Articles and Reviews - Archives 50

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July 2010 Vegas.comHe Writes The Songs
With more than 80 million records sold worldwide and a career spanning more than 35 years, renowned singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is a music icon. What many people may not know is that he's also a successful jingle writer. Early on in his career, he penned songs for brands like Band-Aid ("I am Stuck on Band-Aid 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me") and State Farm ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there"). This is one of the many facts he shares with his audience members in his show at Paris Las Vegas. Guests at the show don't just get to hear some of Manilow's greatest hits performed live, they also get a chance to hear him talk about his life and how he rose to fame as one of the top ranking Adult Contemporary chart artists of all time.

Manilow's career started when he was just seven years old and learned to play the accordion and piano. While still in his teens, Brooklyn native Manilow attended New York College of Music and the Julliard School of Music. During that time he also worked in the mailroom at CBS, which led to a lucrative career as a jingle writer. In 1971 Manilow teamed up with Bette Midler and became her music director, arranger and pianist. The following year, he signed a record deal and in 1975 he released his breakthrough album featuring the No. 1 hit song "Mandy." The song's success made Manilow an instant star. Between 1975 and 1983 Manilow had 25 consecutive Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including "It's A Miracle," "Could It Be Magic," "I Write The Songs" and "Looks Like We Made It." He has worked on more than 40 albums throughout his career as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. His most recent album "The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time" was released in January 2010. Before opening his show at Paris in March 2010 Manilow wowed audiences as a headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton for five years.

In his new show, Manilow performs with a live band and four back-up singers and dancers in the intimate 1,500-seat Theatre des Arts at Paris Las Vegas. Directed by stage and film choreographer and director Jeffrey Hornaday ("Flashdance," "Chorus Line," "High School Musical"), the show also features video and other production elements that add to Manilow's exhilarating performances of songs including "Mandy," "New York City Rhythm" and the Grammy Award-winning "Copacabana (At The Copa)." Along with the big production numbers the show has acts that feature just Manilow singing and playing the piano.

"I am so proud to be the guy to introduce all of these songs to you," says Manilow during the show before taking a seat on the piano and singing "Weekend In New England." With the spotlight on him and the piano, guests get a chance to see the perfomer in his natural element. Another of these moments comes during Manilow's performance of "I Am Your Child." Afterwards, he talks about how his grandfather was the first person in his family to recognize his musical talent. He describes a memory from [when] he was four years old and his grandfather took him to a shop where people could make their own records. Manilow recorded the song "Nature Boy" and plays the same record for the audience.

Guests get another glimpse of Manilow's past when video clips of his first appearances on "American Bandstand" and "Midnight Special" are played on large screens hanging above the stage. The 1975 "Midnight Special" video clip of Manilow performing "Mandy" becomes a live duet for the audience with Manilow seated at a white piano playing and singing the song live along with the video.

Along with his repertoire of hit songs, Manilow performs classic love songs from his new album including George Gershwin's "Love Is Here To Stay" and "Where Do I Begin? (Theme From Love Story)."

During the show fans don't just get to hear their favorite songs. Th intimate showroom and production elements let them experience Manilow's music in a way that only Vegas knows how to do. Hearing the songs is one thing, but seeing Manilow on a Vegas stage will have you thinking "Could It Be Magic?"

Vegas.com: What are you trying to achieve with how your music is presented in your new show at Paris?
Barry Manilow: My main goal is always to make people feel something - joy, hope, nostalgia, inspiration. I am on the stage to amuse, entertain and inspire. I want the audience to forget the real world for 90 minutes and come with me. I want my music to always sound current, never to feel like 'oldies.' I want my songs to sound timeless. So, my incredible band and the brilliant people that work with me are always on the lookout for how to rearrange my songs so that they never sound dated, but never lose their honesty.

VC: What is special about your show in Vegas that people can't experience if they see you perform in another location?
BM: Jeffrey Hornaday and his team worked with me to create a show specifically for the showroom at Paris Las Vegas. We built a show that is romantic, exciting and fits only in the Paris showroom.

VC: Do you have a favorite song that you perform in the show?
BM: I love what we've done with "Copacabana." I look forward to it every night. I know the audience isn't expecting "Copa" to sound, feel and look like what we're doing with it. They're always surprised.

VC: You've been headlining in Vegas for many years. How has performing in this city changed for you over the years?
BM: I love performing in Las Vegas. The audiences are ready to have a good time. When the lights go down and the show begins, I always feel like I'm walking out to a bunch of dear friends.

VC: What do you [enjoy] doing when you are not performing?
BM: Playing with my dogs. Watching the plants and flowers in my greenhouse grow. Being with friends. Sitting in front of my computer and composing and arranging new songs.

