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| February 11, 2016 | Press Release
(SOURCE: STILETTO Entertainment) | Manilow Rushed To Surgery |
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| NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a triumphant sold out concert in Memphis, Barry Manilow was rushed back to Los Angeles due to complications from emergency oral surgery that Manilow had on Monday. Manilow's concerts in Highland Heights scheduled for tonight (Thursday, Feb 11) and Nashville (Feb 12) are being re-scheduled with new dates to be announced shortly. Ticket holders should retain their existing tickets for redemption on the night of the new date. At this time it is unclear if Manilow will be able to attend the Grammy Awards on Monday, February 15th where he is nominated for his 15th Grammy Award for his latest album, "My Dream Duets." Manilow is currently on his One Last Time - One Last Tour throughout North America and the U.K. For more information on Barry Manilow please visit: www.manilow.com
www.facebook.com/barrymanilow
www.twitter.com/barrymanilow
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| February 11, 2016 | UPI.com | "Barry Manilow cancels tour dates after emergency surgery" by Karen Butler |
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| NEW YORK, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Barry Manilow's publicist says the beloved entertainer was forced to cancel Thursday and Friday's shows after suffering complications from emergency oral surgery. "Following a triumphant sold-out concert in Memphis, Barry Manilow was rushed back to Los Angeles due to complications from emergency oral surgery that Manilow had on Monday, " a press release said Thursday. "At this time, it is unclear if Manilow will be able to attend the Grammy Awards on Monday, Feb. 15, where he is nominated for his 15th Grammy Award for his latest album, My Dream Duets." The 72-year-old singer-songwriter's One Last Time -- One Last Tour concerts in Highland Heights and Nashville are being re-scheduled with new dates to be announced shortly. Ticket holders should retain their existing tickets for redemption on the new dates. |
| February 11, 2016 | Broadway World | Hershey Community Chorus to Perform with Barry Manilow at Giant Center, 3/17 |
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| The Hershey Community Chorus has accepted an invitation to perform with Barry Manilow in the finale of his ONE LAST TIME tour stop at the Giant Center in Hershey on Thursday, March 17, 2016. The Chorus will join Mr. Manilow and his band of 13 musicians and singers, in the finale which includes his hits "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana." The Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning musician's career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, "Mandy," topped the charts in 1975. After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The ONE LAST TIME! Tour is a major undertaking and as Manilow said, "is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support...one last time!" Barry Manilow's unparalleled career encompasses virtually every area of music, including performing, composing, arranging and producing. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow has triumphed in every medium of entertainment. With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with over 50 Top 40 hits. Tickets are available at the Giant Center Box Office and though TicketMaster. |
| February 11, 2016 | Nashville Scene | "Making the case for Barry Manilow as he comes to Nashville one last time: He Came, He Gave" by Jason Shawhan |
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| Note: This article was written shortly before it was announced that Barry Manilow's February 12th Bridgestone Arena concert in Nashville was being rescheduled due to surgery complications Everyone has an opinion about Barry Manilow. A showman for more than 40 years, he's got the kind of devoted fan base that most new artists would kill for, while at the same time remaining completely free of the changing tides of the commercial marketplace that keep contemporary pop singers in a constant state of anxiety. He was never "cool," but has instead worked tirelessly as a performer, songwriter, jingle composer (that's him who, in song, let the world know that, "like a good neighbor, State Farm is there") and easy-listening icon - even those who don't actively listen to his music know him, and certainly the phrase, "at the Copa." It's amazing how much ground "Copacabana" covers. The 1978 single - a combination of Rat Pack crooning mixed with Latin percussion, orchestra grooving with porn-y bass - was a crossover hit in discos and on Top 40 radio. It's dramatically serious and yet somehow knowingly goofy - a cautionary tale full of flying punches, broken chairs and gunshots warning why you should never fall in love. And what clinches it, what makes it an iconic song almost 40 years after its release, is that it's a first-rate example of the great '70s story song, right alongside "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" and "The Gambler." That's typical Manilow - always finding exactly the right elements to push the realm of adult contemporary a little further. Throughout the '80s and '90s, he would continue to periodically dip his toes in the world of dance music, with results ranging from the sublime (the Italo-disco-inflected "In Search of Love" and stellar circuit anthem interpretations of "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight") to the bonkers. Manilow has always had the instincts of a vaudevillian - putting everything in the service of the show. And now, for his One Last Time! Tour, it wouldn't do to expect any less. The interest now, at this specific moment in time, is twofold. On one hand, it's our last chance to see one of the great entertainers of the 20th century throw down on his own terms. But more than that, there's the knowledge that this is the singer's first (and last) tour as an out performer. His low-key 2015 marriage to longtime partner and manager Garry Kief was reported and then filed away. [Should] that matter? Is the man's music the ultimate demonstration of sincerity, or of irony? Does his marriage somehow render the emotions of his body of work as "lesser than" because those songs focus exclusively on women and use female pronouns? Is it fair to apply contemporary perspectives on such matters to an artist who has been weathering the eddies of American culture since the '60s? Or does his absolute commitment to the emotions in those songs render them immune to such criticisms? Is that outsider's perspective what has enabled such a textured and passionate analysis of the heterosexual experience? Take the 1980 island roundelay "Bermuda Triangle," which manages to both embrace and criticize the insecure and possessive nature of modern desire - there's no emotional ground you can't cover if you keep it catchy and clever. And regardless of whom he's been singing to or for, he's almost his own industry of glorious, anthemic music that still packs arenas and fuels sing-alongs the world over. Look at "I Made It Through the Rain." It's the kind of anthem that recognizes the inherent limitations of being human. It has the insistent strength of something like Céline Dion's "To Love You More," in that it seems so sleek and overly produced, and yet it slips past the barriers we raise on a daily basis to keep despair at bay, then finds the part of the heart that yearns for reassurance. Its multi-tracked vocals and strings help hold everything together, both within the song and within the listener. It's quite an experience. "I Was a Fool (To Let You Go)," off 1978's Even Now LP, is a great gateway to true Manilow appreciation. "Copacabana," "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs" are part of our culture, yes, but almost as objects. You have to really engage with them to get into their particular spell, rather than simply acknowledging them for having been around and inescapable. "I Was a Fool" has that timelessness that all great drinking songs do, but it could easily have been a beloved Sinatra classic. It's a touchstone for that weird blend of anticipation, regret, erotic longing and all-too-human uncertainty that "the classic songs" have. In 1983, Manilow recorded the Jim Steinman-penned "Read 'Em and Weep." It is a work of staggering genius that transcends all the terminology by which we evaluate art. It is a collaboration between two artists who eschew traditional subtleties and who get that emotion can be hundreds and thousands of delicate caresses just as easily as it can be a giant f------ hammer. There is nothing I will ever do or create that will summon and focus that kind of mad passionate hurt. Most likely you won't either. So here we are, with Manilow's One Last Time! Tour hitting Nashville just before Valentine's Day. There are some who would imply that the reserved steps the beloved entertainer has taken to define his own life and happiness should somehow reflect pejoratively on him and his work. But here's the thing about Barry Manilow, the thing that has kept audiences coming back for years and years, the thing that inspires the fervent devotion of millions of people the world over: He's not singing to you, like the boy bands or Axl Rose or Beyoncé do; he's singing for you. He's found his happiness on his own quiet terms, and he's still a badass who can show up-and-comers five decades his junior how to bring it onstage. Looks like he's made it, indeed. |
| February 10, 2016 | The Sentinental | Barry Manilow to perform in Hershey |
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| Barry Manilow will bring his "One Last Time" tour to the Giant Center in Hershey at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17. After performing more than 400 concerts in Las Vegas from 2005 to 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances, and the tour is his last way of thanking fans for their support. Tickets are currently available at the Giant Center Box Office and can be charged by phone at 717-534-3911 or 800-745-3000 and online at www.HersheyEntertainment.com or www.TicketMaster.com. |
| February 10, 2016 | Broadway World | Barry Manilow's ONE LAST TIME! Tour to Stop in Hershey, 3/17 |
