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| October 11, 2005 | Press Release
(Source: Columbia Records) | Columbia Records Set to Release 'Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook': Album Reunites Bette Midler & Producer Barry Manilow On New Tribute To Incomparable Pop-Jazz Legend |
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| NEW YORK, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Records will release "Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook," as both a traditional CD and as a DualDisc, on Tuesday, October 25. "Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook" reunites Bette with producer Barry Manilow, her original piano accompanist and musical director. In 2003, Manilow -- who produced Midler's first two breakthrough albums, "The Divine Miss M" (1972) and "Bette Midler" (1973) -- helmed Bette's Grammy-nominated RIAA gold-certified Columbia Records debut, "Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook," her highest-charting album of the SoundScan era. "Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook" pays tribute to the enduring brilliance and fantastic range of one of the most alluring female jazz vocal stylists of all time, Miss Peggy Lee. Bette Midler conjures soulful interpretations of Peggy Lee's most memorable songs including the Grammy-winning signature tunes "Fever" and "Is That All There Is?" as well as "Alright, Okay, You Win," "I Love Being Here With You" (duet with Barry Manilow),"Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe," "I'm A Woman," "He's A Tramp," "The Folks Who Live On The Hill," "Big Spender," and "Mr. Wonderful." Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook: - FEVER Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1958
- ALRIGHT, OKAY, YOU WIN Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1958
- I LOVE BEING HERE WITH YOU (Duet with Barry Manilow) Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1960
- HAPPINESS IS A THING CALLED JOE (From the Musical "Cabin In The Sky") Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1947
- IS THAT ALL THERE IS? Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1969
- I'M A WOMAN Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1962
- HE'S A TRAMP (From Walt Disney's Lady And The Tramp) Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1954
- THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE HILL Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1957
- BIG SPENDER From the Musical "Sweet Charity"; Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1965
- MR. WONDERFUL (From the Musical "Mr. Wonderful") Originally Recorded by Peggy Lee in 1956
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| October 10, 2005 | Dallas News | "Barry Manilow showed his chops" by Alan Peppard |
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| With nothing more than a piano and a microphone, Barry Manilow showed his chops at Saturday night's Two By Two for AIDS and Art gala (October 8). The most elegant and sophisticated crowd imaginable filled a clear tent on the lawn of Cindy and Howard Rachofsky's Preston Hollow mansion. Sotheby's VP Jamie Niven (son of David) and his fiancee, Lee Auchincloss, actor Stanley Tucci and designer Kenneth Cole were among the black-tie crowd. The guests put down their caviar spoons and joined Barry for full-throated renditions of "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana." Both were followed by standing ovations. "I haven't played solo and sung since 1968 at the Dew Drop Inn in Passaic, New Jersey," Barry said. "And I was terrible." |
| October 1, 2005 | Taipei Times;
New York Times | "Crooning in comfort..." by Frank Bruni;
"Perched in a Gilded Cage" by Frank Bruni |
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| Barry Manilow, Celine Dion, even Elton John, are [stars] who prefer letting audiences come to them in Las Vegas, rather than life on the road ... Dion has been joined on that easier street -- that ballad of a boulevard -- by Barry Manilow, who has planted roots at the Las Vegas Hilton, where he has a 1,700-seat auditorium and a rooftop suite; by Elton John, who performs in Dion's moist theater when she takes vacations; by the comedians Rita Rudner and David Brenner, who are Vegas residents now. They are turning Vegas into a sort of non-retirement retirement home for performers who are weary of the road, but who have not yet been consigned to the nostalgic kitsch of Wayne Newton or Don Rickles. They are drawn here in part by the same changes that have recently attracted other new residents and new kinds of tourists ... But a sense of Vegas as newly and improbably cool is not the principal lure or benefit for the performers who have made it a home or a headquarters. For all its noise and light, Vegas eliminates distractions. It collapses distances. They are discovering that the abnormal city of Las Vegas allows them perhaps the most normal, nine-to-five-style schedules and insular lives that stage stars can find beyond Broadway. The predictable rhythms and self-containment of Vegas mean that stars seldom encounter anything unexpected. The reliable tides of tourists mean that a performer can stay put and fill seats night after night. And so a concert by Dion, Sir Elton, or Manilow is now somewhat like the Trevi Fountain or Ayers Rock. It doesn't come to you. You go to it. "It's a dream come true," Manilow said in his suite here recently. It's some suite. It came as part of his deal with the Hilton, and its amenities include an outdoor pool, which by some minor miracle of modern botany has a lawn around it. Seemingly every room inside has faux Corinthian columns and ceiling frescoes. There's a riot of gold paint, as if Midas didn't so much touch as grope the place. His marble master bathroom has two spas, one rectangular and one circular. It has a walk-in shower so complicated it terrifies him. "I finally figured out how to use one spigot," he said, "and that's all I use." He doesn't actually spend all his time there -- a private plane can have him in his house and bed in Palm Springs in just 45 minutes -- but the Hilton makes the most of his presence. The front desk answers all calls with the line, "Las Vegas Hilton, home of Barry Manilow's Music and Passion." And the back office tries hard to anticipate his every whim. If he muses out loud about wanting to invite his band up to his suite for some Chinese, lo and behold it appears. Best of all, said Manilow, 59, he doesn't have to pack several suitcases and adjust