VC: You have many hit songs that can still be heard on the radio today. What do you think is the magic ingredient for creating music that continues to be popular with old fans and attract new ones?
BM: It's always about the quality of the writing of the song, not so much about the great technology that engineers can create these days. I think that if you write a great song, the public will respond to it and always wnat to hear it.

VC: Aside from being an entertainer, is there anything else that you've always wanted to accomplish?
BM: I'd like to have my music performed on a Broadway stage.

VC: What inspired you to create your Manilow Fund for Health and Hope program?
BM: My management company, run by the brilliant Garry Kief, was capable and ready to help me give back. They came up with the Manilow Fund and put together this wonderful idea of concentrating on the smaller, grassroots organizations that are always forgotten. We collect funds from the generous fans and the public in many different ways and then we send donations to these small organizations that are struggling to help people.

VC: How do you continue to stay inspired as both an entertainer and composer?
BM: Music inspires me. It takes me away. It heals me. Nothing in my life has ever come closer to perfection than when the music is right. When it's over for me I want people to know: "The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music."

VC: Do you still love performing the way you did when you first started your career as an entertainer?
BM: Ah, yes! Even more so. I was so terrified when I began. I couldn't do my best work. Now I'm so grateful for being able to still make music, it's even more wonderful for me.

VC: What is your favorite greatest love song of all time and why?
BM: My favorite love song of all time is "The Folks That Live On The Hill" by Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern. The music that Kern composed is divine and Hammerstein's lyric is so moving, it gets me every time.

VC: How do you keep the show and your voice fresh after performing so many concerts per week?
BM: The audience makes the show fresh every night.

When Where Articles/Reviews
June 28, 2010 Caught OffsideBarry Manilow Live Concerts At O2 Arena Coming In May 2011
Barry Manilow will bring his jazz hands to the O2 Arena for three live gigs in May 2011.

Barry Manilow has sold a phenomenal amount of records throughout his remarkable career. His most famous songs spring easily to the mind: "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Weekend In New England," "Can’t Smile Without You," and "Copacabana (At the Copa)" – all classics of the last fifty years.

Having devoted much of his time over the last few years to high earning concerts in Las Vegas casinos, Manilow returns to live performance in the UK in May 2011, in support of his album "The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time."

He will play three dates at London O2 Arena on May 4th, 5th and 6th 2011, and will be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on all three nights. The American singer has promised his fans that he will play all his hits, and Barry Manilow tickets are on sale now – with the lowest priced currently on sale for £99 from Ticketmaster company GetMeIn.

June 16, 2010 Broadway World"Barry Manilow at the Paris Theatre" by Audra Stafford
Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is making music and magic at Paris Las Vegas with a reimagined stage show that is 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 through July 18, 2010 are currently on-sale.

"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."

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

"This is a very special show," said Director and Co-Creator Jeffrey Hornaday. "Barry has handcrafted a production that is incredibly personal and nuanced. The result is an original, moving, and thrilling theatrical experience. For me personally, it has been the most exciting creative process I've ever participated in."

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 "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time," a new album chronicling the most touching love songs ever written.

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 are available on-line at Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Paris Théâtre 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.

Spring/Summer
2010
Caesars PlayerLove Affair: Barry Manilow Sings the Songs
Barry Manilow has been singing love songs ever since his legendary career began. Now the singer -- whose latest album, The Greatest Love Songs of All Time, was just released -- has signed on to perform 156 shows over the next two years inside the 1,500-seat Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas, one of the most romantic resorts on the Strip.

"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.

Manilow says the show will be the most passionate and heartfelt show he's ever done. He is working with director Jeffrey Hornaday, who choreographed Flashdance, A Chorus Line and High School Musical, among other films.

Manilow will perform many of his most popular songs during the show, including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana."

"The audience in Vegas is always energized and electric, so I know tha the Paris Las Vegas is going to be a special run," Manilow said.

June 4, 2010 The Spectrum (Southern Utah)"Manilow is The Man in Vegas" by Kimberley McGee
Barry Manilow's new show at Paris Las Vegas is a fan favorite, and an industry fave as well. There's usually a Vegas headliner or show kids in the audience, and last Friday's performance was no different. The cast of Smokey Robinson's "Human Nature" attended that performance of Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas. Also in attendance was the cast of "Cher," including Cher's director and choreographer Doriana Sanchez.

The next night, Las Vegas Weekly Publisher Bruce Spotleson presented Paris Las Vegas Headliner Barry Manilow with the "Best Strip Headliner" and "Best Bang for your Buck" Awards during his performance in front of a packed crowd. Manilow won the awards for both categories after readers submitted votes for the 2010 Vegas' Best Issue of the Las Vegas Weekly. Manilow, who threw open doors at the Paris Theatre in March, is currently performing 78 shows a year for two years at Paris Las Vegas. For more information on Manilow at Paris Las Vegas, please visit www.ManilowParis.com.

