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| July 23, 2018 | Las Vegas Sun | "Barry Manilow is at home in Las Vegas at the International Theater" by Brock Radke |
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| With the recent news that Bally’s Jubilee Theater will soon be refashioned into a different venue to accommodate a motorcycle stunt show next year, it’s time to take stock of the Strip’s dwindling supply of classic showrooms. I’d argue there’s only one truly great old-school theater left and it’s just off the Strip at Westgate Las Vegas. The International Theater has been home to Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley and Liberace when this resort was the International Hotel and then the Las Vegas Hilton, and now its most successful modern-day star has returned. Barry Manilow is an ideal fit for the current versions of this room and this resort, where he performed “Manilow: Music and Passion” and “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits” from 2005 to 2010. His new production, “Manilow Las Vegas: The Hits Come Home” splashes some colorful new touches across his tried-and-true blueprint for giving his dedicated fans all the music they love. Plenty of sing-alongs and standing ovations speckled the experience at Manilow’s July 20 performance. After initial previews in late May, Manilow missed his sold-out grand-opening weekend in mid-June due to a bronchial infection. He’s wrapping up his summer run with vigor in an attempt to make up for lost time. The first big audience connection comes when the lyrics to the chorus of “Can’t Smile Without You” are flashed on video screens during Manilow’s performance of the 1978 smash, as if everyone in the building doesn’t already know all the words. Next was some storytelling detailing his grandfather’s discovery of his musical talent and a particularly powerful performance of “This One’s For You.” A fun and silly 3-D tour of New York City allows Manilow to inject some extra humor into the production, although he’s clearly comfortable joking about his image and reputation in between songs. As he did during his most recent Vegas show at the Paris Theater, Manilow slips into singing his first No. 1 hit “Mandy” by playing a clip from his breakthrough 1975 appearance on “The Midnight Special” musical variety series. The fact that his voice sounds similar to the way it did some 43 years ago is not lost on his audience, which erupted when Manilow harmonized with his younger self to complete the performance. The new show closes with “I Write the Songs” and a dance-party celebration to “Copacabana” during which a huge horseshoe staircase descends from the theater’s ceiling, allowing Manilow to get close to the fans in the balcony. It’s a grand moment in this grand Vegas room, likely another memorable musical event installed in the legacy of the International Theater. “Manilow Las Vegas: The Hits Come Home” returns at 8 p.m. July 26-28 to the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas (3000 Paradise Road, 702-732-5111) and more information can be found at westgateresorts.com. After these shows, Manilow will resume his Vegas residency with dates in September and October. |
| July 20, 2018 | Las Vegas Review-Journal | "It’s Manilow Live! from Westgate in Las Vegas" by John Katsilometes |
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| Barry Manilow is back in the showroom made famous by, among other, Elvis, Liberace Wayne Newton ... and Doug Henning. Yes, the late magician star of the 1970s and early ’80s was an inspiration of Joe Labero of “Inferno” at Paris Las Vegas, one of Manilow’s old Vegas haunts. Labero, who is seeing Manilow for the first time, told me the last time he was in this venue was in the mid-1970s, when he was a teenager and Henning was all over network television. Manilow opens with a video splash of album covers - “Manilow II,” “Duets,” “This One’s For You,” “Tryin’ To Get The Feeling” in this rollout. His name is spelled out on the LED screen, which covers the entire width of the stage. “Hello Los Angeles," “Hello Houston,” “Hello Denver.” Manilow is taking us on a road trip... Samples of Manilow’s hits are played in a mash-up, too, as a taste of what’s to come. Some artists would be averse to playing segments of their own music before a show. But not Manilow. He’s just tryin’ to get the feelin’, again. Crowd, rife with Fanilows, is all worked up. “It’s a Miracle” kicks it off. “Hi, up there in the balcony!” the superstar shouts, an indication the balcony is indeed open. The Super Bowl party and Barry Manilow. That’s when the balcony is open at the International. Manilow asks a question to which he knows the answer. “Where did