to new acoustics and a new time zone every few nights. His friend Brenner -- who already had a deal with the Hilton, and still does -- pitched him on coming to Vegas while he was doing a long, depleting final tour last year. "I said, 'How would you like to be in one place?'" Brenner, 60, recalled during a recent lunch with Manilow here. "He said, 'What place?' I could have said, 'Des Moines.'" "I was ready," Manilow said. "You weren't doing a Cher thing," Brenner said. "This wasn't your 12th farewell tour." The Hilton has a store devoted to Manilow, in which the items on sale include Barry Manilow zinfandel and a bottled juice drink called the Strawberry Manilow. Enormous pictures of him hang inside and outside the hotel, and a tiny picture of him adorns the currency with which gamblers at the hotel play. "They've got my little face on the chips," Manilow said. "I was playing with them last night!" chimed in his publicist, Carol Marshall. As he walked down a service hallway, a female hotel employee said, "I love you and I love your music." "You better," he said as soon as she was out of earshot, then added, to his companions, "It's all they play here all day long. I'm surprised she didn't say, 'I'm sick of you.'" It's a surreal life in Vegas, Manilow acknowledged, but a sweet one, and that may be why gossip columns are increasingly atwitter with reports of entertainers like Madonna and Britney Spears considering permanent gigs here. |
| September 3, 2005 | Press Release | Manilow Fund Set To Triple Aid For Hurricane Katrina Relief: Fans Rally to Help Victims of Katrina, Raising $150,000 in Less Than 48 Hours |
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| HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Singing sensation Barry Manilow sent out the word to his fans, encouraging them to follow his lead and donate funds to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the destructive forces of Katrina, Manilow has offered to help people triple the impact of their donations to those directly affected by the natural disaster. For every dollar contributed to the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, the Fund will match it. In addition, dollar-for-dollar, Manilow himself will match the original donation. The Manilow Fan Club raised $150,000 in less than 48 hours and the pledges keep coming in! Says Manilow: "We raised this money so fast ... It's shown us that together we can really make a difference, so let's keep going! All funds will immediately be donated to the American Red Cross. The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope has no administration fees and is able to pass on 100% of the donations to those who need it most. Donations to the Manilow Fund can be made online at http://www.manilowfund.com or via mail at: Manilow Fund For Health and Hope
PO Box 45378
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Contributions to the Manilow Fund are tax deductible. |
| August 21, 2005 | Richmond Times-Dispatch | "CONCERT: Barry Manilow in Vegas" by Melissa Ruggieri |
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| LAS VEGAS - The latest veteran entertainer to set up camp in Las Vegas doesn't pound his chest when he sings -- although there is some serious arm flailing. He doesn't wear garish tails-and-tunics and eyewear, either -- although he isn't opposed to some satin and sequins. His fans are maniacal, the type who will scrape their vacation fund until it bleeds if it means enough dough for that $100-plus ticket to see him one more time. So give Celine her Colosseum and Elton his gig as her official stand-in. Barry Manilow is managing quite well in his 1,700-capacity theater at the opposite end of the pulsing Vegas strip. One of the most talented songwriters to ever brandish a microphone, Manilow late last year signed a multimillion-dollar deal to perform a spurt of shows at the Hilton Theater through next year. The continued sellouts of those "Manilow: Music and Passion" dates, which began in February, prompted execs to sweeten the deal two weeks ago, luring Manilow for another 150 shows through 2007. With so much competition invading this heaving tourist city -- from a cadre of Cirque du Soleils, to the top-drawer Broadway shows landing soon in some of the high-end casinos, to the staid parade of magicians, tribute acts and long-running revues by Wayne Newton and Gladys Knight -- it isn't as if Manilow's cachet was needed. But clearly, it is wanted. As much as he is one of the most polarizing talents in modern pop music (rivaled only, perhaps, by Neil Diamond), Manilow has crafted a tremendous career that is beautifully illustrated via song and some cozy staging in his Vegas home. On this night in July, his first show back after a seven-week break, the hits arrived in a breathless pageant -- "It's a Miracle," "Daybreak," "This One's for You," "Trying to Get the Feeling" -- plumped up by a snappy 10-piece band and four multitalented backup singers. Manilow's slightest gyrations, which were actually more like deep knee bends, sent the hyperactive housewives and festive men into the requisite tizzy marked by singalongs and swoons. Costume changes, similar to the tactics employed by Cher and Bette Midler on their recent outings, coincided with nostalgic performance clips. For Manilow, it was a return to white satin jumpsuits and feathered bangs while performing "Could It Be Magic" on the stage-length video screen. In one of the show's throat-lump moments, present-day Manilow slid onto the stage behind his white baby grand, aping every gesture as the three-decade-old video loomed behind him. An old-school entertainer who knows the value of a corny quip ("This is what Clay Aiken will look like in 30 years"; "A Jew in the desert -- I'm very comfortable here in Vegas"), Manilow, 59, is also a self-deprecating hoot, referring to himself as a "supermegastarsexgod" and prancing without an ounce of rhythm to a tight disco medley of Donna Summer and Earth, Wind & Fire hits. The commercial jingles that paid his rent in the lean years are remembered fondly in a segment that finds Manilow playing to a few rows of seats flanking each side of the stage. (Those tickets include champagne and the possibility of shaking Manilow's hand -- want to guess which sex filled most seats?) It is also his opportunity to showcase his impressively strong voice, as "Somewhere Down the Road" is delivered with only a sparse piano accompaniment. Manilow doesn't eschew his love of jazz for the sake of a wanna-hear-the-hits tourist crowd, either. His