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| December 11, 2009 | Thaindian News | "Barry Manilow Is Charged Up About His New Show" by Ranjan Bhaduri |
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| 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 |
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| 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."
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| December 11, 2009 | Chicago Sun-Times | "Barry Manilow orchestrates special concerts for Chicago" by Bill Zwecker |
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| 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 |
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| 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 | antiMUSIC | Barry Manilow Covers Love Songs on New Album |
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| 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
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December 8,
2009 | American Songwriter | Barry Manilow Chooses “The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time'" by Kevin Richards |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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