the melodies go? They are right here tonight! We have loads of melodies.” Love that. ‘Loads of Melodies” should be the subtitle of this show. As he leads into “This One’s for You,” Manilow tells us he was raised by two Russian immigrants. “They just thought I was the cat's pajamas!” he says... As the opening bars of “On Broadway” play, Manilow shows up in a leather jacket on stage right. Like magic Henning! His arrival is startling to those on house left. “Scared the (stuff) out of you, eh?” says Barry. We’re in 3-D mode for “This is My Town,” and we take an aerial tour of New York. “Superman, eat your heart out!” Manilow calls as we fly up the side of the Empire State Building and out to Yankee Stadium and Coney Island. It might be fun to use this time-honored effect for a tour of Las Vegas. Just a thought from someone watching a show in Las Vegas. “New York City Rhythm,” is Manilow’s ode to his hometown. He’s from Brooklyn, actually. If you can actually hear swooning, you hear it at the start of “Weekend In New England.” “When can I touch you?” Manilow sings, and there are shouts of, “Now!” He laughs, breaking the song and saying, “Thank you!” Wonderfully constructed song. This is a real story, and as Manilow always says, the phrase, “Weekend in New England” isn’t in it. Oh, maybe we know this one: “I am stuck on Band-Aid! ‘Cuz Band-Aid’s stuck on me!” Manilow runs through a few of his commercial jingles from the ’70s. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is theeeere!” “I got called to write a commercial for a douche,” he says. “I drew the line there. Besides, nothing rhymes with douche.” Displayed grandly behind Manilow is an image of his debut album, from 1973, or as he says, “1821.” He glances at the screen and says, “I look like the Mona Lisa there.” I’d forgotten Donna Summer covered “Could It Be Magic?” Manilow performs that version. With his backing dancers in red sequins ... we have groovers. “So!” Manilow asks at the end of that dance-fest. “What’s your 75-year-old grandfather doing tonight? When I was a kid, the only thing my grandfather could bring up was phlegm!” But as he says, “Age does not matter - [unless] you’re a banana! And my banana is doing fine, thank you!” The song written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, “I Write the Songs,” has the crowd waving glowsticks. A full-splash “Copacabana” closes this one, with Manilow decked out in a blazing fuschia jacket. He and the backing singers take to a horseshoe-shaped catwalk built especially for the show. “Copacabana” might seem twice-dated by now, a 1970s song reminicing about the ’[40s]. But at in three crisp verses, the song tells a whole story. I’ve felt there are two types of people in this world: Tonys, and Ricos. Except for Barry. He stands alone. |
| July 2018 | Southwest The Magazine | Sing Along with a Legend |
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| After eight years away, Barry Manilow has returned to the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino for his second residency, "Manilow Las Vegas: The Hits Come Home!" With more than 85 million albums sold worldwide, Manilow is one of the best-selling recording artists in history, with 50 Top 40 singles and 12 No. 1 hits. He has received a Grammy, a Tony, two Emmys, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. If there's a secret to Manilow's success, it seems to lie in one simple musical principle. "I like a melody," he says. "I like a song that has a lyric you remember and a melody you can't forget. That's always been my mantra whenever I'm composing anything." Manilow's Las Vegas reign continues through October. During the 85-minute spectacle, listen for favorites like "Copacabana," "Could It Be Magic" "Mandy," and "Weekend In New England." |
| July 13, 2018 | Las Vegas Magazine | "Can't smile without Barry Manilow" by Brock Radke |
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| It doesn’t matter if you’re a true Fanilow or if you only know the words to “Mandy” -- you’re going to get all the hits when you catch Barry Manilow in his new Las Vegas residency. Las Vegas has become one of Manilow’s favorite places to perform over the years and he’s played plenty of different venues, but the intimate and old-school International is the prime place to enjoy his classic catalog. The superstar singer and songwriter told Las Vegas Magazine he’s honed his set down to the audience’s absolute favorites: “I would try to throw in an album cut and they’d be okay with it but then I’d do ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ and the roof would cave in. They were telling me what they wanted. They want to hear the songs they know and I’m happy to do that.” So warm up your vocal cords for a spectacular sing-along and get ready for “I Write the Songs,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Weekend in New England,” “Copacabana” and many more. Expect Manilow’s famous cover of the Four Seasons’ tune “Let’s Hang On!” and maybe a little “Strangers in the Night,” too. If you want it, you’re going to get it. Westgate Las Vegas, 8 p.m. July 19-21 & 26-28, $19.75-$329.75 plus tax and fee. 702.732.5111. |
