the last four years in residence. The kingpin of adult contemporary music on Tuesday announced that he’s putting together a new show -- “totally different than anything I’ve ever done” -- that will open March 2. It's scheduled for a two-year run at Paris Las Vegas. “It’s going to be the most beautiful production I’ve ever had anything to do with,” Manilow said Tuesday. “Paris is one of the most romantic places on earth, I’m making an album of the greatest love songs of all time, so we’re going to make this a very romantic and powerful evening at a place called Paris.”

His new album, “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” is due Jan. 26, following on his series of “The Greatest Songs...” albums surveying the music of the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

Manilow, who has been in residence at the Hilton since 2005, said “it was time to do this. Not that I was getting bored at all. I’ve loved it there. But I love the idea of creating a brand new show. I like flipping things around.”

Tickets for the first round of shows at the Paris are on sale today, priced from $95 to $250. He’s earmarking some of the proceeds from Platinum Experience Tickets, which guarantee a front-row seat, a meet-and-greet with the singer and other perks, for the Manilow Music Project, a relatively new endeavor that helps put musical instruments into the hands of children at a time when public school music budgets have been slashed. “Music classes are in terrible shape,” he said. “For me, I don’t know what I would have done without music growing up in Brooklyn. Everybody else joined gangs or sports -- I had music.”

December 1,
2009
Live Daily"Barry Manilow ready to transition to new Vegas stage" by Tara Hall
Early next year, Barry Manilow will transition from his long-running Vegas residency at the Hilton to a fresh reign of intimate club shows at Paris Las Vegas. The legendary performer inked a deal with AEG Live that will have him gracing the Paris Theatre stage for 78 shows each year for two years. The first half of the 2010 itinerary is available now, kicking off March 5 and running most weekends through July 18. Details are shown below.Before debuting the new residency, Manilow will finish up the five-year run of his Vegas spectacular "Ultimate Manilow: The Hits" with a three-night stint Dec. 28-30.

Directed by stage and film choreographer Jeffery Hornaday ("Flashdance," "High School Musical"), the new Paris concerts will feature songs spanning Manilow's 35-year career. "The audience in Vegas is always energized and electric, so I know that the Paris Las Vegas is going to be a special run," Manilow said in a press release. "I'm planning something new for this performance; definitely not to be missed."

Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster. Fans can also purchase platinum experience tickets, which include a front-row seat, pre-show champagne reception and the opportunity to meet Manilow. Proceeds from these premium packages will benefit the Manilow Music Project, according to a press release. The musician started the non-profit to give middle and high school students in the Las Vegas area access to instruments.

In 2006, the acclaimed singer/songwriter/producer started a series of popular music tributes with "Greatest Songs of the Fifties." The latest in the collection, "Greatest Songs of the Eighties," surfaced late last year and features versions of chart-topping hits including Journey's "Open Arms," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Phil Collins' "Against All Odds."

December 1,
2009
USA Today"Barry Manilow details new Vegas show" by Oskar Garcia
LAS VEGAS — Barry Manilow says plenty of people still like to hear great love songs, so he's keeping things romantic as he moves to the Las Vegas Strip for a new show opening March 5. "I've always believed that a good love song will never go out of style, no matter how angry the young people get — and they seem to be getting more angry," Manilow said in an interview. "It's reflected in the songwriting of the day and the performing of the day, but I still believe that there are a lot of people who would love to hear a great love song."

The 63-year-old "Mandy" and "Copacabana" crooner starts a two-year run at the Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino next year after spending five years less than 3 miles away at the off-Strip Las Vegas Hilton. His last performance at the Hilton is Dec. 30, and Manilow says he's already working on concepts for the new production. He says the new show — with tickets going on sale Tuesday — won't look similar to his performances at the Hilton. "We started from scratch and it's going to be just gorgeous," Manilow said. "All of the equipment and all of the production we had at the Hilton, I didn't want to just move it to the Paris."

Manilow said the venue and new show fit with his latest album of love songs, which debuts Jan. 26. "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time" includes 15 classic love songs, including "Fools Rush In" and "How Deep Is the Ocean." "I'm actually going to focus on the fact that we are in the most romantic world called Paris," Manilow said. "Since I sing such romantic songs, I thought that would be a really good place to do something like this."

Manilow said he hopes his audiences will receive his new show as well as his Hilton show, which was billed as a collections of his greatest hits. But he says fans will still hear their favorites at his new show. "They love hearing 'Weekend in New England,' they love hearing 'Mandy,"' Manilow said. "If you throw out a great love song, there's always an audience out there that wants to hear a good one."

December 1,
2009
ABC News"Lady Gaga Finds a New Fan in Barry Manilow" by Corinne Heller
Veteran showman Barry Manilow, who unveiled a new Las Vegas act on Tuesday, said that when it comes to today's hit singers, he most admires original acts such as controversial dance queen Lady Gaga. Manilow has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and is set to begin a two-year series of love song concerts at the Paris Las Vegas hotel in March. He called his 78-show series "the most romantic-looking show we can put together," and said he would perform classic love songs and some of his own popular hits, such as "Mandy."