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| Barry Manilow will "hit the road" again to bring his ONE LAST TIME! Tour to Giant Center on Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. Hershey is excited to be included in the list of cities on the music legend's final tour. Tickets for this show are $19.75, $39.75, $59.75, $79.75, $99.75, $149.75 and $169.75 (tax and applicable fees apply), and are available at Giant Center Box Office. They can be charged by phone at 717-534-3911 or 800-745-3000, and online at www.HersheyEntertainment.com or www.TicketMaster.com. The Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning musician's career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, "Mandy," topped the charts in 1975. In the spirit of that special year, tickets will be priced to tie into that year and will start at $19.75 (fees included). Manilow insisted that the average ticket price remain low and that a greater range of ticket prices be available. With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said, "We're having a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can't wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles." After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The ONE LAST TIME! Tour is a major undertaking and as Manilow said, "is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support...one last time!" Barry Manilow's unparalleled career encompasses virtually every area of music, including performing, composing, arranging and producing. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow has triumphed in every medium of entertainment. With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with over 50 Top 40 hits. For more information, please visit www.Manilow.com. |
| February 10, 2016 | FlipSidePA | "Barry Manilow tour coming to Hershey in March" by Maria Shea |
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| Barry Manilow will bring the final tour of his career, his One Last Time! Tour, to the Giant Center in Hershey at 7:30 p.m. March 17. The Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning musician’s career skyrocketed to superstardom with “Mandy,” which topped the charts in 1975. In the spirit of that year, ticket prices will begin at $19.75. Tickets range in price up to $169.75 and can be purchased at 717-534-3911 or 800-745-3000, www.HersheyEntertainment.com, www.TicketMaster.com or at the Giant Center box office, 550 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey. Manilow, 72, insisted that the average ticket price remain low and that a greater range of ticket prices be available, according to a press release. “We’re having a great time putting the show together," Manilow said in a prepared statement. "We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” His show includes a band of 13 musicians and singers. After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The One Last Time! Tour is a major undertaking, and as Manilow said, “is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support...one last time!” Manilow's unparalleled career encompasses performing, composing, arranging and producing. His worldwide record sales exceed 80 million, making Manilow the top ranked Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with more than 50 Top 40 hits. |
| February 10, 2016 | PennLive | "Barry Manilow is coming to Pennsylvania on his final tour; here's how you can get tickets" by Jason Maddux |
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| Barry Manilow will come to Hershey as part of his final tour. The "One Last Time" tour will come to the Giant Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Tickets are $19.75, $39.75, $59.75, $79.75, $99.75, $149.75 and $169.75 (tax and applicable fees apply), and are available at Giant Center Box Office. They can be charged by phone at 717-534-3911 or 800-745-3000, and online at www.HersheyEntertainment.com or www.TicketMaster.com. |
| February 9, 2016 | Lancaster Online | "Barry Manilow to bring farewell tour to Hershey" by Jenelle Janci |
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| Barry Manilow, the singer known for songs like "Copacabana (At the Copa)" and "Mandy," is coming to Hershey. Manilow will perform at the Giant Center on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. The performance is a stop on Manilow's "One Last Time! Tour," which Manilow says is his last tour of this caliber. "It doesn't mean I'm retiring or anything," Manilow told Billboard. "I'll do shows and I'll promote albums if I make any more, but no more big tours." Tickets for the show are available at BarryManilow.com/tickets. In 2009, Manilow performed a version of his Las Vegas Hilton show in Reading. |
| February 9, 2016 | Penn State News | Barry Manilow to perform ‘One Last Time’ at Bryce Jordan Center |
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| UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Music legend Barry Manilow will perform at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, as part of his multi-city “One Last Time!” tour. Manilow has limited his appearances in recent years after performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011. However, in what Manilow said is his way of “thanking everyone for their years of support,” the Grammy, Tony and Emmy award winner is taking his show on the road for one final tour. Manilow’s career took off in 1975 when he topped the charts with "Mandy." In the spirit of that special year, ticket prices for Manilow’s University Park appearance will start at $19.75. Manilow insisted that the average ticket price remain low and that a greater range of ticket prices be available to fans. “We’re having a great time putting the show together,” Manilow said. “We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” Tickets for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 10 and can be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center, Eisenhower Auditorium, Penn State Downtown Theatre Centre, www.ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. |
| February 8, 2016 | WREX-13 | "Barry Manilow to visit Rockford on his 'One Last Time!' tour" by Joseph Edwards |
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| ROCKFORD - Barry Manilow has re-launched his multiple-city One Last Time! Tour, and Rockford is on the list. The tour is labeled as Manilow's final tour, and features his band of 13 musicians and singers. “We’re having a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles," Manilow said. Manilow will stop at the BMO Harris Bank Center on March 26, and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Feb. 10 and start at $19.75. For more information on the tour click here. Tickets will be available at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office and ticketmaster.com. |
| February 8, 2016 | MLive (Michigan) | "Barry Manilow to perform in Grand Rapids" by Anya Rath |
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| GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Singer Barry Manilow announced a Grand Rapids stop on his tour next month. Manilow will be performing at the Van Andel Arena on Friday, March 25, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. The award-winning artist will be performing with his band of 13 musicians and singers during the "ONE LAST TIME!" tour. Manilow has more than 50 Top 40 hits and is an inductee in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He found success with his 1975 hit "Mandy." In honor of that hit, tickets will start at $19.75. Other seats cost $39.75, $59.75, $79.75, $99.75 and $149.75. Tickets are available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, and Ticketmaster.com. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 10. |
| February 8, 2016 | Onward State | "Barry Manilow To Play Bryce Jordan Center On March 12" by Mike Reisman |
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| Grammy winner and smooth-singing Barry Manilow announced he will play a show at the Bryce Jordan Center on March 12 as part of his One Last Time tour, a tour which he said will be his last in North America. Tickets for the show go on sale Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center, Eisenhower Auditorium, and Penn State Downtown Theatre, as well as online and over the phone. Manilow, known for his smooth sounds and songs such as “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” brings with him a group of 13 singers and musicians to support him during the show. According to setlist.fm, Manilow has graced the BJC twice before with his presence, the last time coming just after the turn of the millennium in 2000. Penn State is one of three Pennsylvania stops for the singer, who will also make stops in Wilkes-Barre and Hershey on his tour. Tickets will start at just $19.75, an homage to 1975, the year that Manilow released his hit song “Mandy,” and shot up the charts. |
| February 8, 2016 | WIFR News | Barry Manilow to Perform in Rockford |
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| ROCKFORD – Barry Manilow has announced that he is re-launching his multiple-city ONE LAST TIME! Tour and will stop in Rockford at the BMO Harris Bank Center on March 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event go on sale February 10 at 10:00 a.m. at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office, or at ticketmaster.com. After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The ONE LAST TIME! Tour is a major undertaking and as Manilow said, “is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support...one last time!” The GRAMMY®, TONY®, and EMMY® Award-winning musician’s career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, “Mandy,” topped the charts in 1975. In the spirit of that special year, tickets will be priced to tie into that year and will start at $19.75. Manilow insisted that the average ticket price remain low and that a greater range of ticket prices be available. Ticket prices are: $19.75, $39.75, $59.75, $79.75, $99.75, $149.75, VIP $169.75. Prices do not include facility fee or service charges. Visit thebmoharrisbankcenter.com or call 815-968-5222 for more information. General information about the ONE LAST TIME! Tour is available at www.manilow.com. |
| February 8, 2016 | Journal Star | "Barry Manilow to play in Peoria 'One Last Time'" by Thomas Bruch |