| July 11, 2018 | MassLive | "Barry Manilow pleases Mohegan Sun crowd (review)" by Keith O'Connor |
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| Pop superstar Barry Manilow has certainly had his detractors over the years, plenty of them critics, but some listeners as well, who consider him the king of schlock. But on Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena, there was mostly love for the 75-year-old singer from an adoring crowd of fans who packed the venue to see the veteran tunesmith. The Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning musician's career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, "Mandy," topped the charts in 1975. Since then, his worldwide record sales have exceeded 85 million and today he is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with over 50 Top 40 hits. Manilow could have called this his "greatest hits" tour -- filling an 85-minute show with 17 bonafide hit singles and four album tracks. Most of the songs were from his early hit-making days of the seventies -- tunes like "Can't Smile Without You," "Even Now," "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Weekend in New England," "Daybreak," "Could It Be Magic" and more. There were also two songs from his '80's catalog, "Let's Hang On" and "I Made It Through the Rain," then jumping ahead more than 30 years with two cuts from his 2017 album, "This Is My Town: Songs from New York," including the title tune and "On Broadway/New York City Rhythm." "Let's get this party started," Manilow told the audience after taking the stage about 8:15 p.m. "We have so much music that we may be here all night." Dressed in black with a sparkling jacket, the popular showman began the evening with the high-energy "It's A Miracle." Highlights included his rendition of "Even Now" while sitting at the piano. When the song ended, the crowd went wild, endlessly clapping and stomping their feet. "I'm so glad you still love these songs," he said, seemingly surprised by the reaction. Manilow even surprised himself on a disco version of "Could It Be Magic," reworked from the original which appeared on his first album in 1973, telling his audience, "So, what's your 75-year-old grandfather doing tonight?" For "Mandy," a video of Manilow was used showing him singing the song on telvision's "The Midnight Special," and being introduced to the world by record impresario Clive Davis. Not long into the song, Manilow came back out on stage to sit at the piano and duet with himself on the screen. The superstar singer and composer also took a moment to reflect on the music of the day, noting "there is an element missing in the songs on the radio today." "Is it just me," he asked the audience, "or is there a lack of melody? Where did the melodies go? They're right here tonight." For his encore, Manilow came back with a rousing version of "Copacabana (At the Copa)," complete with a disco ball descending from above ... A final, second encore included a shortend version of "It's A Miracle," which he said he was happy to sing again after opening the show with the song. A band of nine musicians and three backup singers accompanied Manilow throughout the show. Glow sticks were handed out while entering the arena for audience members to wave throughout the night. And they did, endlessly. |
| July 6, 2018 | The Morning Call | "REVIEW: Barry Manilow finds the magic at Sands Bethlehem Event Center" by John J. Moser |
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| As good as singer Barry Manilow’s concert at Allentown’s PPL Center last October was, his show at Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Thursday was better. It wasn’t just that the venue [was] smaller... It was more [that] it was the right setting for it. And that Manilow performed better. On the first point, Manilow’s concert is very much in the Las Vegas vein – with a healthy dose of “show” to it. So that when, during the hit “Can’t Smile Without You,” he put up the words with a bouncing ball on a screen behind him for the crowd to follow (and, oh, they did), it seemed natural. Or when he did choreographed dancing with his three background singers, then did a quick-switch playing at the piano with two members of his six-man