June 2, 2010 Press Release
(SOURCE: BARRY MANILOW)
Barry Manilow Named Best Strip Headliner by Las Vegas Weekly
LAS VEGAS, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow received the "Best Strip Headliner" and "Best Bang for your Buck" awards from Las Vegas Weekly publisher Bruce Spotleson during Manilow's Saturday, May 29 performance at Paris Las Vegas. The awards were voted upon by readers of the publication.

Manilow's new two year engagement at Paris Las Vegas has been wildly heralded by critics and fans alike. In celebration of the success, AEG Live and Paris Las Vegas just announced an additional 18 new performance dates from August 20th – October 24th. The shows are produced by AEG Live in conjunction with Paris Las Vegas. Tickets are available now are available on-line at Vegas.com or Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Paris Theatre box office, or by calling 1.800.745.3000. For more information, please visit http://www.manilowparis.com/.

May 28, 2010 Press of Atlantic CityBarry Manilow to visit Boardwalk Hall Aug. 14 in his only East Coast concert of the summer
Barry Manilow fans who can't get to Las Vegas to see the singer perform will have one other shot to see him this summer. And it's only in Atlantic City. Manilow, whose nearly four decade career includes the hits "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs," will perform Aug. 14 at Boardwalk Hall in a show presented by Caesars Atlantic City. He'll be backed by the New York Pops orchestra, as well as a band and backing vocalists. Tickets, priced at $65, $95, $155 and $225, go on sale 10 a.m. June 5.

In a statement, the singer says "I'm excited to get to perform in Atlantic City again and to be joined by The New York Pops, there'll be such energy, and it's a sheer joy to reach my east coast based fans."

Manilow's last resort show came in October 2006, also in Boardwalk Hall. Earlier this year, Manilow began a run of shows at the Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas, where he'll perform 78 times in each of the next two years. Those who attend the Boardwalk Hall show will have the chance to win a trip to see Manilow in Las Vegas.

In addition to his hits, Manilow and the Pops orchestra will feature songs from his latest album, "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time." Sounds like just the recipe for a hot August night for the singer's fans. For tickets, go to www.pressofatlanticcity.com/tickets.

May 28, 2010 Theater Mania"Barry Manilow, with the New York Pops, to Play Atlantic City on August 14" by Andy Propst
Barry Manilow will offer a one-night-only concert at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on August 14. For the event, the singer/songwriter will be backed by The New York Pops 60-piece orchestra along with a band and vocalists. The concert will showcase the icon's many hits in addition to songs featured on his new album, The Greatest Love Songs of All Time, including his new interpretations and arrangements for such classics as "Love is Here To Stay," "The Look of Love," and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love."

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. 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. For further information, visit: www.manilow.com or www.aeglive.com.

May 28, 2010 Broadway WorldBarry Manilow To Play Atlantic City August 14
Barry Manilow is set to perform a one-night-only concert at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City August 14. Manilow will be backed by the New York Pops orchestra. Manilow has appeared on Broadway in his Tony Award-winning show Barry Manilow ON BROADWAY and Barry Manilow AT THE GERSHWIN. Manilow has written songs for 'Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell Revue.' Manilow has released 29 albums which have gone platinum. Manilow has won 2 Grammys, 2 Emmys and 3 American Music Awards.

The concert will revisit Manilow's many hit songs as well as presenting songs from his newest album 'The Greatest Love Songs of All Time.' The New York Pops is the largest independent symphonic pops orchestra in the United States, and the only symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular American music. The New York Pops was founded by former NBC Music Director Skitch Henderson in 1983. For more information visit www.manilow.com.

May 21, 2010 Press Release
(SOURCE: AEG)
New Performance Dates Announced for Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas: Performances From August 20 - October 24 Go on Sale May 22 at 10 a.m.
LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - May 21, 2010) - Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow's new resident show at Paris Las Vegas has been wildly heralded by critics and fans alike. In celebration of the success, AEG Live and Paris Las Vegas are pleased to announce 18 new performance dates from August 20 - October 24. Tickets for Manilow's new, reimagined stage show that is both more intimate and more exciting than ever before go on sale May 22 at 10 a.m. Manilow is currently performing 78 shows a year for two years at the Paris Théâtre at Paris Las Vegas. The shows are produced by AEG Live in conjunction with Paris Las Vegas.