recent compositions from 2001's "Here at the Mayflower" concept album are strung into winding jazzy journeys under the guidance of musical director Ron Walters Jr., while even an oldie such as "Brooklyn Blues" is elongated to celebrate the integrity of the music. But it is the last 30 minutes of the concert, after the provided green glow sticks have been waved monotonously to "I Write the Songs," that the value of this gala is solidified. A Plexiglas stage lowers from the rafters, feather boas are draped across necks, those backup singers flaunt their hoofing talents and Manilow has a blast with all of it, creating one of those fleeting moments when nothing else exists. Manilow's comfort in this new gig, which allows him to puddle-jump to his California home during downtime, is obvious, and to consummate his arrival in Vegas, he wrote a new tune, a fizzy pop number called "Here's to Las Vegas." In addition to appearing in the show, the finger-snapper can also be heard in the Hilton's elevators (a 24/7 Manilow zone -- here, he really is elevator music) and inside the monorail that skirts the east side of the strip. And, like those of his contemporaries in other casinos, there exists the obligatory Manilow store, a cramped, difficult-to-find outlet down a Hilton hallway where fans can buy Manilow-emblazoned lunchboxes or pop into a recording studio for some Barry-oke. That itself might not be worth a trek from a flyover state, but watching Manilow's effortless onstage grace for 90 minutes is a swift reminder that pop icons should be enjoyed while the charm is still alive. MANILOW IN VEGAS; AT: Las Vegas Hilton; TICKETS: $85-$225; INFO: www.lvhilton.com or call (800) 222-5361 for a list of upcoming shows and room packages. |
| August 6, 2005 | Soundgenerator
.com | Barry Manilow extends Vegas residency: The popular crooner playing Vegas until 2007 |
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| Barry Manilow has extended his hugely successful residency at the Las Vegas Hilton. The easy listening star has been a guest of the Hilton since February 14, 2005, and with 50 shows under his belt, has confirmed a further series of 'Manilow: Music and Passion' shows until 2007. "The success of Barry's show also is a testament to the success of our entertainment policy, which is dedicated to bringing top headliners to the Las Vegas Hilton," said Rudy Prieto, CEO of the Vegas hotel. The production, which stars Manilow and a cast and band of 14, offers a complete hi-tech experience and, as is a recent trend with big U.S. shows, gives a select number of concert goers the change to watch the show stageside, with 'on stage' seating built into the set. "I've always avoided a 'fixed' show that repeated the same thing every night," Manilow said in a statement. "I'm glad that the Las Vegas Hilton and Music and Passion have given us all the chance to surprise the audience every night. And over the next 150 shows, there'll be lots of surprises!" 'Manilow: Music and Passion' opened in February, following his sold-out 2004 trek 'One Night Live One Last Time!' tour. Tickets for the new shows go on sale August 13 from the usual venues. |
| August 3, 2005 | BBC News | Manilow's Vegas show run extended |
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| Singer Barry Manilow has extended his contract to keep his Las Vegas show running until at least 2007. The Las Vegas Hilton has added 150 shows to the star's current run of his Music and Passion shows. Manilow, known for hits such as "Mandy" and "Copacabana," originally signed a 24-week deal to take him into 2006. He has promised fans the show will stay fresh. "I've always avoided a fixed show that repeated the same thing every night," he said. Music and Passion first opened at the 1,700-seat venue in February. Ken Ciancimino, Hilton executive vice-president, said Manilow had proved to be a "top Las Vegas draw". Tickets for the newly-added shows will be on sale from 13 August. Manilow is performing in Las Vegas along with other stars, including Celine Dion and Sir Elton John. Dion is more than two years into her stint, which began as a three-year, $100m deal to perform at Caesar's Palace but was later extended to run into 2007. |
| August 3, 2005 | ContactMusic
.com | Manilow Extends Vegas Gig |
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| Crooner Barry Manilow has extended his current run in Las Vegas until 2007. The Could It Be Magic singer, 59, started his Manilow: Music And Passion show at the Nevada city's Hilton hotel in February 2005, joining Celine Dion and Sir Elton John as a Sin City regular. Hilton executive vice president Ken Ciancimino enthuses, "In his first ten weeks of performing at the Las Vegas Hilton, Barry has been a top Las Vegas draw, along with Celine and Elton, and he leads the Hilton's exciting new entertainment roster." |
| August 2-3, 2005 | KRNV,
KESQ,
Yahoo! News Asia | Las Vegas Hilton extends contract with Barry Manilow
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Las Vegas Hilton extends contract with Barry Manilow
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Manilow Will Stay at Vegas Hilton in 2007 |
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| Barry Manilow will keep on crooning into 2007 at the Las Vegas Hilton. The hotel-casino has added 150 shows to Manilow's engagement, Hilton executives announced Tuesday. The original deal had the 59-year-old entertainer performing "Manilow: Music and Passion" for 24 weeks through 2005 and into 2006. "In his first 10 weeks of performing at the Las Vegas Hilton, Barry has been a top Las Vegas draw, along with Celine and Elton (John), and he leads the Hilton's exciting new entertainment roster," said Ken Ciancimino, Hilton executive vice president. The show opened Feb. 23 in a 1,700-seat theater. Manilow promised the next 150 shows will be filled with surprises. "I've always avoided a fixed show that repeated the same thing every night," Manilow said in a statement. "I'm glad that the Las Vegas Hilton and 'Music and Passion' have given us all the chance to surprise the audience every night." Tickets for the new shows will go on sale August 13. Prices range from $85 to $225. |
| August 2, 2005 | Press Release
(Source: Carol Marshall Public Relations, Inc., on behalf of Barry Manilow) | Manilow Heats Up Las Vegas
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Las Vegas Hilton Extends Manilow's Successful Long-Term Engagement: Superstar to Make Las Vegas Hilton Theater His Exclusive Home Into 2007 |