band during “New York [City] Rhythm” from his latest album. Or when he danced during a Donna Summer-disco version of his song “Could It Be Magic” -- and made a point of it by asking the crowd, “So what’s your 75-year-old grandfather doing tonight?” (Yes, Manilow is 75.) Those things would have been lost on a much larger crowd, but made the Sands show far more fun. Even his sparkly, blue-gray suit screamed casino... As he did at PPL Center, Manilow opened with “It’s a Miracle,” and quickly established a connection with the crowd, noting it had been 18 years since he had played in Bethlehem (last time in 2000 at Stabler Arena), and also referencing his Allentown show. “We’ve got a lot of time to make up for,” he said. He [told] the crowd that [its] standing ovation after “Even Now” made him feel like Justin Bieber. That response was deserved; the 40-year-old song holds up extraordinarily well, and Manilow performed it strongly – slow and serious at piano to start, then standing for a big finish that included a long, strong note. That brings us to the second previous point: Manilow’s performance Thursday was unmistakably stronger... On the night’s second song, “Daybreak,” he showed he was clearly in good voice, and the following “Somewhere in the Night” succeeded because of his vocals. “Looks Like We Made It” started softer and sweeter, but grew into a more bombastic finish on which Manilow reached for – and achieved – a long, high note. Manilow followed that with a very good, well-sung “Weekend in New England.” “You’re a romantic crowd,” he told the audience after its reception to that song. “That’s a romantic song. I was turning myself on. I never dreamed I would become the super mega sex god I am.” That also showed the good humor Manilow displayed throughout the show. He also did a couple of fun [songs] during the night: His theme to “American Bandstand” and a medley of TV commercials he wrote, such as for Band-Aids and State Farm insurance. Even more serious songs were fun: A cover of The Four Seasons’ “Let’s Hang On,” and the show-tune-ish songs from his new disc, “This is My Town.” That was true of its title song, but it worked – precisely because Manilow is good at that. And a pairing of The Drifters’ “On Broadway” with his new “New York [City] Rhythm,” on which he also did choreographed dance with his backup singers. [The] true success of Manilow’s show was how many of his hits hold up because of how well constructed they are. Early on, he told the audience the “element missing on today’s pop radio...would be melody. Where did the melodies go? I’ll tell you, they’re right here tonight.” And it really showed as the show wound down. “I Made It Through the Rain” was essentially autobiographical: Manilow really has made it through the rain to continue his career as long as he has. And at the end, he reprised a snippet of “Looks Like We Made It,” to let the audience know it was a part of that, too. He saved his biggest hits for last... “Mandy” [paired] with a reprise of “Could It Be Magic” and duetting with a younger version of himself on the old “Midnight Special” TV show on the large screen. A red-robed chorale from Bethlehem’s Liberty High School joined Manilow on stage for “I Write the Songs” and a fun “Copacabana (At the Copa)” before he ended with a reprise of “It’s a Miracle.” |
| July 7, 2018 | The Sun | "BARRY'S BACK Barry Manilow’s 2018 UK tour ... All you need to know" by Hayley Coyle |
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Barry Manilow kicks off his UK dates of The Manilow - The Hits Come Home tour on September 1. He is currently touring in the US until July 28 before a short break. He's got one date in Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham then the rest are in London. The dates are:- Leeds September 01
- Manchester September 02
- Birmingham September 04
- London September 06-08
For the Leeds gig [tickets are] £21.05 [to] £110.05. For Manchester very front row tickets are £450; general seating ranges from £36 to £110. In Birmingham tickets start at £22 and go up to £93. Then in London the range is from £76 to £118. Tickets can be bought from barrymanilow.com/tickets. Barry Manilow is a celebrated singer whose career has spanned more than five decades. His career kicked off in the early 60s when a CBS director asked him to arrange some songs for a musical adaptation of The Drunkard, which went on to have an eight year run in the 13th Street Theatre. In 1974 he achieved success with his break out hit "Mandy" and his musical career continued from then until the present day. He has released 32 studio albums, 4 live albums, 15 compilation albums, and 57 singles and has sold over 80 million records worldwide.