Tickets for the following performances go on sale May 22 at 10 a.m.:

  • August 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29
  • September 3, 4, 5
  • October 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24

Critics agree that Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas is a smashing success:

"Staged with sophisticated razzle-dazzle by veteran pop director Jeffrey Hornaday"
Las Vegas Review-Journal

"Undeniably the best showman and biggest star abiding in this patch of desert"
Las Vegas Weekly / Las Vegas Sun

"Could there be a better match than Barry Manilow's new show at Paris Las Vegas?"
The Orange County Register

"A consummate showman! A seamlessly paced, crowd-pleasing act!"
San Francisco Examiner

"Manilow looks like a million bucks! He delivers all his hits and knocks each one out of the park with the quiet assurance of a master slugger!"
The Toronto Star

"Superb! A do-not-miss spectacular! Simply extraordinary!"
Robin Leach

"Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas is an absolute must-see"
BroadwayWorld.com

"Once again, it looks like he's made it to the apex of live performance"
TheaterMania.com

Tickets are available on-line at Vegas.com or Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Paris Théâtre box office, or by calling 1.800.745.3000. Ticket prices are $250, $175, $125, $95 and $65. Visit www.parislasvegas.com for room and ticket packages. For more information on Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas visit www.ManilowParis.com.

Directed by renowned stage and film choreographer and director Jeffrey Hornaday (Flashdance, A Chorus Line, High School Musical 4), this new show casts Manilow's hits in a new light in the intimate and elegant 1,500 seat Paris Théâtre. Including exhilarating new video elements and all the songs that have made him a pop culture icon over the past 35 years, the show brings the energy, sincerity and melody of Manilow at his best to a spectacular yet personal crescendo.

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 "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time," a new album chronicling the most touching love songs ever written.

AEG Live
AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices, and thirty state-of-the-art venues. The company is currently producing tours and productions including Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas and Celine Dion who will return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in March 2011. The concert tour roster includes artists such as Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Leonard Cohen, Miley Cyrus, The Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Wisin & Yandel, Britney Spears, Kenny Chesney, P!nk, Paul McCartney, KISS, Mo'Nique and American Idols Live. AEG Live is the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For more information, go to www.aeglive.com.

About Paris Las Vegas
Paris Las Vegas is a Harrah's Entertainment resort. From its dramatic 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower to authentic architectural reproductions, Paris Las Vegas features elegant décor, 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.

When Where Articles/Reviews
April 14, 2010 Orange County Register"Pop crooner Barry Manilow has unveiled his latest show at Paris Las Vegas" by Paul Hodgins
Could there be a better match than Barry Manilow's new show and Paris Las Vegas? The master of the hyper-emotive '70s love song seems right at home on the massive stage of the resort's very red theater. Supported by a crackerjack 10-piece band and four busy backup singers, Manilow immediately launched into one of his biggest hits, "Could [It Be] Magic," with a confidence and full-throated energy of a man who loves his new job.

"Hello, Las Vegas! Welcome to my new home," Manilow said to the adoring crowd. "Let me introduce myself," he said superfluously. "I'm Barry Manilow. I got so much music for you we may be here all night long!"

Manilow's charm has always emanated from that mixture of modesty and swagger, constantly on display during the show, that are the hallmarks of an artist who can't quite believe he made it to full-fledged superstardom even after more than four decades in the spotlight. After all, Manilow started in the lowly world of jingle-writing, and he tried unsuccessfully for years to get somebody, anybody, interested in his songs. The singer led the crowd through that and other chapters of his life during the show.

He credits his Russian-born grandfather with recognizing his talent and pushing him constantly to explore it. Manilow even played a few scratchy recordings of his first efforts – the result of his grandfather's prodding. The old man would regularly take young Manilow from their Brooklyn home into Manhattan to practice his singing at a place that would record his efforts on a 45-rpm record for a small fee.

Later, Manilow talked about his salad days as a struggling young songwriter. He even sang a couple of his ad jingles, including the State Farm theme ("like a good neighbor ...") that imprinted themselves on America's consciousness for years. Those references are a constant in Manilow's act - he's forever reminding us of his working-class credentials.

Manilow's other endearing quality is his ability to laugh at himself. The man has penned and performed some mighty cheesy ditties along with some bona fide classics, and he knows it. During "Can't Smile Without You," a gigantic Happy Face appears on a screen behind the band, bopping back and forth to the song's inanely sprightly two-step.

Manilow also takes pride in his reputation as one of his era's preeminent love-song composers. ["Weekend in New England"] was performed simply and sincerely, and at times like this during the show even a Manilow cynic would acknowledge the ingredients of his genius: he pens impeccably crafted pop songs, and their emotional arc is perfectly matched to his yearning, pure tenor voice...

Barry Manilow will perform 78 shows each year for two years at Paris Las Vegas. Where: Paris Théâtre at Paris Las Vegas. How much: $95-$250. Call: 800-745-3000. Online: www.ticketmaster.com.