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| LAS VEGAS, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot on the heels of the first fifty packed productions of Barry Manilow's "Music and Passion," Las Vegas Hilton executives announced today that Manilow has been asked to stay for another 150 shows that will now take him through 2006 and into 2007. "The success of Barry's show is a testament to the success of our entertainment policy, which is dedicated to bringing top headliners to the Las Vegas Hilton," said Rudy Prieto, CEO and general manager of the legendary property. "In extending Barry's long-term agreement, we are continuing a strong relationship with a superstar of international appeal that offers our customers an experience that they cannot find anywhere else." "Manilow: Music and Passion" is a hybrid multi-faceted production that features contemporary hi-tech music and effects intermingled with the classic entertainment values of Las Vegas legends like Sinatra, Presley, Davis, and Martin. Starring Manilow and a cast and band of 14, "Music & Passion" offers not only a full scale production but also the intimacy of a state-of-the-art 1700 seat theatre, unique "on-stage" seating, and a concert that changes on a nightly basis. "I've always avoided a 'fixed' show that repeated the same thing every night," Manilow said. "I'm glad that the Las Vegas Hilton and 'Music & Passion' have given us all the chance to surprise the audience every night. And over the next 150 shows, there'll be lots of surprises!" Manilow opened "Music and Passion" at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 23rd, 2005. The show and the Las Vegas Hilton was a perfect next step for Manilow since his sold-out 2004 "One Night Live! One Last Time!" tour was thought to signal the end of his concert career. "One Last Time" played to more than 250,000 fans in 23 arenas throughout the US and the UK. "In his first ten weeks of performing at the Las Vegas Hilton, Barry has been a top Las Vegas draw, along with Celine and Elton, and he leads the Hilton's exciting new entertainment roster," said Ken Ciancimino, executive vice president of administration for the Las Vegas Hilton. "Our entertainment, combined with our new construction and renovation plans, repositions this property as a must-see venue." The Las Vegas Hilton ranks among the world's most famous and popular resort destinations, located blocks from the Las Vegas Strip and adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, offering 3,000 luxurious rooms and suites situated on 59 acres. The property is one of the largest hotels in the world and features top-name entertainment, 15 distinctive restaurants, a full-service health club and spa, Star Trek: The Experience� and much more. Resorts International Holdings is a diversified gaming company operating six unique and dynamic casinos in key gaming markets that comprises the Las Vegas Hilton (Nevada), Atlantic City Hilton and Resorts International (New Jersey), Resorts East Chicago (Indiana), Resorts Tunica and Bally's Tunica (Mississippi). Tickets for these newly added shows go on sale on August 13 at 10 a.m. "Manilow: Music and Passion" performs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 9:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Saturday in the legendary Hilton Theater. Stage seat tickets are $225 (plus tax and service charge). Main orchestra tickets are $145 (plus tax and service charge, $155 after September 2005, $165 beginning 2006); rear orchestra tickets $115 (plus tax and service charge) and balcony $85 (plus tax and service charge, $95 beginning 2006) can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton box office. Visit www.lvhilton.com or phone 702-732-5755 or 1-800-222-5361. |
| July 8, 2005 | McCallum Theatre | Press Release: It's Manilow at the McCallum Gala! |
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| PALM DESERT, CA � He writes the songs and now he's set to grace the McCallum stage. Music legend Barry Manilow will headline the Theatre's annual fundraising gala on Thursday, December 1, 2005, in a special production entitled "Barry Manilow � Home for the Holidays." The event will be co-chaired by Jackie Lee and Jim Houston. Proceeds from the evening performance will benefit McCallum Theatre programs, including arts education programs that serve more than 34,000 school children and classroom teachers each year. McCallum Theatre President and CEO, Ted Giatas expressed his delight at the announcement. "Having Barry Manilow on our stage is terrific in and of itself," Giatas said. "Having him prepare a special holiday show and perform at our fundraising event will make this year's gala an exceptional evening." Co-chairs of the event, Jackie Lee and James Houston also expressed their enthusiasm at the Manilow announcement. "Barry Manilow is one of the premier entertainers of ourTime," said Mrs. Houston. "We're thrilled that he's agreed to return to the McCallum stage." Said Jim Houston, "My wife and I are longtime fans of Barry Manilow. We can't wait to see the show!" Manilow is equally excited about the upcoming evening, saying, "I've always been a big fan of the McCallum Theatre. It's a wonderfully intimate setting that allows the artist to really connect with the audience." He went on to say, "I'm looking forward to this show; and, more importantly, I'm happy to help raise funds to benefit the McCallum's many important educational programs." Manilow, a part-time desert resident, began his career as piano accompanist for Bette Midler, and soon became her music director and arranger, co-producing and creating the arrangements for her first Grammy Award-winning album, "The Divine Miss M." He has since gone on to legendary heights in the music world in his own career, with songs like "Copacabana," "I Write the Songs," and "Mandy." Based on industry charts, he is the Number One Adult Contemporary Artist of all time, with record sales exceeding 50 million worldwide. Manilow's international concerts are continually sold out, and Manilow: Music and Passion, currently playing at the Las Vegas Hilton is a solid hit with standing room only. The McCallum Theatre Gala performance of "Barry Manilow � Home for the Holidays," on Thursday, December 1, 2005, is a completely new show specially produced for the McCallum Theatre, and will feature the season's favorite music. The concert will begin at 8:00 pm at the Theatre, with the option of a pre-performance dinner at one of several leading restaurants that will provide a fabulous menu of delectable gourmet specialties with complimentary wines and desserts. Tickets for the evening will go on sale Friday, October 28, 2005. For more information, contact Judi Pofsky, Manager of Special Events at the McCallum Theatre, (760) 346-6505, Ext. 126, or e-mail at: Jpofsky@Mccallum-theatre.org. |