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| PEORIA - Barry Manilow added the Peoria Civic Center arena to his "One Last Time!" tour - part of the last list of cities on what's been dubbed his final tour. Tickets for the March 24 show go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday and can be purchased at Civic Center box office, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 1-800-745-3000. To evoke the year 1975, in which Manilow's hit "Mandy" topped the charts, ticket prices will start at $19.75. According to a press release, Manilow insisted that the average ticket price remain low and that a greater range of ticket prices be made available. Manilow, 72, is considered one of the top Adult Contemporary music artists with more than 50 songs charting on the Top 40 hit list. After performing about 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 to 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances in recent years. The "One Last Time!" tour has featured a backing band of 13 musicians and singers in what appears to be Manilow's last tour. |
| February 8, 2016 | CINewsNow | Barry Manilow to perform at Peoria Civic Center |
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| PEORIA, Ill. -- The Peoria Civic Center announced Monday that music legend Barry Manilow will make a stop in the River City when he hits the road this spring. The award winning musician is scheduled to perform on Thursday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. as part of his final "One Last Time Tour." With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said, “We’re having a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” Tickets for the event go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. and are available at the Toyota Box Office at the Peoria Civic Center, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets start at $19.75. Visit www.peoriaciviccenter.com or call (309) 673-8900 for more information. |
| February 8, 2016 | The Daily Item | Barry Manilow to perform at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on March 13 |
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| WILKES-BARRE - Barry Manilow will “hit the road” again to perform concerts across North America one last time. The music legend has re-launched his multiple-city One Last Time! Tour and will stop in Wilkes-Barre at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Sunday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. These are part of the last list of cities on his final tour. With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said, “We’re having a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” General information about the One Last Time! Tour is available at www.manilow.com. Tickets go on sale Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. at NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena, Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 or any Ticketmaster outlet. Prices do not include facility fee or service charges. Visit www.mohegansunarenapa.com or call (570) 970-7600 for more information. |
| February 8, 2016 | Syracuse.com | "Barry Manilow to perform at Turning Stone on his 'final' tour" by Geoff Herbert |
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| Barry Manilow has extended his "One Last Time! Tour" to include a stop in Central New York. The legendary singer will perform at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Event Center in Verona, N.Y. on Friday, March 18 at 8 p.m. The Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner's touring band includes 13 musicians and singers. Top price VIP tickets go on sale first to Barry Manilow fan club members at barrymanilow.com/tickets starting today (Monday, Feb. 8) at noon. Remaining tickets will go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. for $74, $59 and $54, through Ticketmaster or by phone at 1-877-833-SHOW. Manilow, 72, says the concert is part of his "final" tour, which began last year. He told Billboard that it doesn't mean it'll necessarily be his final performance in cities he's visiting. "It doesn't mean I'm retiring or anything. I'll do shows and I'll promote albums if I make any more, but no more big tours," Manilow said. "It's too much packing. It's 40 years -- more than that, really -- of packing and waiting for room service. People think it's glamorous, but glamorous is the last word I would use for this job... I haven't gone sightseeing, ever. It's a job." |
| February 8, 2016 | The Commercial Appeal | This Week: Barry Manilow |
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| For some of you, the first part of this week might be recovering from the Super Bowl and or Mardi Gras, but there's plenty to do for those who are up for it... 1. Barry Manilow, Wednesday: Grammy, Tony and Emmy award-winning pop singer-songwriter Barry Manilow plays FedExForum as part of his “One Last Time!” tour. Befitting that title, Manilow has said his current run of concerts will be “my way of thanking everyone for their years of support one last time.” Manilow, whose previous appearance in the Bluff City came in 2002, is also celebrating the 40th anniversary of his hit “Mandy,” which was a chart-topping smash in 1975. To tie in with that, Manilow has set a special $19.75 ticket price for select seats. The rest of the ticket prices range up to $147.75. Danish saxophonist Michael Lington will open the show. 7 p.m. Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and (800)745-3000... |
| February 8, 2016 | The Daily Collegian | "Barry Manilow to hit the Bryce Jordan Center 'one last time'" by Sarah Vasile |
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| Grammy Award-winning artist Barry Manilow will make a stop at the Bryce Jordan Center after announcing he is going to "hit the road" to perform concerts across North America, according to a BJC press release issued Monday. The tour, entitled the "One Last Time Tour," will be his last, and Manilow will appear at the BJC on March 12. “We’re having a great time putting the show together," Manilow said in the release. "We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles." Ticket prices will begin at $19.75, to commemorate the year that Manilow's song "Mandy" topped the charts, according to the release. Tickets go on sale on Feb. 10 at the Bryce Jordan Center, Eisenhower Auditorium, Penn State Downtown Theatre, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. |
| February 8, 2016 | My Stateline | Singer Barry Manilow to Perform at BMO Harris Bank Center: Will perform March 26th in Rockford |
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| ROCKFORD - A blast from the past is touring one last time, and will make a stop to perform in Rockford. Singer Barry Manilow will perform at the BMO Harris Bank Center on March 26th at 7:30pm complete with his band of 13 musicians and singers in what's being called the 'ONE LAST TIME!' tour. After decades of producing pop music, exceeding more than 80 million worldwide in record sales for songs that include his mega-hit 'Mandy,' Manilow settled into becoming a staple of Las Vegas, performing hundreds of concerts from 2005 through 2011. Now he's going back on tour. He says the 'ONE LAST TIME!' Tour, “... is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support...one last time!” Tickets prices start at $19.75 not including taxes and facility fees and go on sale February 10th at 10:00am at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office, or at ticketmaster.com. General information about the 'ONE LAST TIME!' Tour is available at www.manilow.com. |
| February 8, 2016 | The Daily Item | Barry Manilow to perform at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on March 13 |
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| WILKES-BARRE - Barry Manilow will “hit the road” again to perform concerts across North America one last time. The music legend has re-launched his multiple-city One Last Time! Tour and will stop in Wilkes-Barre at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Sunday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. These are part of the last list of cities on his final tour. With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said, “We’re having a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” General information about the One Last Time! Tour is available at www.manilow.com. Tickets go on sale Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. at NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena, Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 or any Ticketmaster outlet. Prices do not include facility fee or service charges. Visit www.mohegansunarenapa.com or call (570) 970-7600 for more information. |
| February 7, 2016 | Creative Loafing (Tampa Bay) | "Concert review: Barry Manilow performs "One Last Time" at Amalie Arena, Tampa" by Gabe Echazabal and Tracy May |
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| Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Barry Manilow is a natural-born showman. He's had nearly his whole life to hone his skill as a performer, and on this, his farewell concert tour - billed as the "One Last Time Tour" - he's winding up his extended career with a splash. As a singer-songwriter with a hell of an ear for a melodic hook who got his start as a commercial jingle writer, Manilow has been a Top 40 mainstay since the mid-'70s and has retained one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases of any genre. For his local stop, Manilow attracted a pretty respectable-sized crowd at the massive Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa on Thursday night. As I was handed a glowstick upon entering the venue by a peppy, enthusiastic (and elderly) attendant, I knew this would be not be your typical concert headlined by a 72-year-old. A brief opening set by smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz went over well, especially on the strength of a '70s soul medley that ended his warm-up. The middle-aged crowd bopped and grooved along to snippets of covers by Kool & the Gang, Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire. A short while later, as a frantic EDM remix of Manilow's 1978 disco smash "Copacabana" blared from speakers, the ornate red velvet curtains that had enshrouded the large stage started to part. A colossal collection of musicians, string section and backup singers waited as the man of the hour emerged from a large staircase at the rear of the stage. Clad in distinguished black tails, the slender singer made his way to the front of the stage and started belting out one of his many hits, "It's