April 13, 2010 American Banker"Manilow Decoupled Debit Card To Support School Music Programs" by Frederick Lowe
Singer Barry Manilow wants to keep the music playing for high school music programs, and he is using a decoupled debit card as his newest instrument. Tempo Payments Inc. on April 5 announced the launch of the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope MasterCard. Some of the revenue Tempo earns from each purchase made with the card will go to the Manilow Music Project, which donates musical instruments to "severely depleted" school music programs.

Tempo will give the organization 0.5% of each signature-debit sale and 0.1% of every PIN-debit purchase amount, says Pete Bartolik, a spokesperson for the San Mateo, Calif.-based affinity card provider. First Bank & Trust in Brooking, S.D., issues the Manilow card. But the card can be linked to a checking account at any U.S. financial institution. First Bank withdraws funds via the automated clearinghouse network using account and bank-routing information from a cancelled personal check.

The Manilow Music Project, founded in 2008, already has donated thousands of dollars worth of musical instruments and other materials to school music programs, Kirsten Kief, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope director, said in a statement. The debit card, however, will make soliciting donations easier. "The card will increase our resources," says John Adams, vice president of marketing for Stiletto Entertainment, an Inglewood, Calif.-based company that manages Manilow's career and his foundation.

A retail store located inside the Paris Las Vegas casino that sells only Manilow products will be among the locations where consumers can obtain the card. "We will encourage Barry's fans to apply for the card while they are shopping," Adams says. Manilow has a two-year entertainment contract with the casino. Stiletto Entertainment also will promote the card to Manilow's fan clubs and on Facebook, Adams says.

April 12, 2010 Spinner"Barry Manilow Recommends Las Vegas to Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond" by Steve Baltin
With his second hit Vegas show, Barry Manilow knows what it takes to make it in Sin City. With that knowledge, the singer-songwriter says that a couple of his friends would be a big hit there. "I've had this conversation with a lot of my friends. Rod Stewart would have a ball there, Neil Diamond would have a ball there," Manilow tells Spinner. "I think the Vegas audiences would embrace them. They're so talented, they've got huge catalogues of music -- they would be perfect for a Vegas show."

Manilow, whose glitz-filled, spectacular new production was directed and choreographed by Jeffery Hornaday, says Stewart and Diamond could just do whatever makes them comfortable and they would still go over big in the city. "They wouldn't have to do what I'm doing," he says. "I went all the way, but all they'd have to do is get up there and do their show. People would love it."

About to turn 67 this June, Manilow believes his days as a touring artist have likely finished. "I doubt very much if I'll ever tour again. Those days are done for me," he says, though he does add he can see himself doing one-off shows in different cities. Clearly, after more than three decades on the road, he is ready to leave the traveling life behind and that's why he recommends a similar course for Stewart and Diamond. "Unless they love the road, unless they love those hotel rooms, unless they love that plane ride -- and maybe they do -- I recommend it for all of us artists who have been on the road for so many years," he says. "This is such a great gig for anybody. The stages are the top of the line, you don't have to worry about dressing rooms that are really locker rooms. These theaters in Vegas are top of the line. It's a beautiful way of doing a show."

Are there any young artists he sees that would also fit in Vegas? "No, I think younger artists need to go on the road and develop their show and get their audiences. They've got to pay their dues," he says. "But for the people who've been on the road many years I think they'd be great here."

April 5, 2010 Press Release
(SOURCE: Tempo)
Manilow Fund For Health and Hope Debit Card Aims to Save Public School Music: Web-Based Sign Up and Activation on Tempo Affinity Debit Platform Lets Consumers Customize Cards That Link to Existing Checking Accounts
SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwire - April 5, 2010) - Tempo announced today that its affinity debit platform is now being utilized by the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope to provide donors with debit cards that support the Barry Manilow-created nonprofit organization's campaign to save public school music programs "one swipe at a time."

Each time a Manilow Fund for Health and Hope debit card is used to make a purchase, the organization will receive a portion of standard transaction fees, utilizing cardholders' purchasing power instead of out-of-pocket money to increase the Fund's revenue. Proceeds will be used by the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope's Manilow Music Project to put musical instruments into the hands of public school students across the U.S.

Music icon Barry Manilow formed The Manilow Music Project in 2008, as part of his non-profit Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, in an effort to help meet the needs of severely depleted public school music programs. The Project has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of instruments and materials to school music programs across the country.

"Tempo's affinity debit card platform makes it easy and cost-effective for the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope to put a new fund-raising instrument in the hands of our supporters," said Kirsten Kief, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope Director. "The card links to their existing checking accounts and they are helping to save our music programs one swipe at a time and with no additional out-of-pocket cost for each use."

The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope Debit Card can be used anywhere Debit MasterCard cards are accepted, and can also provide cash-back and ATM withdrawal access. During the sign-up process, consumers can customize their cards with their own artwork or select one of four-predesigned cards.