| June 17, 2005 | The Desert Sun | "Manilow to warm up theater campaign: Pop crooner schedules concert of 'different' tunes for McCallum" by Bruce Fessier |
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| Barry Manilow, whose rare local performances have resulted in some of the most memorable fund-raising events since the days of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack, will perform a unique benefit concert Dec. 1 for the McCallum Theatre. "Apparently, he's doing something a little different," said Judi Pofsky, manager of special events for the McCallum. "I don't know exactly what that's going to be." This is his first benefit for the McCallum. Ted Giatas, president and chief executive officer of the theater, is expected to kick off a $25 million capital fund-raising campaign to improve the theater and add a new 300-seat theater. Giatas said in a statement, "Having him prepare a special show and perform at our fund-raising event will make this year's gala an exceptional evening." Pofsky said Director of Presentations and Theatre Operations Mitch Gershenfeld asked Manilow to perform at the gala, and Manilow agreed in "the last month or two." Manilow's publicist, Carol Marshall, said it will be a rare opportunity for Southern Californians to see Manilow since "He's not touring at the moment." Manilow did a benefit concert for the Palm Springs Art Museum in 1999, in which he created all new arrangements. He generated a large band sound from his synthesizer on songs that complimented philosophical readings by his friend, Bill Edelen. He also performed in a concert under the stars for the AIDS Assistance Program in 2003 in which he brought out special guests Suzanne Somers and Lorna Luft. He orchestrated the finale of a benefit for the families of victims of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 featuring fireworks and a choral accompaniment to his song, "Let Freedom Ring." He also has done memorable benefits for College of the Desert, Desert Regional Medical Center and the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, to mention his higher-profile charity events. Palm Springs residents Jim and Jackie Lee Houston will chair the event that is traditionally one of the highlights of the social season. BENEFIT CONCERT: Barry Manilow in a benefit concert for the McCallum Theatre with dinner at either Jillian's, Cuistot or Le St. Germaine and one other possible restaurant in the area. CONCERT VENUE: The McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. TICKETS: $500 or $400, including dinner at one of three or four nearby, $75 and $100 for the concert only. Available Oct. 17 at the box office. INFORMATION: 760-340-ARTS. |
| May 1, 2005 | Los Angeles Times | "Barry Manilow stars at Las Vegas Hilton" by Bobbie Katz |
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| Thanks to Barry Manilow, the music and passion that were always the fashion at the Copa are back in style at the Las Vegas Hilton. The entertainer/songwriter, who opened at the property in February with his new show "Manilow: Music and Passion" (named after lyrics from his hit "Copacabana"), is "ready to take a chance again." "I've toured all over the country, all over the world, and the last tour that I came off of early this year, which was wonderfully successful and wonderfully exciting, was when I decided that that was going to be it," Manilow said. "It was going to be the end of my touring career. I used to kid around with my audiences and I used to say, 'So why don't you just come over to my house from now on?' And, I was kidding. But, you never know in this life when your jokes are going to come true. It was during the course of this last tour that this opportunity happened and now I can ask everyone over to my house, my house being the Las Vegas Hilton." Calling Manilow "a superstar with worldwide appeal," Las Vegas Hilton's chief executive officer and general manager Rudy Prieto said that "the hotel is recapturing its entertainment glory with one of the most popular singers of our time." "It's an exciting experience to be able to settle down somewhere," Manilow said. Manilow appears on stage with his 15- to 17-piece band and four singers. "It is a very intimate show, and I hope an emotional show, too," he said. "Once I got the idea, I started to write out my dream sequence of what I wanted to do with staging and writing. Then, I brought in all my genius people who could build these things and they gave me more and more ideas... What is being put up on the stage right now is one of the most beautiful, exciting and biggest shows I've ever been involved with. I'm dipping deep into my catalog of music, and I have 30 years of wonderful albums filled with terrific songs. One of the advantages of settling down and being this thing called a 'resident' is that for this particular show, with the way I have invented it, I can change songs every night even though the scenes will stay the same." Manilow's roots are in Brooklyn, NY, where music was an integral part of his life. By the age of 7, he was a budding artist taking accordion lessons and playing on a neighbor's piano. He studied music at New York College and Julliard. In 1972, Manilow met Bette Midler and became her music director, arranger and pianist. He then signed with Bell Records (later Arista Records) to record his debut solo album. In 1974, the release of "Mandy" launced an unprecedented career and 25 consecutive Top 40 hits, including "Even Now," "This One's For You," "Weekend In New England," "I Write The Songs" and "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again." Among his 43 albums are such diverse musical styles as "Manilow Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony" (2004), "Manilow Sings Sinatra" (1998), "Singin' With The Big Bands" (1994), "Showstoppers" (1991), "Swing Street" (1987), and many others, including 38 Top 40 hits. While Manilow and his "Music and Passion" are seeking to make the Las Vegas Hilton "the hottest spot north of Havana," the artist's year is proving to be filling up in other ways. "Harmony," a musical Manilow wrote with collaborator Bruce Sussman about the true story of Germany's 1930's group, "Comedian Harmonists," is gearing up for a Broadway debut. Manilow will also be recording a new CD as well as producing a second CD for Midler. Last year's "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook," which he produced was nominated for a Grammy. Manilow performs at 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and at 7:30 and 10 p.m. on Saturdays, May 18-June 4, July 27-August 13, September 7-24, October 19-November 5, November 16-19, and December 14-17 in the Hilton Theater. Tickets are $85 to $145, and can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton Box Office. Call (800)222-5361 for tickets and information. |