A Miracle." Greeted with a standing ovation from the near sell-out crowd and with plenty of screams and whistles from his most loyal, Barry beamed and seemed to soak up the adulation with genuine glee. "Tampa! We're back!" he exclaimed and was rewarded with another roar of approval. His vocals were a little less commanding than the norm at the set's start, but it didn't take long for Manilow to get his pipes into shape. By the third number, the ballad "Somewhere In The Night," the long, ringing note he held to end the number proved he's no slouch; he just needed a little time to warm up. He's in his 70s, after all...but still as spirited and vivacious as ever. Urging the crowd to stand up and sing-along to "Can't Smile Without You," the glowsticks that were distributed before the show permeated the dark arena in an awesome aura of lime green as thousands waved in unison to the tune. Pacing around the stage for most of the evening, Manilow took his place at a baby grand piano to deliver a heartfelt version of another of his many hit ballads, "Could It Be Magic." After lingering briefly at the keys, he rose again rose and made his way to the front of the stage. This time, he pointed out a female fan in the front row and asked her to dance with him. A brief exchange of words revealed the woman had traveled from Maryland to see the show and to come from the cold weather to have Barry "warm her up." The cheeky comment drew plenty of cheers from the female Manilow lovers in attendance. Some sax accompaniment came from opener Koz for the semi-autobiographical "Brooklyn Blues" before Manilow spoke of his admirable Manilow Music Project, which encourages local residents from each city he performs in to donate unwanted musical instruments for use in school music and arts programs hard hit by cutbacks in recent years. In exchange, Manilow provides free concert tickets for those generous enough to partake in his visionary project. A duet with long deceased performer Judy Garland courtesy of archival footage on a video screen was Manilow's plug for his newly released Grammy-nominated album My Dream Duets. "Tony Bennett's gonna win...he win's everything!" Manilow kidded, referencing his competition in his nominated category. More historical footage was unearthed for the show - Manilow's 1975 performance of his early hit "Mandy" on weekly music program Midnight Special, which led to current concert-day Manilow joining in with his video self after donning a white suit jacket. As a way to cram in as many of his mountain of hits into one concert as possible, Manilow kicked off an impressive mega-medley that touched on upwards of a dozen songs (I lost count along the way while furiously scribbling notes). Stretching into his string of '80s-era hits, it was amazing to hear bits of so many of his successes presented in one continuous flow. The medley-ending "I Write the Songs" benefited greatly by the rich vocal accompaniment of a fully-robed, locally-sourced gospel choir. Encoring with a proper version of "Copacabana," it was impossible to find anyone in the place seated. As trippy, psychedelic images swirled on video screens behind him, Manilow and his three backup singers traded dance steps and created a fun, lighthearted ending to an enjoyable night. A reprise of the show opening "It's A Miracle" rang out as endless ribbons of colorful streamers rained downward from the roof above. It made for a glitzy, showbiz ending to, not only an evening of non-stop hit songs, but quite possibly the last show locals will see from Barry Manilow on a local concert stage. In retrospect and in looking back at his long career and his piles of gold and platinum records, it's safe to say, Mr. Manilow, that it looks like you made it. Set list: / It's a Miracle/ Daybreak / Somewhere in the Night / Can't Smile Without You / Looks Like We Made It / Could It Be Magic / Brooklyn Blues / I Am Your Child / Even Now / Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (duet with Judy Garland video) / Memory / Weekend in New England / I Made It Through the Rain / Mandy / Medley (One Voice, The Old Songs Bandstand Boogie, New York City Rhythm, Some Kind of Friend, Read 'em and Weep, Ships, Somewhere Down the Road, This One's for You, Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again, Ready to Take a Chance Again, I Write the Songs) / Encore: Copacabana / It's a Miracle (reprise) |
| February 7, 2016 | Naples Daily News | "Barry Manilow’s 'Last Time' one of his best for Germain crowd" Harriet Howard Heithaus |
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| If this was Barry Manilow's "One Last Time" to play Southwest Florida, he made sure no one in the nearly full house at Germain Arena was going to forget it. He packed a dozen huge hits into a medley ("For those of you who were dragged here, this is going to be agony," he teased the audience), pulled a delighted woman onstage to dance and closed in a cloud of multicolored streamers shot down at the audience. At 72, Manilow deserves the break, after 15 gold albums, three of them triple platinum, plus a mittful of awards including Songwriters Hall of Fame membership. But he had already broken his coy tour-title pledge; the concert here Saturday was a second one, hastily booked after the first one sold out so quickly. "Well, back by popular demand, I guess!" he shouted, beamed to a crowd already stoked by an electrifying opener from Dave Koz a star who usually headlines his own concerts. Manilow, perennially slim in a waist-cut black jacket embellished with pewter music lyres at the cuffs, hopped nimbly from the piano to stage front, backed by a trio of impeccable singers and a phalanx of electronic band. Injections of extra power brought in - thank you, Barry - a scarlet-gowned local chorus and acoustic double bass and flute. Even Koz waltzed back in to blow some precision sax riffs into "Brooklyn Blues." It was clear at the concert Manilow hasn't pulled too many youngsters under the 40-plus crowd into his orbit. But he has written music that defined significant moments in the lives of an audience in that age group: During "Daybreak," at least one block of what appeared to be family stood up to link arms and sing along. Individual "Fanilows" popped up like prairie dogs to sway and wave the fluorescent lime glow sticks distributed to the audience. Rarely were they alone for long. "He's one of my favorite performers of all times. His songs send a message," declared Elyse Morande, 71, of Bonita Springs, who was there with her husband, Bob, on 42nd anniversary gift tickets. "It's his songs, his songs," agreed Sandy Lause, 66, of Naples. "I grew up on them." Lause had brought both her sister, Paula Winkler, 51, of Naples, and her husband, and her mother, Beverly Carroll, 83, of Estero ("I'm probably one of his oldest fans," she said). They were one of what looked like many full-family groups at the concert. Manilow didn't disappoint them, performing with gusto through tunes such as "It's a Miracle," "I Made It Through the Rain" and his breakthrough hit, "Mandy." On a few earlier numbers, such as "Daybreak," Manilow was working to hold some notes, and on "Weekend in New England" he sounded a bit hoarse. But he hit stride and delighted the crowd with a dramatic performance of "Even Now," and the affecting, stripped-down ballad "I Am Your Child." By the time he brought the 75-minute concert to its first-close medley, he was nailing super-holds on melodies like "Ready to Take a Chance" with the kind of strength he thrilled crowds with at Pine Knob, Michigan, back in the mid '70s. Manilow also sent a love letter to music in schools that should be required listening for every board of education member and parent: He pleaded with the crowd to bring an old musical instrument to Germain Arena, and promised the Manilow Music Project would refurbish them for school classes. (It has already donated a piano to this area, in addition to some musical instruments.) "Orchestra class changed my life," he declared of his formative Brooklyn years in what was known as the most dangerous high school in the U.S. "I Write the Songs" could have been a perfect finale to the dozen-song medley, including hits like "Read 'Em and Weep," "New York City Rhythm" and "This One's For You." But Manilow returned to the stage for a high-energy "Copacabana," releasing a shower of crepe streamers from a silver disco ball. It was close to as perfect as the opening. Dave Koz, already a star, won new fans with caffeinated performances of songs like "Got to Get You into My Life." He dedicated the Beatles tune to "all the incredible music through the years" of the recently departed Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire. Also elevated by Koz class were "Let It Go" from "Frozen" and what he called his "45 rpm" medley of 60s hits. Who knew "That's the Way I Like It" could sound so virtuosic? Obviously, two full houses at Germain Arena who floated out beaming Saturday night. |
| February 6, 2016 | ArkCity.net (Arkansas City, Kansas) | Barry Manilow set to perform One Last Time! |
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| Wichita - Barry Manilow announced recently that he is going to “hit the road” again to perform concerts across North America One Last Time! The music legend will re launch his multiple-city One Last Time! Tour and will stop in Wichita at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, at Intrust Bank Arena. With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said, “We’re having a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The One Last Time! Tour is a major undertaking and as Manilow said, “is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support…one last time!” The Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning musician’s career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, “Mandy,” topped the charts in 1975. In the spirit of that special year, tickets will be priced to tie into that year and will start at $19.75 - fees included. Manilow insisted that the average ticket price remain low and that a greater range of ticket prices be available. Tickets for Barry Manilow are priced at $19.75, $59.75, $79.75, $99.75 and $149.75. Tickets can be purchased online at www.selectaseat.com, by phone at (855) 755-7328, in person at the Intrust Bank Arena box office or at participating Dillons locations. General information about the One Last Time! Tour is available at www.manilow.com.