When it came to new performers, the man who began recording in the 1970s and is known for Grammy-winning nightclub standard "Copacabana (At the Copa)" said it was pop diva Lady Gaga who made him sit up and take notice. "I think Lady Gaga is very original. I really think she's got something going for her," Manilow told Reuters by phone from New York, where he is set to perform at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center on Wednesday.

Manilow's concerts, of course, contrast with those of glam artists like Gaga or Adam Lambert, [but] he called both "talented" and said, "I encourage these young singers to do what they are passionate about".

Manilow, known for upbeat songs and glittering costumes, said to boost energy of his own shows, he revs up his band and singers backstage. "I try to make sure we're all in the same room and jumping around and all excited before we take our positions onstage, so that when I go out there, I am not just a soloist -- I am part of a big family," he said.

In 2004, Manilow served as a guest judge on TV singing contest "American Idol." And while some new singers who obtain stardom from TV shows have taken criticism that they put performance before music, Manilow said voters generally have chosen good winners and noted many also earn critical success.

December 1,
2009
Press Release
(SOURCE: PARIS LAS VEGAS)
Barry Manilow Brings New Show to Paris Las Vegas: Celebrated music legend signs two-year deal with Paris Las Vegas and AEG Live
LAS VEGAS, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is making music and magic at Paris Las Vegas with a new resident show. On March 5, 2010 Manilow will throw open the doors to the Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas with a reimagined stage show that will be both more intimate and more exciting than ever before.

Manilow will perform 78 shows each year for two years at Paris Las Vegas. The shows are produced by AEG Live in conjunction with Paris Las Vegas. Tickets for performances March 5 through July 18, 2010 are on-sale today at 9 a.m. EST.

Directed by renowned stage and film choreographer and director Jeffrey Hornaday (Flashdance, A Chorus Line, High School Musical), this new show will cast Manilow's hits in a new light in the intimate and elegant 1,500 seat Paris Theatre. Including all the songs that have made him a pop culture icon over the past 35 years, the show will bring the energy, sincerity and melody of Manilow at his best to a spectacular yet personal crescendo.

"The audience in Vegas is always energized and electric, so I know that the Paris Las Vegas is going to be a special run," said Manilow. "I'm planning something new for this performance; definitely not to be missed."

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records); with no less than 25 consecutive top 40 hits to his credit between 1975 and 1983, on the Billboard Hot 100. Manilow has worked on over 40 albums over the course of his career as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. He recently released "In the Swing of Christmas" his third collection of holiday songs and will release "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time," a new album chronicling the most touching love songs ever written on Jan. 26, 2010.

"Barry Manilow is an icon to generations of adoring fans," said John Meglen, co-CEO and President of AEG Live/Concerts West. "AEG Live is privileged to be working with him to bring this new and exciting musical production to the stage in Las Vegas."

"At Paris Las Vegas, romance blends with excitement and energy, so it's only fitting that Barry Manilow reignite our entertainment offerings," said Marilyn Winn, President of Paris Las Vegas. "We invite all of our guests to spend a dynamic evening with Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas."

Las Vegas middle school and high school music programs will benefit from Manilow's new contract with Paris by sharing in the proceeds of the special, weekly Platinum Experience Tickets. Platinum Experience Tickets which include a front row seat, pre-show champagne reception, meet & greet and photo with Barry Manilow, and an autographed show program are available now at www.ManilowParis.com or at 310.957.5788. Proceeds from Platinum Experience Tickets go directly to the Manilow Music Project. The Manilow Music Project is part of Manilow's non-profit, The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope and will put instruments into the hands of middle school and high school students in the Las Vegas Unified School District.

Tickets go on-sale today at 9 a.m. EST and are available on-line at Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Paris Theatre box office, or by calling 1.800.745.3000. Ticket prices are $250, $175, $125, and $95. Visit www.parislasvegas.com for room and ticket packages. For more information on Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas visit www.ManilowParis.com.

AEG Live

AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles based AEG is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring for a variety of programming and multi-media production. One of the largest concert promotion and touring companies in the world, AEG Live is comprised of special event, broadcast and exhibition divisions, and operates and owns numerous state of the art venues nationwide. Recent AEG Live tours and productions include Celine Dion A New Day..., which just ended a landmark five year run, Bette Midler The Showgirl Must Go On and CHER at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace as well as "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut. Recent and current promoted concert tours include Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Prince, Bon Jovi, Usher, Nickelback, Kenny Chesney, Rod Stewart, and Paul McCartney. AEG Live also co-produces the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Goldenvoice, the company's southern California-based regional promotion division, created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

About Paris Las Vegas

From its dramatic 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower to authentic architectural reproductions, Paris Las Vegas features elegant decor, European-inspired boutiques and a distinctive array of fine cuisine, including Chef Joho's acclaimed Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Les Artistes Steakhouse and French-bistro Mon Ami Gabi. The resort celebrates the romance and excitement of the European City of Light. In the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip, the passion and sophistication of Paris Las Vegas transports guests to Europe's most romantic city.