| April 2005 | JewsRock.org | "The Holy Trinity of Brooklyn Rock" by Jonathan Karp |
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| In 1982, as a college freshman, I took the socially precarious risk of writing an essay in The Brown Daily Herald in which I confessed my admiration for the music of Barry Manilow. I described my furtive trip to the campus ticket outlet, where, in a lame effort to establish myself as a cool customer, I first inquired about Elvis Costello before easing my way into the purchase of the Manilow tix. The night of the show, I snuck away from the dorm, telling no one where I was going. I met a friend from another college outside the arena. The concert was a life-changing experience. I had never seen a performer connect with an audience in such an entertaining and emotionally direct way. The conventional wisdom about Manilow, much of it negative, seemed so superficial and mean-spirited that I felt compelled to make the case for his greatness: Don't judge him by the clothes or the hit singles or the overt sentimentality, I argued. Listen to the album cuts! Appreciate the craft of his songwriting, the inventiveness of his arrangements, the purity of his expression, his self-deprecating self-awareness. Applaud him for having the talent to overcome his innate discomfort with performing, for we are all at some point in our lives reluctant performers. The article made quite an impression on my peer group. To this day, college friends remember me�if they remember me at all�as a Barry Manilow fan. At reunions, people I barely knew have approached me and said, "Do you still listen to Barry Manilow?" Just last month, when Newsweek published a positive story on Manilow's latest comeback, the magazine's arts editor, classmate Jeff Giles, felt compelled to alert me to the piece, as if my long cultural excommunication had been lifted. As the years have passed, my appreciation for Manilow has only deepened and grown. Reasonable minds can disagree, and I realize I'm going out on a limb here, but it is not out of the realm of the possible that Barry Manilow is God. He may or may not have written the songs that make the whole world sing, and those songs may or may not be responsible for the births of masses of children conceived under the spell of his romantic balladry, yet one cannot deny his omnipresence (in elevators and, now, Las Vegas), his omniscience (how else could he have won a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy?); or his omnipotence (over women of a certain age). Here comes my big theological leap, which will appeal most to Catholic fans of Jewish rock: If Manilow is indeed God, Our Father, then by logical extension it must follow that his musical neighbors, the Neils�Diamond and Sedaka�must be the Son and the Holy Ghost. Together, this trio of songwriters shall forever be recognized (by me) as the Holy Trinity of Brooklyn Rock... Sedaka and Manilow attended Juilliard, where they studied classical piano. Diamond has said in interviews that Sedaka was an early musical influence on him. Manilow and Diamond were up for the lead role in the 1980 remake of The Jazz Singer, have recorded duets with Barbra Streisand, and, in perhaps their greatest shared example of assimilated Jewish identity, have released Christmas albums (as has Streisand, creating the opportunity for a special "Jews for Jesus" promotion at your local Virgin Megastore)... Sedaka and Manilow have written most of their songs with lyricists, so personal spiritual references in their work are rare, though Christian listeners may detect a messianic resurrection theme in the superb 1974 comeback album, Sedaka's Back. Manilow's songs consistently espouse self-empowerment and universal humanism, best expressed in "One Voice": Just one voice, Singing in the darkness, All it takes is one voice, Singing so they hear what's on your mind, And when you look around you'll find, There's more than one voice. Diamond writes virtually all of his songs by himself�he's a solitary man, after all. "America" is his Irving Berlin/immigrant/bootstraps anthem. Manilow has one, too � "Let Freedom Ring," written with Bruce Sussman. All three performers have at times taken a beating in the press�mostly for their glitzy stage apparel and old-fashioned performance style. There's a little bit of Jolson in all of them, and Manilow, whom Bill Zehme, writing in Rolling Stone, has called "the showman of our generation," in particular owes a debt to another great assimilated Jewish-American entertainer, Danny Kaye. Their Jewishness, however, is only a peripheral aspect of their isolation from the rock mainstream. Because they came of age in a pre-rock era, influenced more by Broadway, swing, jazz, and folk, it's not surprising that the Holy Trinity remain outsiders... Ultimately, the Holy Trinity of Brooklyn Rock should be worshipped for their songwriting. They are the legitimate heirs to the Gershwins and Irving Berlin. Like fellow Brooklynite Carole King (to whom an entire religion ought to be devoted), they applied the craftsmanship of Tin Pan Alley to the pop sensibilities of their era and created a new catalogue of standards, whether it's Sedaka's "Laughter in the Rain" or Manilow's "I Made It Through the Rain"; Diamond's "Solitary Man" or Sedaka's "Solitaire"; Diamond's "Beautiful Noise" or Manilow's "Beautiful Music." They wrote. They emoted. They moved us. They didn't always dress so well, and sometimes they gesticulated too much, but their work will endure. For that, we should say a grateful Amen. |
| April 2005 | Casino Player Magazine | "The Songs That Make Las Vegas Sing: Celebrity Q&A with Barry Manilow" by Tim Wassberg |