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| February 5, 2016 | CitizensVoice | "Manilow announces concert at Mohegan Sun Arena" by Pat Abdalla |
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| In a post on his Facebook page, Barry Manilow announced a series of upcoming concerts, including a stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. The show is scheduled for March 13. According to Manilow's post, tickets for the show go on sale to members of his fan club at 9 a.m., Monday and start at $19.75. A public on-sale date has not been announced. For more details, visit barrymanilow.com. |
| February 4, 2016 | The Tampa Tribune | "Barry Manilow revisits hits for Tampa fans one last time" by Carl Lisciandrello |
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| Barry Manilow has promised this would be “One Last Time.” One final chance for his fans to watch the ageless 72-year-old on tour, the final opportunity to sing along to the hits that made him a pop culture icon more than 40 years ago. If he indeed keeps his vow, then he provided the fans who packed Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa on Thursday night with a stylish takeaway they’re not soon likely to forget. Once the red curtains drew, the spotlight fell directly on Manilow, who sported a black tie and tails and got the crowd on its feet with the exhortation, “Hello Tampa, we’re back! It’s great to be back here” and launching into “It’s A Miracle.” His boyish energy extended to “Daybreak” and more cheers when he said “We may be here all night long.” Manilow said his One Last Time! tour would run the gamut of his best hits, spanning a career that began with his first album in 1973 and included three No. 1 singles and 25 Billboard top 40 hits from 1974 to 1983. No album cuts or hidden gems. That familiarity kept his appreciative fans engaged throughout the night. “Somewhere In The Night” was a showcase for his still dynamic voice as he hit the high notes with relative ease. He implored the fans to get on their feet and sing along to “Can’t Smile Without You, which they did with gusto, waving green glow sticks that were distributed before the show in unison and continuing with “Looks Like We Made It.” But perhaps the biggest ovation came after he hit the piano for the somber “Could It Be Magic.” Getting up, he came to the front of the stage and called a fan named Jenny from Maryland for a slow dance to her delight. The crowd seemed as captivated by Manilow’s performance as Jenny was to be locked in his embrace. |
| February 4, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times | "Barry Manilow offers endless goodbyes in farewell show at Tampa's Amalie Arena" by Jay Cridlin |
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| Here’s the thing about the songs of Barry Manilow: Each one sounds like a closer. Each song sounds like an end-of-the-night embrace, all sap and schmaltz and see-you-when-I-see-you as the credits start to roll. Each one’s also a crescendo, swelling and leapfrogging keys until it leaps from the ledge into an ocean-sized ovation. And so you wonder: With a songbook like that, how in the world does Barry Manilow say goodbye? On Thursday at Amalie Arena, it was Tampa’s turn to find out. Manilow’s in the midst of his long-running farewell tour, a trek around the globe he’s calling "One Last Time!," with an exclamation point to emphasize he means it. And just under 8,000 glowstick-waving fans turned out to send him off. At 72, Manilow may be ready to get off the road, but up on stage, he’s no retired man walking. In concert, he still clings joyfully to his sense of old-world showmanship, a commitment to the spotlight and the audience that feels yanked from yesterday, yet still carries water today. Entering from behind an enormous red curtain, and backed by a band of at least 10, Manilow opened with the upbeat It’s a Miracle and sweet sing-along Daybreak, and led the house in a chorus of Can’t Smile Without You, sung karaoke-style with a smiley-face emoji bouncing across the lyrics. Here and there, he’d call in a little backup. For the autobiographical Brooklyn Blues, he brought out opener Dave Koz to play sax. And on Could it Be Magic, he brought a lady up on stage to dance, a middle-aged Fanilow who came all the way from Maryland. “I came to get out of the snow,” she told him. “I came to see you and warm up.” Manilow’s music always was good for a hug, particularly whenever he took a seat at the piano. Even Now and Weekend in New England started off all sparse and delicate and elegant, with Barry all by himself at the keys, tinkling away, before the songs got so big you could feel the ovation start to build. The classic Mandy, too, started out looking back, with an old clip of young Barry at the piano, performing the hit in its heyday, before he re-emerged in a white suit to close it out with panache. These are old cards played by an old pro’s pro, and for Manilow, a professional if ever there was one, it works every time – even when it doesn’t. After briefly reminiscing about all his trips to Tampa (“We’ve been friends for a long time. Thanks for coming tonight. Thanks for all the years.”), he veered into an a cappella intro to I Made It Through The Rain that started out all kinds of shaky. But by the end, once again, the band's massive chords kicked in and rattled around the rafters, and those diehards leaped up once again, proving once again there’s no hole a good Barry Manilow song can’t get help you escape. One after the next, he’d knock 'em out like clockwork - chorus, ovation, chorus, ovation. And that was before he hit the medley that spanned more than four decades. “For those of you who have enjoyed the music over the years, I think you’re gonna like this medley,” he said. “And for those of you who were dragged here tonight, this medley is going to be maddening.” Then came 16 minutes of Manilow, an epic onslaught of memories delivered measure by measure by measure - One Voice, Ships, The Old Songs, Read ‘Em and Weep, Bandstand Boogie - that ended with a red-robed choir backing Barry on I Write the Songs. Manilow had a couple more songs up his sleeve – the shimmy-shimmy Cocoa Puff Copacabana (At the Copa), a reprise of It’s a Miracle capped off with a shower of streamers. And that was all he wrote - after 80 minutes, the man with the endless string of closers was gone, maybe for the final time in Tampa. How does a man like Manilow say goodbye? On his own terms, it seems, with a show on the shorter side that surely left the crowd wanting more. In a night chock-full of closers, no one would’ve minded one more for the road. But you know how these farewell tours tend to go. Maybe if we're lucky, he’ll get us on the next one. |
| February 3, 2016 | Cincinnati.com | "The irrepressible Barry Manilow back for 'One Last Time'" by Chris Varias |
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| There is nothing less guaranteed in show business than the farewell tour, which often turns into the first event in a cycle of retirements and comebacks. Barry Manilow is not attaching any sort of guarantee to his One Last Time! tour, but he sounds believable when he says this is it. That being said, Manilow is not ready to quit altogether. The 72-year-old pop superstar was full of cheer during a recent telephone call, comparing his retirement to a prostitute’s. Knowing I was calling from Cincinnati, he jumps right in. Manilow: I’ve had such history with this city. I started with Bette Midler. I was her arranger in 1973. And then I got my own record career, and I think I’ve played Cincinnati every place that you’ve have. Every tour that I’ve done we’ve hit Cincinnati. Riverbend. We’ve played every place but Chuck E. Cheese. These audiences have been unbelievable to me. They’ve sat in the rain in Riverbend. They’ve sat in the heat with bugs the size of Buicks. Enquirer: When you started out, were you playing arenas right away, or were you doing clubs at first?