"Debit cards are increasingly the preferred payment choice of consumers," said Tempo CEO Mike Grossman. "Tempo's affinity debit platform makes it simple, easy and fun for Manilow Fund for Health and Hope supporters to put their debit card purchasing power behind The Manilow Music Project."

Using software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology, Tempo's affinity debit platform makes it easy for organizations to offer affinity debit cards and provides a web portal for consumers to apply for and activate cards, as well as track purchases and rewards online.

Tempo-enabled debit cards are affinity partner-branded, generate valuable cardholder rewards, and can be used for online and offline purchases and ATM withdrawals. The cards are issued by Tempo partner First Bank & Trust of Brookings, SD, part of Fishback Financial Corporation. Working with First Bank & Trust, Tempo manages all aspects of card issuance, including risk management, application processing, card fulfillment, authorization and settlement.

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About Tempo
Tempo is the leader in enabling organizations to quickly and easily offer affinity and co-branded debit cards to their customers, contributors and members. The open loop cards are rewards-based, partner-branded, and linked to the consumer's existing checking account. Tempo provides its affinity partners with a Web-based platform that makes it easy to launch and market co-branded debit programs. The partners benefit by generating new revenue, and building loyalty through the delivery of enhanced cardholder value. Tempo is privately held and is headquartered in San Mateo, CA. For additional information, visit www.tempo.com.

These cards are issued by First Bank & Trust, Brookings, SD, pursuant to a license by MasterCard® International Incorporated. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. First Bank & Trust is a member of the FDIC and part of the Fishback Financial Corporation.

April 4, 2010 The Desert Sun"Barry Manilow keeps reinventing himself, continues to gather fans along the way" by Bruce Fessier
In Barry Manilow's new Las Vegas show, a recording of "Nature Boy" is played by a 4-year-old boy named Barry Pincus. Then Manilow comes on and finishes the song.

For the audience, it's a chance to see Barry Pincus morph into Barry Manilow "right before our eyes in real time," says the show's creative director, Jeffrey Hornaday."It's almost as though that little recording foreshadowed his whole career," Hornaday says. "That's really the heart and soul of the show."

In reality, Manilow's transition from the child of a broken marriage to the best-selling adult contemporary recording artist of all time hasn't been so easy. Only now, says the Palm Springs resident, is he able to reconcile how the normal Barry Manilow can co-exist with the larger-than-life BARRY MANILOW! that's advertised all over Las Vegas.

Friends and associates say he's "likeable" and "down to earth." Marilyn Winn, president of Paris Las Vegas, calls him "a phenomenal performer and the consummate professional." When Manilow's first show under a two-year contract at Paris Las Vegas had to be canceled on [March 5] due to a power surge that blew out most of the hotel's new sound and lighting system, Winn said Manilow still attended a meet-and-greet for invited guests who had flown in from all over the country. Then he agreed to do two shows the following night. "There was absolutely no hesitation," she said. "Barry said, 'I'll do three shows if that's what it takes.'"

When he goes out in public, Manilow says he unconsciously feels like "this normal person that I always think I am." Then people recognize him, or a paparazzo points a camera at him and he realizes he's not as normal as he might like to think.

But he's feeling more comfortable as BARRY MANILOW! "This thing — this thing that's in all capital letters — that's the part you have to embrace," Manilow said backstage at the Paris before his official opening night show. "It took me a long time to make peace with that. I thought it was going to go away. I was hoping it would go away. But, it's not going to go away. I'm grateful, but I have to figure out how to make peace with that because I'm not going back to my studio apartment. I'm not going back to playing piano for other people. This is it. I've got to figure out how to love this."

The Grammy and Emmy Award winning singer-pianist officially transitioned from Barry Pincus to Barry Manilow in 1956 when his surname was legally changed to his mother's maiden name. His father, Harold Pincus, had left his mother in 1945 when Barry was 2 years old. He grew up in Brooklyn, receiving encouragement from his grandfather to pursue his musical talent. Years later, after donating $500,000 worth of musical instruments to Coachella Valley students, he said that music rescued him from being "a loser."

But Manilow still feels the insecurity of growing up with an absent father. "That never goes away," he said. "Your childhood is always alive. Your young experiences, you take it with you and figure out how to deal with it."

He has now dealt with it. He no longer thinks of himself as Barry Pincus. "No, I'm Barry Manilow," he said, "and the two (Barry the legend and Barry the regular guy) are getting closer and closer together."

When Manilow became Barry the superstar after "Mandy" became his first No. 1 hit in 1974, his alter egos seemed worlds apart. He had been a successful jingles writer, rehearsal pianist and music director for Bette Midler. But he figured he'd always work behind the scenes. Then Clive Davis took over a label that had signed Manilow."My star rose pretty quickly and went way higher than anything I'd ever thought about," he said. "I was very unprepared for that. When the explosion hit, it knocked me off my feet."