December 1,
2009
The Desert Sun"It'll be a very Barry holiday loaded with benefit shows" by Bruce Fessier
Barry Manilow's grandiose concert series, “A Gift of Love,” has some grandiose competition this weekend. Barry's at the McCallum Theatre, Willie Nelson is at Fantasy Springs, Brian Wilson is at The Show, Kaye Ballard is at Eisenhower Medical Center's “Holiday Voices” and top opera performers are singing for the AIDS Assistance Program and Well in the Desert...

Folks are coming from around the world to see Barry's “Gift of Love” concerts Dec. 5 and 7-9. McCallum programmer Mitch Gershenfeld is hosting an Australian fan in his own house. Prime McCallum seats are still available, but Gershenfeld says, “We've sold a tremendous amount of tickets. We certainly expect to have real strong crowds at these five performances and we expect to have a lot of sales come up this week.”

The 25 charities, which will get equal shares of the McCallum box office sales, are encouraging their supporters to buy premium $750 and $1,000 tickets through the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope at www.starz.bz/agiftoflove. A portion of those will be given to the charity of the ticket buyer's choice.

Barry's Stiletto management expects to raise more than $500,000 for the 25 charities and the charity people I've talked to are thrilled.

The Stroke Recovery Center was busy staging its Wonderland Ball before Barry's concerts, but its board members were able to buy premium tickets to see Barry's show and help its center rehabilitate stroke patients.

The Living Desert took out a quarter-page Desert Sun ad (a “free” ad the wildlife park said it received with a contract deal) saying, “Thank you to a great philanthropist.”

ACT for MS is getting a double shot of Barry's love. Its Christmas Tree Lane reception and auction is from 5-7 p.m. Saturday at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells, so its celebrity guests, including “Gift of Life” co-chairs Jim and Wendy Fitzgerald, can go to Barry's concert after helping raise money to fight MS.

Barry is even hanging a couple McCallum tickets, some Las Vegas show tickets and albums on his Christmas tree, which people can bid on before Saturday's live auction. “It's wonderful,” said ACT for MS founder Gloria Greer. “I think it will be a good weekend for us. I'm hoping a lot of the trees will be sold in the silent auction in the hotel.”

Barry had breakfast with his saxophonist pal Dave Koz a couple weeks ago as Koz was passing through Palm Springs. Both men are putting jazz spins on Christmas songs at the McCallum in the next two weeks. Barry is doing swing interpretations and Koz is offering smooth jazz renditions on Dec. 13.

Why do these two Jewish musicians have such an affinity for Christmas music? Well, Barry says he's just really good at arranging Christmas standards. Koz says it's kind of a Jewish tradition. The best-selling Christmas song of all time was conceived when the Jewish Irving Berlin found himself in Southern California dreaming of a “White Christmas.”

Barry will open his show with “Happy Holidays/White Christmas,” starting with a fanfare reminiscent of “Moulin Rouge.” But I'm most curious to see how he performs “Silver Bells.” He sings the lead and all the harmony parts on his Grammy-nominated “In the Swing of Christmas” CD.

Barry rehearsed the show at Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs last month. He played the hotel piano during a break one day and mingled with lucky hotel guests. He'll now perform at least a similar version of his McCallum show in the Chicago area. He announced last week he's doing three nights of “hits and holiday songs” with a 56-piece orchestra at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, Ill.

Barry's moving his Las Vegas show to Paris — the resort with the replica Eiffel Tower on the strip next to Planet Hollywood — on March 5. Tickets go on sale today. If you're reading this between 7 and 9 a.m. today, he's announcing that right about now on “The Today Show.”

While in New York, he'll perform at the Rockefeller Tree Lighting ceremony with Aretha Franklin, Michael Bublé, Shakira and others live on NBC at 8 p.m. Wednesday...

Barry's continuing his Manilow Music Project to buy musical instruments for students through his Manilow Platinum Experience. Every Friday night for the next two years, 10 people may pay an extra $1,000 to meet Barry before the show and sit in the front row at the Paris Las Vegas. The proceeds will help buy instruments for Las Vegas middle- and high-school kids.

“In these days of headliners getting cancelled and closing shows, it's a testament to Barry and his fans that he has been asked to sign a new contract at a major hotel on the Strip,” said Barry's manager, Garry Kief. “The Paris Platinum Experience is our way of saying thanks.”

Barry will give his last three concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton Dec. 28-30 after a five-year relationship at the theater launched 40 years ago by Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley. His close friend, Suzanne Somers, also was the Las Vegas entertainer of the year at the Hilton in 1986. Suzanne performed a killer version of Barry's “I Was A Fool (To Let You Go)” at a party she threw for the doctors in her best-selling book, “Knockout: Interviews With Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer,” last month at her multi-level Palm Springs home...

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