Manilow: When we got to you guys in ’75, I think I started out in a theater. Before that, there was one little tour before “Mandy” to promote my first album. Then when “Mandy” came out, I started playing bigger places. Enquirer: You mentioned Bette Midler. You did a Rosemary Clooney tribute album with her. Rosemary was from this area. Did you ever work with her?
Manilow: Yeah. I did a duet with her on one of her big-band albums. I forget what song it was. She was a friend during those years. She was great. She loved Bette. She was a funny, funny girl. I loved being with her. Enquirer: Does it bother you when rock singers like Rod Stewart turn to the great American songbook later in their career, as if they’re trying to cash in on something you’ve championed for a long time?
Manilow: It doesn’t bother me. Anybody who sings stuff from the great American songbook gets my vote, because those are the songs that should be continually reminding people about these great songwriters and great songs. Rod had huge hits on his great American songbook catalog. I say, great. Enquirer: You produced Bette Midler albums on which she recorded material by rock artists, and you had a big hit with an Ian Hunter song (“Ships”). Do you think of yourself as someone who works in rock music?
Manilow: Here’s what I think of myself as: I’m not a little wimpy ballad singer. I’ve never done wimpy ballads. The ballads that I’ve recorded are as close to rock and roll as you can get. They’re full of muscle. They’re full of big pop-rock elements. It’s just that my voice is a crooner on top of that muscular background. But I love that kind of rock energy in records. And I’ve tried to do that with all of my records. These are as close to rock and roll as you can get, only they’re more classic songs. Enquirer: Why do want the finality of the One Last Time! name for the tour?
Manilow: Well, it’s the last tour. I’m serious about that. It’s been 45 years of room service. It’s not my last performance. I’ll probably be doing one-nighters. I got to promote this next album that I’m working on. It’s the touring. There’s a joke that somebody told me that the prostitute said, “It’s not the work. It’s the stairs.” And that’s me. It’s not the work. Getting there is the hard part for me, and after 45 years of airplanes and room service, you know, it’s a young person’s thing. But I sure do love the work. I love the concerts and working with the band, and the audiences have always been great. Enquirer: You’ve been making hits for 40 years. That obviously has to do with the songs and your voice, but what other qualities do you possess that give you broad appeal and longevity?
Manilow: I try to act (out) a lyric. I’ve never considered myself a singer. Honestly. I never wanted to be a singer. It was the last thing on my mind when I wound up on a stage singing in front of a microphone. I don’t even think about my voice. There are so many people that can sing much better than I do. But I can communicate with an audience. I can act a lyric. That may be the only thing I do that a lot of other people don’t do. If you go... What: Barry Manilow with Michael Lington. When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. Where: BB&T Arena, 500 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights. Tickets: $149.75, $99.75, $79.75, $59.75, $19.75. |
| February 3, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times | "Looks Like He Made It: Barry Manilow" by Jay Cridlin |
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| There's a reason Barry Manilow has released albums on which he covers the biggest hits of the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s ... but nothing from the three decades since. "I didn't think anybody wanted to hear my ballad version of Bootylicious," the 72-year-old singer laughed during a recent phone interview. That may be, but the truth is Manilow's DNA is all up in the jelly of modern pop songwriting. Just listen to Adele's blockbuster album 25, with its earnest, powerful odes to the Manilovian piano pop of the '70s. (Looking at you, When We Were Young.) "It's encouraging that there's an audience out there that is looking for a melody and a decent lyric," Manilow said. When his farewell tour hits Tampa Thursday, Manilow will belt out all the massive, weepy hits -- Mandy, Copacabana (At the Copa), I Write the Songs, Looks Like We Made It -- that have earned him legions of Fanilows young (yes, they exist) and old. "America's big, and I really want to say goodbye to a lot of the cities that have been so good to me," he said. The show is at 7:30 p.m. at Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, with saxophone star Dave Koz opening. Tickets are $19.75 and up. Donate a new or gently used musical instrument at the arena's box office and get two tickets to the show. (813) 301-2500 or amaliearena.com. |
| February 3, 2016 | CBS Miami | Barry Manilow Brings Gift Of Music To Hollywood Hills High School |
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| SUNRISE - Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is leading the way with a generous donation helping to jump start a music instrument drive at a high school in Broward. Through his Manilow Music Project, the 72-year-old pop icon is donating a new Yamaha piano to launch the local drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument in the week before Manilow’s February 5th concert will receive two free tickets to the show. “I’m thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids,” said Manilow, whose charity organization has conducted instrument drives all over the country to help schools with their music programs. “The Hollywood Hills High School Spartan Pride Band is honored to have been chosen for the Barry Manilow Music Project,” said Jeffrey Lawson, Director of Bands. “In order for a music program to be successful, students need the experience of playing quality instruments. Giving the student musician the opportunity to grow and learn with the proper equipment ensures the chance for a quality music education.” The North Box Office at the BB&T Center will serve as the base for the instrument drive in South Florida through February 5th. The instrument drop off location is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free tickets to qualifying donors are valid for pre-selected seat locations on a first come first serve basis. |
| February 3, 2016 | SouthFlorida.com | "Last call for Barry Manilow at BB&T Center?" by Ben Crandell |
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| Barry Manilow is calling his current tour One Last Time! (the exclamation point his), which suggests some kind of euphoric declaration that this may be the final chance for South Florida fans of such hits as "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Looks Like We Made It" and "Copacabana" to see him on an arena stage. The 72-year-old Brooklyn native admitted as much in a recent conversation with the Tampa Bay Times, in which he decried the hassle of touring. "It's a young person's thing," he said. "So I'm saying I'm getting off the road." But there's saying, and then there's doing, and there's no telling how Manilow might be re-energized by a Grammy Award on Feb. 15 in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category for "My Dream Duets." Barry Manilow - One Last Time! When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. Where: BB&T Center, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Cost: $19.75-$179.75. |
| February 2, 2016 | The Tampa Tribune | "Local singers come together for a choir to back up Manilow concert" by Joe Henderson |
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| When organizers of the Barry Manilow concert Thursday at Amalie Arena needed local singers on short notice to form a backup Gospel choir, they knew who to call. Isaac Ruffin is a big, jovial man with a voice that seems to alternate between baritone and tenor, depending on the song. It doesn’t matter, though. Either one packs enough punch to peel the paper off your wall and put a hop in your step. He has a huge heart and an even larger list of phone numbers and email addresses. When he isn’t serving as minister of music at Tampa’s Beulah Baptist International Church, he is rounding up musicians and singers for all kinds of events. He basically is the connection around here between Gospel musicians and those who need their talents. Got a gig? Need some voices? Who you gonna call? Isaac, of course. He seems to know everyone who ever sang a note, and they know him. Even more, they like him. It’s hard not to. He’s one of those guys who can make you feel energized by saying hello. After a phone call to Ruffin’s church from the Manilow camp about three weeks ago, it took just one email blast from his contact list and a couple of Facebook mentions to recruit about 40 singers from 12 local churches. Voila! Instant choir! The choir is diverse. It is powerful. And it rocks. If you go to the show, they’ll be featured in the last part of the concert on three numbers - “I Write The Songs,” “Copacabana,” and “It’s A Miracle.” He recruited Kevin Cook and Patina Ripkey as his lieutenants. Both are accomplished singers and worship pastors at their churches, First Baptist and Temple Terrace United Methodist Church, respectively. As the word spread about was happening, they had more than enough volunteers in short order for the positions available. The group gathered for its final practice Monday night in the cramped choir room at TTUMC, and like the lyrics in one of Manilow’s songs say, “A true blue spectacle!” They just let it go. “They were ecstatic,” Cook said. That’s one way to put it. Those folks were enjoying themselves and each other in a genuine way as they made a joyful noise. If the concert is as much fun as that rehearsal, it’s going to be one to savor. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Ruffin said. Actually, Ruffin has had a few of those. He was in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at MacDill, when he retired in 2001 after a 20-year career. He chose to stay in Tampa and became active in things like the local chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America and the City of Tampa Gospel Choir. He has been on stage with the likes of Diana Ross and Celine [Dion]. Back at the rehearsal, you should have been there. The energy in the room was inescapable. So were the smiles. Sure, it’s the chance to be on stage with a big name act at world-class arena, but after watching these people prepare it was even more than that. There was something engrossing about what was happening. This was a diverse, engaged group that fed off each other’s considerable talent. It may only be for a short time, but it’s special. No wonder everyone said yes so quickly. Even if you can’t sing a note and babies would cry if you tried — and, man, do I seriously qualify there — I think we’d all like to be part of something that will guarantee a lifetime of smiles at the memory. A miracle? Nah. But such a spectacle? Bet on it. |
| February 2, 2016 | Miami Herald | "Barry Manilow returns to the town where it all began" by Howard Cohen |
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| Barry Manilow’s first hit almost became his last when a South Florida DJ from Y-100 (100.7 FM) announced that his single Mandy was Miami’s biggest hit that Christmas season of 1974. Manilow happened to be in the city to escape the New York winter with his frequent collaborator Bruce Sussman. “That song came out of Dade County. I’ll never forget it. Bruce and I were driving in the car and the DJ said, ‘Now, the No. 1 record in Dade County — Barry Manilow’s Mandy.’ Bruce and I nearly drove off the road. It was the first time that that had happened.” The jubilation was a bit short-lived, Manilow says, laughing. “Then we also went up to a diner, and Mandy came on the jukebox. I was being like a little egomaniac, and I said to the waitress - she didn’t recognize me - I said, ‘Do they play that song often?’ And she said, ‘Yeah. They play it all the time, and I can’t stand it. I hate that song!’ “That took me down a peg or two.” Happily, Manilow’s racked up plenty of fans since Mandy. He plans to showcase an all-hits set for his One Last Time! Tour concert Friday at Sunrise’s BB&T Center in which he’ll be joined by some members of the The Nova Singers of Nova Southeastern University. “I can’t think about it, or it would make me really sad,” Manilow, 72, says of the tour’s title. He’s married now, to long-time manager [Garry Kief], and his audience has grown up with him. The timing is right. “I’ve been touring for, oh my God, how many years? It’s a young person’s gig. Being away from home and in hotel rooms and bad dressing rooms and waiting for airplanes and weather, you do 45 years of that and it does get to you. Not the work, certainly not the work, and not the audiences. I love the gig. It’s just getting there has finally gotten to me so I’ve got to say goodbye to touring,” he says. Manilow still has music to make, though. He’s in the middle of recording a new album, a mix of standards and originals, and is as excited about the craft as he was all those years ago when he was cruising through Miami during the year of the oil crisis. Call it the power of a well-written pop song. “When you get one that works, there’s not much like it. That is the beauty of pop music, you take it with you for life - your prom, your marriage, your having a kid and those memories. You should read these letters I’ve gotten over the years. The impact a great pop song has will last through a person’s life,” Manilow says. “To know that I’ve had an impact on strangers is the greatest gift anybody could give me,” he adds. “I’m just a musician who got lucky. I wanted to make people proud of what I do, and I definitely want the listener to feel great when they hear this music. My impact on these people I take very seriously because they have been so great to me. For 40-something years they have been on my side, and I don’t know how to thank them. It’s an incredible experience.” Barry Manilow on longevity: My memories of the first time hearing some of Billy Joel’s songs knocked me out. Billy Joel started before me. Elton John started before me. Neil Diamond started before me. I was just a musician struggling and those songs, I’ve got the same memories that people must have with my music. Manilow Music Project: Barry Manilow plans to donate a Yamaha piano to Hollywood Hills High School, 5400 Stirling Rd., as part of his initiative to promote music education at a time budget cuts slash arts and music programs. Fans can score two tickets to his Friday concert by donating new or gently used musical instruments to a drop-off point at the venue’s North Box Office at the BB&T Center, One Panther Pkwy., Sunrise, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Friday. Information: www.manilowmusicproject.org. Barry Manilow with Dave Koz performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at BB&T Center, One Panther Pkwy., Sunrise. Tickets: $19.75-$179.75. Call 954-835-7825. |
| February 1, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times | "Barry Manilow is ready to get off the road -- maybe" by Jay Cridlin |
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| Barry Manilow may be on what he's calling his One Last Time! Tour - exclamatory emphasis his - but he wants everyone to know this isn't goodbye and farewell, auf wiedersehen and goodnight. "There's that joke that the prostitute says: 'It's not the work, it's the stairs,'" Manilow laughed during a recent phone interview. "That's me. It's not the work, it's the stairs. It's getting there. That's what it is." Yes, after all these decades, the road has taken its toll on the 72-year-old singer. Each gig he plays - like Thursday's concert at Tampa's Amalie Arena - could be the last time he visits that dot on the map of America. And he doesn't sound all that torn up about it. "Packing again, and getting on a plane and going to a hotel - it's just awful," he said. "At this point, it's a young person's thing. So I'm saying I'm getting off the road." But then he adds a caveat. "Come back in two years, and who knows?" Yeah, see, there's really no quit in the Brooklynite born Barry Alan [Pincus]. You don't become one of the world's best-selling artists, without an insatiable hunger for the spotlight. Manilow wrote and sang some of the defining soft-rock singles of the '70s and '80s - Mandy, Looks Like We Made It, Copacabana (At the Copa) - and earned legions of near-obsessed "Fanilows" in the process. And while he's not writing as much new material these days ("When I write something, I put my blood into it, and if it doesn't make it on an album, or if I haven't got anyplace to put it, it winds up in my piano bench, and it just lays there"), he is always thinking about his next project. When he called from his home studio, he was hard at work on a new album - half originals, half standards, "a nice concept," he said. "I still feel like I'm 35 and I'm still working and I've got all these things to do," he said. "I'm working on the show, I'm working on the album. I'm always working on something. … I'm telling you, I still feel like I've got the same energy that I've always had. I shouldn't. I'm 100 years old. I shouldn't feel like that because a lot of people my age are old. They feel old, they look older. I'm just a different guy." This month, Manilow is up for a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for 2014's My Dream Duets, a collection of duets with long-gone stars like Louis Armstrong, Marilyn Monroe and Whitney Houston. Incredibly, if My Dream Duets wins a Grammy, it would be only Manilow's second, following a 1978 statuette for Copacabana. But he's not exactly losing sleep over his acceptance speech. "I always lose to Tony Bennett! Always!" he said. "I've been nominated in that category, like, four times so far. And each time he made