Barry Manilow in Ultimate Manilow: The Hits

The Copacabana may have once been the hottest spot north of Havana, but now, with Barry Manilow performing in the showroom, that honor belongs to the Las Vegas Hilton.

Manilow’s show, which runs two weeks every month, has been a smash hit with fans and critics since it opened at the hotel in 2005. A taping of the 100th performance of the show for a PBS special even won an Emmy Award in 2006.

Prior to 2005, Manilow had decided to stop touring. Then, an offer came from the Hilton to do a steady gig in Las Vegas. It was a deal he couldn’t refuse and he joined the growing list of headliners who have made Las Vegas their home away from home. Manilow is also following in the footsteps of Elvis, who performed regularly in the Hilton Theater for eight years.

Manilow recently revamped his show with new costumes and sets, new numbers and a fitting new moniker, “ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits.”

Ultimate Manilow: The HIts

“I’m going to try and squeeze in as many of the hits as I’ve been fortunate enough to have over the years,” the singer promises at the beginning of the show.

Where his previous show, titled “Manilow: Music and Passion,” took audiences on a journey through popular music of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, “ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits” is more like a concert experience, with Manilow singing all of his familiar and most beloved songs like “It’s a Miracle,” “Daybreak,” “Weekend in New England” and “Bandstand Boogie.”

Manilow doesn’t completely ignore hits from the other eras in his new show – they are now condensed into a medley of songs. This includes his renditions of songs from the ’50s that brought him major success on the record charts. His album, “The Greatest Songs of the Fifties,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2006. It was the first time since 1977’s “Live” that Manilow had debuted at No. 1.

“I never thought that I’d be back on top of the charts. I felt like Hannah Montana or something,” Manilow jokes.

He then switches into what he dubs ’70s ballad mode, performing many of his popular songs from that decade including “Looks Like We Made It,” “Tryin’ to Get The Feeling Again” and “Even Now.”

“ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits” is not all about ballads and love songs though. The show switches tempo with the upbeat “New York City Rhythm,” which features Manilow and his keyboard players taking turns trying to outdo each other with ivory-tickling piano solos.

Manilow is comfortable in front of an audience and the personable entertainer maintains a good rapport with them throughout the show. He gets close enough to shake hands with some and even slow dances on stage with one lucky fan.

Barry’s Personal Stories and Humor

He’s also not afraid to share personal stories with the audience. “Singing these songs brings back memories,” Manilow says, while describing singing for his grandfather and his life growing up in Brooklyn before launching into “I Made It Through the Rain” and “Can’t Smile Without You.”

Although Manilow’s voice and many familiar songs are the stars of the show, “ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits” is more than just singing. Manilow injects humor into his act as he constantly banters and jokes with the audience.

One of the most energetic performances is a song, “Could it Be Magic,” that Manilow (tongue firmly in cheek) says is from his first album “recorded back in 1821.” The song was originally a ballad that Donna Summer turned into a disco hit and it’s the disco version that Manilow performs. The entire crowd is on their feet dancing to the lively number and at the end, Manilow proclaims “I’m still a sex god! … But now this sex god has got to sit down.”

He doesn’t sit down for long though. The moment everyone is waiting for, “Copacabana (At The Copa),” comes complete with lasers, confetti and singers in showgirl headpieces and leaves audiences dancing in the aisles once again. During the number, a catwalk enables Manilow to wander out into the audience and get closer to those in the balcony seats. It also gives him a chance to prove he still has his old dance moves.

One of the final highlights of the show features classic footage of Manilow singing his first big hit, “Mandy” on “The Midnight Special,” a weekly musical television series from the ’70s and early ’80s. Manilow sings part of the song live on stage and then it turns into a show-stopping duet between him and his younger self, showcased in footage from the show.

The production is the perfect mix of Manilow’s classic hits and he has such an impressive catalog of songs that the material changes every night. As fans exit the theater, they’ll also hear a newer song, “Here’s to Las Vegas,” which Manilow wrote just for the show.

Whether you’re a lifelong “fanilow” or you just fondly remember many of the hit songs that Manilow has had over his illustrious career, his show “ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits” can be summed up by the title of one of those songs: “This One’s for You.”

Barry Manilow’s Background

With worldwide sales of more than 75 million records, there’s no denying that Barry Manilow truly does write the songs the whole world sings.

His musical journey began at the age of seven when he took accordion lessons and learned to play the piano. By the time he was a teenager, Manilow knew music would be his career path and he attended New York College of Music and the Julliard School of Music.