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| July 4, 2018 | Bucks County Courier Times | "Barry Manilow sings the old songs in Atlantic City: The singer/songwriter will perform many of his biggest hits on stage at the Borgata" by Ed Condran |
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| Barry Manilow writes the songs. The legendary singer-songwriter wrote most of his hits. However, Manilow did not pen one of his popular tunes, “I Write the Songs.” The Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston actually wrote the song, which Manilow was initially reluctant to record. Upon first glance, Manilow believed the song exuded hubris. “That’s what it looked like to me,” Manilow says. “Then I took a deeper look. I realized that the song is an anthem. I realized that I could make it into a terrific anthem. I rearranged it and it became a hit. I did have some concerns at first that it would sound like I was bragging when I sang the song but if you look at the words, I’m not singing it as if it’s me. The first line of the song is ‘I’ve been [alive] forever.’ I’ve been around for a long time but please.” Manilow, 75, has been a professional tunesmith for more than a half-century. The Brooklyn native started out during the early ’60s as a jingle writer. Some of his work still endures. His State Farm jingle, “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There” is remarkably still utilized. Manilow wrote and sung jingles for McDonalds (“You deserve a break today”) and Pepsi (“All across the nation, it’s the Pepsi generation”). “Writing jingles is a challenge,” Manilow says. “But I enjoyed it so much. There is a real art to it. But I couldn’t write jingles forever. I had to move on.” The ante was upped during the ’70s when Manilow became a pop singer-songwriter and hit sonic pay dirt. “This One’s For You,” “Daybreak” and “Copacabana” are just some of the hits he wrote. But it’s fascinating how many of the songs he recorded which charted that were written by other songwriters. “Weekend in New England,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “I Can’t Smile Without You” were penned by songwriters for hire. The charismatic Manilow almost didn’t record the latter. “When I heard ‘I Can’t Smile Without You,’ it was a lousy production with a piano player and a singer singing out of tune. I turned down doing that song for three albums in a row. I said no way to that song. (Arista Records CEO) Clive (Davis) was like, ‘Who does he think he is, Bob Dylan?’” It’s worked out well for Manilow, who will perform Friday and Saturday at the Borgata. He has reached the Top 40, 47 times; 27 of those singles hit the Top 10 and a dozen reached the top of the chart. The numbers are staggering. Manilow can’t play all of his hits at a concert, which is why over the years he has delivered medleys on occasion. “I’ve been unbelievably fortunate,” Manilow says. “It’s been an amazing career and it’s continuing. I can’t ask for anything more. I’ve experienced so much and the fans have never left me. They still come out. They’re supportive. They sing along. I can’t complain about anything.” If You Go: Barry Manilow appears Friday and Saturday at the Borgata, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City. Tickets are $109, $149 and $249. Show time is 8 p.m. For more information: 609-317-1000 or theborgata.com. |
| July 4, 2018 | The Day | "Barry Manilow headlines Mohegan Sun Tuesday" by Mary Biekert |
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| Barry Manilow told Rolling Stone once that he is haunted by Bob Dylan, a man who is still alive. Turns out some years back, Dylan stopped Manilow at a party, gave him a wonderful hug, looked [Manilow] in the eye, and said, “Don't stop doing what you're doing, man. We're all inspired by you." Was Dylan being serious? Or was he subtly mocking Manilow? I guess we’ll never really know, but such is the case for Manilow, who is keenly aware, at any given moment, that he and his music are often the punchlines to jokes and the butt of mean-spirited teasing. In fact, it seems that a Rite Aid in San Diego started blasting Manilow’s music over its outside loudspeakers in June to deter loiterers. Supposedly, the tactic worked. How’s that for an insult? What is it, then, about Manilow’s music, with it Frank Sinatra-esque glamour, ’70s dance beats and sappy soft rock quality, that is so adored by some and detested by others? For Manilow fans, the answer to that is: no matter. He is their soft rock king, and well, why not? Manilow has the most contagious smile out there. One look at him, and how could you not want to give the guy a hug? And he genuinely seems like a nice guy, someone who certainly knows how to make fans feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Manilow, 74, will perform in concert Tuesday at Mohegan Sun. Fans will hear an array of the hits that he’s had over the years, from his earlier disco-inspired days to his more recent tunes. Tracks to look forward to include “It’s a Miracle,” “Somewhere in the Night,” “Weekend in New England,” and, of course, “Copacabana” and “Mandy.” Barry Manilow, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Mohegan Sun Arena; $39.50-$125; 1-800-745-3000. |
| July 5, 2018 | The Morning Call | "Top Concerts of the Coming Week: Barry Manilow" by John J. Moser |
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| In 2015, singer Barry Manilow did a tour he called One Last Time!, giving a clear indication he was giving up touring. Yet here it is three years later, and Manilow, now 75, is still doing shows. After an absence of 17 years, he is back in the Lehigh Valley for the second time in nine months; he performed at Allentown’s PPL Center in October. Does that matter? Probably not; Manilow’s PPL Center concert was very good -- a 21-song, 85-minute set filled with hits (he’s had 50 in the Top 40, making him the most successful adult contemporary artist ever). And this time it’s a much smaller venue. So prepare yourself, after seeing this show, to describe the experience using a Manilow song title: “It’s a Miracle.” 8 p.m. July5, Sands Bethlehem Event Center, 77 Sands Blvd. Tickets: $125, $150, single seats only; other areas sold out; re-sale tickets available, www.sandseventcenter.com, 610-297-7414. |
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