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| As a performer, composer, arranger and producer, Barry Manilow is a bona fide showbiz icon whose career has spanned decades. He's won Grammy, Emmy and Tony Awards, been nominated for an Oscar, and released more than 50 albums. For his theatrical live performances, Rolling Stone once dubbed him "the showman of our generation." Manilow, 58, comes from extremely humble roots. Raised in Brooklyn, he was playing piano and accordian by the age of seven and went on to study at the legendary Julliard School of Music, where he paid his tuition by working in the CBS mail room. After that he supported himself by working at an advertising agency. In 1971 his career began to take shape when he met a pre-fame Bette Midler and served as her pianist, arranger and musical director. Manilow shaped her first two albums, then landed a record deal of his own. His first record failed to sell impressive numbers, but in 1974 he released Barry Manilow II, which contained the breakout hit "Mandy." For the remainder of the 70's he was one of the biggest stars in music, racking up 13 number-one hits on the adult contemporary charts. His blockbuster hits included "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana (At The Copa)," "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again," "Could It Be Magic," "I Write the Songs" and many others. Yet Manilow has long polarized music fans and critics. To his detractors, his songs - particularly his lushly arranged, sing-along ballads - are synonymous with easy listening radio and gooey romanticism. But his enormous record sales and accolades speak for themselves, and his drawing power remains undeniable; his 2004 "farewell" tour sold more than 250,000 tickets in 22 cities. Now Manilow takes his place alongside Celine Dion and Elton John as the latest mega-star to ink a long-term deal with a Vegas casino. On February 23 he kicked off his engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton in the 1,700-seat showroom once ruled by Elvis. He'll perform his show "Music and Passion" five times a week for 24 weeks (a total of 120 shows), a run that will extend into 2006. Casino Player (CP): Where does the songwriting process begin for you?
Barry Manilow (BM): I like to write when I know I have something to write for. I'm not one of those guys who comes running down the hallway with a melody in his head, to get it on tape. But when I know I have something to write for, then the music won't leave me alone. I'll get all sorts of ideas [for] melodies that float through the air and through my ears. As long as I know I have a goal, then songwriting begins with "What is it I want to say?" It's not so much the melody, and not so much the lyrics; it's the idea. It has to come first with me, [like] the idea of a song about missing someone. Am I writing a song about being happy to see you? Am I writing a song about trying to make up my mind whether I want to be with you? Am I writing a song about the Copacabana? CP: Lyrically, your songs paint vivid pictures, one example being "Weekend in New England." Is this something you strive for with your songwriting?
BM: I love singing those kinds of songs because they have a situation to sing about. The songs I don't like to write or sing about are songs that are just "Oh Baby! Oh Baby! Oh Baby!" I don't know how to write or perform that. Many of the songs that I have recorded or performed, many of them I didn't write. Clive Davis would find them, and then I would produce and arrange them. Some of them were so simple and radio-oriented that I would have a lot of trouble figuring out how to arrange, perform, or sing them. I like singing stuff that has depth. I think I did a pretty good job making those records, even though they might not have had the depth I enjoy doing. When you write for the radio you can't go too deep because there are certain rules of radio music you have to adhere to, otherwise they won't play you. I'm kind of proud that "Weekend in New England" even got on the radio. It shouldn't have. CP: You used to write songs that were huge radio hits. Then you took your career in a different direction and explored other musical genres. Why the shift?
BM: After a while, I had done everything I could ever possibly want to do for that style of music - that big kind of "radio record." That's why I walked away. My next album at that point was 2:00 AM Paradise Caf�. And then I began to explore different genres of music. But for those first 15 years it was that one style of music. The one I think I'm the most proud of is really the first one, which was before "Mandy," called "Could It Be Magic?" It was based on a Chopin prelude in C-minor. I wrote a whole pop song based on that prelude. Not only did it satisfy me as a songwriter and an arranger and as a performer, but it fit the radio, too, and that was kind of a miracle. That was the one that had everything. CP: You're one of the most successful artists in pop history, yet there's been a lot of criticism of your style of music. Have you gotten the respect that you deserve?
BM: I'll tell you something: I got the worst reviews. I drew the Purple Heart. I survived the worst reviews of any singer in the business - the worst jokes [but] no matter how bad it got, I always believed in what I did. No matter how bad the late-night comics were, I liked "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again." We all get slaughtered in the beginning, everybody from Richard Marx to Lionel Richie to Clay Aiken. You really have to believe in what you do and ignore that other part of it and just keep going. And with a little bit of luck, you wind up at the Las Vegas Hilton. CP: Do you keep tabs on who the "hot" artists of the moment are?
BM: I don't listen to the radio. Never have. I close my eyes and do what feels good. Whenever I looked up and [followed] the trend machine, I've always lost. When an artist does that, they can't win; you have to be true to yourself. You have to do what feels good whether no one is going to like it, or everyone is going to like it. You've got to do what you can stand behind. Now there might be a lot of people who are creators out there, who do very well by listening to the radio and getting inspired by what they hear. I have never had good fortune with that. The only time I've really had good fortune was when I did what I felt I had to say - a melody that thrilled me, a lyric that was smart, a performance that moved me. Those are the moments that keep me in the business. As far as the popularity and trying to compete with what's out there, I don't quite know what is out there. Frankly I've never known what is out there. I do it on purpose. I don't want to know. CP: What's your personal history with Las Vegas? Have you played a lot of shows here over the years?