He dealt with it by throwing himself into his music. He let a manager handle his business and paid no attention to how his money was being invested. "I went bankrupt," he said. "I didn't know what to do with these checks that were coming in after 'Mandy.' It was silly. I was bouncing checks when I got my first $1 million check!"

Manilow never felt talented or sexy enough to warrant the adulation coming his way, so he'd mentally pump himself up an hour before each concert until he thought he was sexy. Equally insecure about his performing skills, he got a choreographer to block out movements and took acting lessons to learn how to interpret songs like a method actor. That gave him the on-stage confidence to be able to let go and focus on his audience.

"I break the fourth wall," he said. "If I can't connect with the third row, then I think I haven't done my job. I have to make them feel as if I'm talking to each one of them. And that's the scary part for any (artist). Most people don't want to do that. They'd much rather put the fourth wall back and do their job. I have to communicate with them."

Manilow's career has had its ups and downs, but he usually comes out of his low periods by reinventing himself — as a jazz musician, a producer for other singers or a creator of different shows such as Broadway musicals, Christmas concerts and unique benefits. "It's interesting," he said. "It seems to be every seven years — for all of us. Every seven years we go through some explosion of some sort — illness or divorce. It's seven years and then it's going down. That's what always happens to me."

Today, he's more secure. "I kind of believe in me," he said. "I believe in my music. I even like what I sound like as a vocalist. I don't even blow myself up any more."

When he got a headlining gig at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2005 and returned to the top of the album charts with "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" in 2006, Manilow adjusted to his new star status better than when his career first exploded. "I think I did," he said. "I'm certainly more grounded now than when that explosion hit."

What caused his new comfort level with his own skin? "You want to hear a really interesting answer to that?" he asked. "My musicians. They just think I'm a talented guy. I see it in their eyes and that's really important to me. Those are the guys I respect so much. And when they tell me that I'm great, that's it. That's what grounds me."

April 4, 2010 The Desert Sun"Barry Manilow's new Vegas show offers a touch of the unexpected" by Bruce Fessier
Creative Director Jeffrey Hornaday has staged tours for Paul McCartney, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie and the Backstreet Boys. But he said working on Barry Manilow's new show at the Paris Las Vegas has exceeded all of those other experiences. "For me, this has been the most challenging and absolutely the most creatively satisfying (work)," he said in a back stage room at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. "The thing for me (is), you never get an artist to this degree of involvement. Usually, you have meetings up front, you go away and you come up with your concepts and integrate with the artist. With Barry, literally every step of the way, it has his full attention."

Manilow hired Hornaday to help him conceive this show just three months ago. He only signed a contract to perform 78 shows a year at the Paris in November and he said he had no idea what he wanted to do. He'd been at the Las Vegas Hilton for five years and had been happy. But the Hilton was off the Las Vegas Strip and the Paris' production partner is AEG Live, which produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and shows at the Staples Center. "The Paris made us an offer," Manilow said. "It wasn't so much the money, although I'm sure the money was good. It was moving from the other side of the monorail to the strip (and) the opportunity to start anew. That was exciting."

The Paris Theatre was designed to support traditional theater. It presented "The Producers" and "We Will Rock You" until Paris Las Vegas officials discovered Broadway shows are "not the most successful in Las Vegas." President Marilyn Winn said they recruited Manilow because his fans fit the demographics of their Harrah's Total Rewards Customers, who average 50 years of age. They tend to skew female, but Winn knew women would bring men to the 11-year-old Paris-themed casino. "You'll find the female is more firm about 'who I want to see,'" she said. "And many guys are happy to please their wives and girlfriends."

The Paris ordered a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system after inking its deal with Manilow. It wasn't installed until February, so Manilow designed the show off site, with some tests being done at The Show at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. Manilow said the theater's design inspired him. "It looks like a Schubert Theatre in New York," he said. "It turned me on. I didn't have one idea of what I would do, but I liked this place. So I started to hire people who could help me put together something I've never done. Top of the line was this man named Jeffrey Hornaday."

Hornaday, a former acting student who launched his career choreographing the film "Flashdance," also choreographed the film, "A Chorus Line." Manilow had accompanied Donna McKechnie in Broadway rehearsals for "A Chorus Line," so there was a synergy between the two men. Manilow calls him, "the most inventive person I've ever worked with." They began creating the show by "talking intuitively. "He's very much like a method actor in that everything has to be very, very rooted in an internal grounding," said Hornaday. "It's never, 'Oh, we could do these great things with this or that.' It's always about, what is the song about? What is the music trying to convey and, almost more importantly, Barry saying, 'Who am I in this song?'"