an album - each time! - he wins. So I'm not counting on that one anymore." The technology that allowed him to create My Dream Duets also enables him to perform a few of those songs in concert - Sunshine On My Shoulders with a disembodied John Denver, for example, or Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart with Judy Garland. But for the most part, this One Last Time! show eschews his newer songs and deep cuts in favor of all his biggest hits — a thank-you to every fan who's ever supported him, and even those who haven't. "And I'm happy to do it," he said. "I've never done a full show of just familiar songs. I'm one of the lucky guys that has a catalog that I could actually fill up 90 minutes with songs that everybody knows. And I've never done that. So I guess that's the farewell element in this show." Of course, considering the reactions these hits still get from Fanilows across the country, who's to say this really will be the end? "I love my band, and the people that are with me, and the audiences are so fantastic," he said. "Who would ever say you don't want to do that again?" If you go... Barry Manilow: The singer performs with Dave Koz at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $19.75 and up. Those who donate a new or gently used musical instrument at the arena's box office will receive two free tickets. (813) 301 2500. amaliearena.com. |
| February 1, 2016 | Osprey Observer | "Local School To Benefit From Barry Manilow’s Music Instrument Drive" by Angela Lanza |
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| Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is “hitting the road” ONE LAST TIME!, and hopes others will follow his philanthropic lead as he brings his Manilow Music Project to the McLane Middle School, located at 306 N. Knights Ave. in Brandon. The pop icon plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch a local instrument drive during his ONE LAST TIME! Tour. Anyone who brings a donation of a new or gently used musical instrument at the McDonald’s Ticket Office at AMALIE Arena, located at 401 Channelside Dr. in Tampa, will receive two free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations) for Manilow’s Thursday, February 4 concert at AMALIE Arena. The Manilow Music Project has conducted music instrument drives all over the country to assist local schools with their music programs. “I’m thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids,” said Manilow. The McDonald’s Ticket Office at AMALIE Arena will serve as the base for the instrument drive in Tampa through Thursday, February 4. The instrument drop off location is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, hours and contact numbers, visit www.amaliearena.com/events/ticket-information. “We know the importance of music for every student in our schools. We are thrilled to receive this generous donation of musical instruments from Barry Manilow and The Manilow Music Project. It will expand our program for more students and allow them to share in the gift of music,” said Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins. The Manilow Music Project (MMP) is part of The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. It was formed as a grass roots organization to assist local charities and programs. Its primary focus is to provide musical instruments to high schools and middle schools and to provide music scholarships at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and the UK. More information on the Manilow Music Project can be found at www.manilowmusicproject.org. |
| February 1, 2016 | Sun Sentinel | "Manilow, Koz Team for concert" by Marvin Glassman |
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| Saxophone player Dave Koz and singer/songwriter Barry Manilow team together for the "One Last Time" concert Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at BB&T Center in Sunrise. "One Last Time" refers to Manilow performing in South Florida, perhaps for the final time in his 40-plus year career. Manilow will be singing most of his 25 hit songs, such as "Copacabana," "Mandy" and "Weekend In New England" in concert. "I love performing, but I hate touring, staying at hotels and catching planes, so this is my way of saying goodbye to everyone that have supported me for all the years," said the 72-year-old Manilow. Longtime fans will remember Manilow first appearing in South Florida in 1975 at the now defunct Sunrise Musical Theater and was the last performer to have a concert there when the theater was sold to a church in 2002. "It was an honor to be the last performer ever in the Sunrise Musical Theater. I am going to be forever known as the last Jew to leave the building," quipped Manilow at his 2002 concert. Koz opens the concert at 7:30 p.m. as the opening act with a 30 minute concert. He joins Manilow later on stage for a duet of "Brooklyn Blues." "Barry Manilow is an accomplished musician and terrific to work with. When I recorded the 'At The Movies' album, I wanted Barry to sing 'Moon River' as a duet with me because of his emotional interpretation of the lyrics," said Koz. The 52-year-old saxophonist is known for the concept "smooth jazz" and nine Grammy Award nominations in his 30-plus year career in music. His most popular albums include "At The Movies," "The Dance" and "Saxophonic." Koz and Manilow also wrote music that appealed specifically to their Jewish fans. Manilow wrote the song "Where You Go" taken from the Book of Ruth in the Torah as one of many original songs for the musical "Harmony" that he co-wrote with lyrical collaborator Bruce Sussman. "Harmony" is a musical biography of the German-based Comedian Harmonists group, who were popular in Europe in the 1920s and 30s. Three of the group members were Jewish, one being a rabbi. "The story is about how the group came together and later disbanded in Germany when the Nazis came to power. Although none of the members perished in The Holocaust, the group broke up following World War II and the enthusiasm they once had for singing together was lost," said Manilow. "The story is uplifting and means a lot to Bruce (Sussman) and me because we are Jewish. We wrote the songs in 'Harmony' after studying much of the music of the era, including cantorial and klezmer music." "Harmony" had its premiere in San Diego in 1997 and was revised in 2013 for performances in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Although reviews have been positive, there are no plans yet of "Harmony" continuing a tour in South Florida or elsewhere. For his holiday albums, Koz recorded and performed in concert two Hanukkah songs he wrote titled "Memories Of A Winter Night: A Song For Hanukkah" and "Eight Candles." "Eight Candles' is especially uplifting with the upbeat klezmer sound, even though I play a sax and not a clarinet. Both Hanukkah songs remind me of the joy of my youth celebrating Hanukkah with my parents, brother and sister in California. I am so proud that I wrote songs that resonate with all of us celebrating Hanukkah," said Koz. Koz also has fond memories of Israel, performing in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities in 2010. "I went there with my sister and it was breathtaking to be in Israel. I saw not only Tel Aviv, but also Masada and other famous landmarks. The Israeli audiences were enthusiastic and especially loved when I played 'Over The Rainbow.'" Although not confirmed by Manilow, Koz thinks that Manilow is planning a concert tour in Israel soon. "Barry shared with me that he would love to go to Israel and I know that his management is working on having Barry go to Israel for concerts either later this year or in 2017," said Koz. Manilow was raised by his mother Edna and his grandparents, (Jewish immigrants from Russia), in a small Brooklyn apartment. Although born as Barry Pincus, he changed his surname to Manilow out of love for his zayde. Manilow honed his music first on the accordion and then on the piano, which he received as a bar mitzvah gift. After studying music at Juilliard School, Manilow became adept at writing commercial jingles that eventually led to him becoming musical director for Bette Midler in 1972 prior to starting his solo career. To date, Manilow has sold over 80 million albums and is still recording new music. His next album, "This Is My Town: Songs of New York," will feature both standard songs, such as "On Broadway" combined with Manilow's original songs about New York. Koz was born and raised in Encino, CA to his parents, who both had medical careers. After graduating from the University of California Los Angeles in 1986, he became a member of singer Bobby Caldwell's band before embarking on a solo career in 1990. For tickets to the "One Last Time" concert at BB&T Center, 1 Panther Pkwy. in Sunrise, call 800-745-3000 or go to www.thebbtcenter.com. To learn more about both Dave Koz and Barry Manilow, go to www.davekoz.com and www.barrymanilow.com |
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