BM: I never had trouble in Vegas even when the A-listers weren't there. My very first time ever playing Vegas was in the late '70s when I was just beginning, and I was the opening act for Helen Reddy. That audience and I had a great time. Then I began headlining. I could have done this at any time. CP: What motivated you to sign this deal with the Hilton, beyond the financial aspect?
BM: The reason it's very appealing for me now is that, like so many performers of my era, we're kind of tired of the road, but we aren't tired of performing. We love the crowds. I love my band and I love making music. What I am done with is room service and late flights. Had the Hilton not made me this generous offer, you might not have seen me for a while. CP: Your career hasn't been on the decline, either. In fact you're coming off of a huge year.
BM: My last tour (in 2004) was the most successful tour I ever had in my career. I only did seven weekends on the road and we came in number four out of the whole year on Pollstar. That was very successful, but it was still a tour and it was still hotel rooms. No matter how wonderfully they treat you, it's still that. It just got to me. That was really going to be it, but somewhere in the middle of that tour I got a phone call from my manager who had gotten a call from these wonderful people at the Las Vegas Hilton who thought that this [deal] might serve a lot of purposes. They would be happy if I would take up a residency. It would also take me off the road. When I have played the Hilton, those [were] some of the greatest shows I have ever done. I love that room. First of all, it has a stage the size of Radio City [in New York] but the seating is intimate enough to be able to actually connect with an audience, not like the huge arenas, which I usually have trouble with. The last tour, when we played places like Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Coliseum, we played to between 15 and 20 thousand people a night. I was in the round in the center, and it was fun and terribly exciting, but my favorite shows are still in the more intimate kinds of venues. CP: The show is called "Music and Passion." How'd you settle on that title?
BM: [Music] still is my passion. I found it early on in my life. I was one of the lucky ones when I was in my teens. Now how do you realize that when you're broke in Brooklyn? When you have no money and you're living in an apartment with all of your relatives? That was the challenge. How do you get across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan? You may as well be in Toledo, Ohio. But I did it. This show is called Music and Passion, which is a lyric from "Copacabana": "Music and passion were always the fashion at the Copa." I'm calling this show that, because that's what my life is about anyway. CP: You were raised a Brooklyn kid. How'd you make the move over the bridge to Manhattan where your career was born?
BM: There are moments where you have to have balls of courage. You have to believe in yourself. There were a couple of moments where, if I hadn't made the choices that I made, I'd probably still be clipping ads at an advertising agency. There were markers along the way when I look back at my life; I could have gone one way or another. I always chose to take the road that would lead me here, even though some of those choices were dangerous and scary. When I look back on it, I don't know how I had the guts to make those choices because I come from nothing. Where I come from, the most important thing is a Friday afternoon paycheck. You don't take a chance and go into the music business where you don't know when your next check is coming from. That's insanity where I come from. Leaving City College, where I was majoring in business administration, and going to [study music at] Julliard was an insane decision. It was not going to lead me anywhere, or so said everyone else. But I had to do it. CP: In those early years, what kind of career did you envision for yourself?
BM: I didn't ever think that I would find the success that I have found in my career. But I figured if I could read music and I knew the language and I could play decently, I would always have a job. At the very least I wouldn't be stuck in a bank or at a newspaper. I would be able to fall back on something, whether it be a teacher of music or a piano player in a bar. At least I could make a living. CP: You've been touring and performing for three decades. Where does all this energy come from?
BM: I think it's Brooklyn. Look at Mel Brooks; he comes from the same neighborhood I came from. He never stops. Barbra [Streisand] never stops either. They shoot out of a cannon at a hundred miles an hour, coming from Brooklyn. You never stop. |
| April 3, 2005 | Reuters.com | "Top Names Not Leaving or Loathing Las Vegas" by Deborah Wilker |
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| Backstage at the Hilton Theater, there has been a top-to-bottom makeover: striking modern decor for the superstar dressing room and an inviting new VIP lounge for the important showbiz guests. Out front, there's new carpet, seating, sound, fancy lasers and arena-size effects. Even the snacks and souvenirs have received a five-star upgrade. It's the kind of investment theater owners make when they know they're in for a long run. The run in this case belongs to Barry Manilow, the latest big-ticket, brand-name pop icon to bid his tour bus goodbye in favor of setting up shop in one spot. Slated for five shows a week at the Las Vegas Hilton through 2006, Manilow and other firmly planted Grammy winners -- among them Celine Dion, Elton John and Gladys Knight -- as well as several stay-put Broadway and West End theatricals are transforming this city's renowned Strip from mere nightlife capital to what might now be the world center of live entertainment. "It's a dream job for me," Manilow said during a rehearsal break last month. "And it's a dream gig for Celine and Elton. I hear they're so happy here. And it's because you can set up your beautiful show -- and you can be even more inventive because it doesn't have to tour -- and you have a life, you go to work at night and the audiences come to you." For stars like Manilow, who as recently as a few months ago was selling out U.S. arenas on a farewell tour, the allure is far less complicated. He'd simply had it with going from city to city. "I don't mean to sound like a kvetch, but after 30 years of room service and planes being late, every time I packed my suitcase it was, 'Oh God, not again!"' Manilow said. "Even though they'd treat me beautifully on the road and I'd get the presidential this and the presidential that, and the audiences were great and I loved working with the band -- after a while it just didn't matter. I had to stop. Now everything's in one place." |
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