Hornaday said he'd wonder what Manilow was doing when he'd see him walking around a rehearsal hall. "He was just trying to internally find what the lyric was, who he's talking to in the song," he said. "That kind of generates out into everything — into staging, into scenic concepts, video design. Because, when you have these kind of capabilities, there's a tendency to be like a kid in a toy store. You want to just play with everything all the time. After we went through the euphoria of the creative blast on the concept of a number, we'd always force ourselves to step back and say, 'OK, do these elements really serve the emotional content of what he's wanting to do?'"

When they began production rehearsals on a sound stage, Hornaday began planning the staging and choreography with Manilow, a pianist and a drummer. "We had talked about what the intent was, but we held off on coming up with anything until we got on the boards," he said. "To have your artist be your arranger is really, really rare." What they came up with is what Hornaday calls "a hybrid of theater and a music show."

Manilow says it may be a milestone show for him. "At this point, I could have just gotten up with a band behind me (like) Sinatra," he said. "That did cross my mind. But I decided I would take it all the way. Blow it up. Have a good time. Give the audience something they don't expect. They will not expect this format."

April 1, 2010 The Desert Sun"Manilow creates really big show in Vegas" by Bruce Fessier
Barry Manilow's show at the 1,500-seat Paris Las Vegas theater proves bigger can be better — if you already have a bigger-than-life persona. At the Paris, Manilow makes optimum use of his unique best-selling-adult-contemporary-artist-of-all-time persona.

A former rehearsal pianist and acting student, he's able to use all of his theatrical skills now that he's in a legitimate theater instead of the Las Vegas Hilton showroom he played for five years.

The new show continues to be autobiographical, but it also has themes of romance, love and art to tie in to the themes of the Paris Hotel. It opens with a recording of Edith Piaf singing "La Vie En Rose" with framed images of French art dangling from the ceiling.

Manilow makes his entrance with arms outstretched to fanfare from "Could It Be Magic," as if to acknowledge his bigger-than-life images on the Vegas billboards.

The band, featuring two drums, three keyboards and a horn section, roars behind him on the Paris' state-of-the-art sound system, and Manilow reacts like Elvis Presley making an entrance to "2001: Also Sprach Zarathustra." He's clearly having fun with his image.

The first third of the show is like a warm-up to the main event. There are hits like "Somewhere In the Night," "Can't Smile Without You" and a solo piano version of "Weekend In New England," but Manilow eschews staples such as "I Made It Through the Rain," "Daybreak" and "Looks Like We Made It," as if to say this is a brand new day.

The autobiographical main act begins with Manilow talking to the audience about being raised in Brooklyn by his grandparents and divorced mom. When he sings "I Am Your Child" with images of Brooklyn hanging from the rafters, it's as if to say he's as much a product of his environment as his DNA.

Manilow has told the story of how his grandfather took him to a make-your-own record store when he was 4 years old, but he now dramatizes that by playing the perfectly pitched recording he made of "Nature Boy." He then sings it live and follows with "This One's For You" to thank his grandfather for encouraging his musical pursuit.

Manilow became a successful jingles composer in New York in the 1960s, but, instead of doing a segment on his advertising hits, as he did at the Hilton, he showcases his love of New York jazz with a Lester Young-like saxophonist providing a lead-in to his "New York City Rhythms."

That transitions nicely to his romantic material from his "Greatest Love Songs Of All Time" CD, starting with the Gershwin classic, "Our Love Is Here To Stay."

Manilow's best vocals are on his own "Even Now." He gives it a powerful modulation, but keeps it honest by interpreting it like a method actor reliving an emotional memory.

He reprises his "American Bandstand" segment with video of the '60s dance crazes as the band performs the R&B classic, "Land Of A Thousand Dances." Manilow plays it as an outsider, as if to goof on his limited dance skills. But this just highlights one of the show's weaknesses. In an era of dance spectaculars by the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Manilow's backup singers should be able to step up and really dance.

Manilow expertly takes his show from the past to present with video of his appearance on "The Midnight Special" singing his first hit, "Mandy." It was a staple of the Hilton show when he sang a duet with his younger self, and it's a highlight of this show, too.

It's also the start of a buildup to a big finish. He goes into the fanfare from his second pop No. 1 hit, "I Write the Songs," and draws the show to a climax with a big production of "Copacabana" (symbolically relocated from New York to Paris with hanging pictures of French art).

The show is a fast-paced 90 minutes and, for a top ticket of more than $200, you may wonder if that's long enough. But the show is pure Vegas in its leanest form. Even opening night critics who wouldn't admit to being Manilow fans praised the production. It's the best Manilow show I've seen since his intimate 1999 concert at the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs with philosopher Bill Edelen. But this show is both intimate and grandiose.

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