Manilow became musical director for a CBS show named “Callback,” which led to a very successful career writing advertising jingles. If you can hum the advertising tunes for companies like State Farm Insurance, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pepsi and the McDonald’s “You Deserve a Break Today” campaign, you have Manilow to thank for it.

His big break came in 1971, when he met Bette Midler and became her music director, arranger and pianist. The following year, he signed a record deal of his own and in 1975, Manilow scored his first No. 1 hit song, “Mandy.”

Manilow had 25 consecutive Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1975 and 1983 including the familiar songs “It’s A Miracle,” “I Write the Songs,” “This One’s For You,” “Weekend In New England,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and the Grammy Award-winning “Copacabana (At the Copa).”

In 2005 Manilow recorded a collection of tunes from the 1950s with producer Clive Davis. The resulting “Greatest Songs of the Fifties” became a surprise hit and brought Manilow back to the top of the charts. Also in 2005, Manilow premiered his show at the Las Vegas Hilton. Now in its third year, the show continues to wow critics and fans in Vegas.

Q&A with Barry Manilow

Q: You have an all-new production at the Las Vegas Hilton. What made you want to change the show?

A: “‘Music and Passion’ was tremendously successful, but my co-creators and I kept seeing things that we wanted to make better and there was never enough time to do them. Since we had the summer off, we all decided to dive in and make the show more exciting, more beautiful and with more hits than ever.”

Q: In your new show, you sing a lot of your greatest hits. How did you select which ones to sing? And will that line-up of songs change each night?

A: “We’ve rehearsed all 40 of them. We can do any one of them in different places every show.”

Q: You’re headlining in a very famous room – the same one that Elvis called home. What is that like? Were you an Elvis fan?

A: “Now and again I get a shock of realization that I’m standing on the same stage that he stood on; that I’m dressing in the same dressing room he used. Sometimes I get an irresistible urge to wiggle my hips, but you’ll be glad to know that so far I have resisted that urge.”

Q: Your show is very physical – there’s a lot of dancing and moving around the stage. How do you stay so energetic?

A: “It’s easy. The power that comes from the music and the excitement I feel from the audience.”

Q: You have a lot of very dedicated fans. What’s your most memorable fan encounter?

A: “A mother once told me that her child had learned to speak by listening to my records.”

Q: You’ve written literally hundreds of songs over the years. Do you have a favorite?

A: “My favorite song changes every week or so. This week it’s ‘Could It Be Magic?,’ the song I wrote based on the Chopin Prelude in C minor.”

Q: Did you play Vegas a lot when you were starting out? How has it changed since then?

A: “We would play a hotel now and again on early tours. Even though I was told that the audiences would be drunk, eating, talking, heckling…I never got that kind of audience. I always had a great time in Vegas. Still do.

There are loads of production shows in Vegas now, but I’ve got my own little piece of the town – a guy in front of a band and in front of a beautiful set singing his heart out. That’s just fine with me. I’m a grateful guy that I’ve still got an audience that is interested in hearing my music.”

Q: You have a charitable foundation, the Manilow Fund, which among other things, gives money for music scholarships. What inspired you to create that and what do you hope to accomplish with it?

A: “I’ve been blessed with a lot. I wanted to give back. The goal of my fund is to give assistance to organizations and people that are under the radar. My fund aims at small town charities that are recommended by my fans.

There’s nothing more heartwarming than surprising a small town charity with a thousand dollar check out of the blue that pays their rent for the next three months.”

Q: You have been nominated for Grammys, Emmys, Tonys – is there one award that means the most to you?

A: “I was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame a few years ago. It meant a great deal.”

Q: You once worked in the mailroom at CBS. Did you ever have any other odd jobs?

A: “I was a helper on a beer truck in Brooklyn when I was a teenager. I was AWFUL! The drivers would moan when they realized that I was their helper for the day. After that summer, I knew I was cut out for better things!”

Show Dates:

2008:
Nov. 19 – 22
Dec. 17 – 20, 29 – 30

2009:
Jan. 16 – 18
Feb. 18 – 20, 26 – 28
Mar. 19 – 21, 26 – 28
April 9 – 11, 16 – 18, 23 – 25
May 22 – 24, 28 – 30
June 18 – 20, 25 – 27
July 30 – Aug. 1
Aug. 6 – 8, 27 – 29
Sept. 4 – 6, 24 – 26
Oct. 1 – 3, 8 – 10, 29 – 31
Nov. 12 – 14, 27 – 29
Dec. 28 – 30