Barry Manilow Where: Paris Cost: $95 and up When: 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Info: (866) 80-SHOWS

The kid from Brooklyn was once happy just to play piano and make other entertainers shine with his arrangements. Then the spotlight was turned on him and he became a superstar, conquering the charts, AM radio, Broadway and Nielsen ratings whenever his musical variety specials were broadcast on television. He was a pop icon who took his fame in stride and became a symbol of a bygone era as time marched on.

But Barry Manilow didn't change; the rest of us did. He didn't make transparent attempts to stay relevant as we followed trends. Instead, he explored America's rich musical heritage, indulged his love of arranging music and gave 100 percent at every performance until top 40 success came knocking again. He exuded confidence every step of the way, stayed loyal to the Fanilows who packed his concerts and graciously welcomed back prodigals who realized they remembered all of the words to "Mandy" when they rediscovered him in Las Vegas during his five-year residency at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Now Manilow has migrated to Paris Las Vegas in the heart of the Strip. "I've had nothing but fun and good times at the Hilton," Manilow said in an interview released before he threw himself into intense rehearsals. "But the opportunity to play right on the Las Vegas Strip seemed very exciting. The theater at Paris Las Vegas is beautiful and perfect for what I do. It's a large room, but intimate enough for my music."

Manilow became one of Las Vegas' top draws during his reign at the Las Vegas Hilton. His conquest of Vegas was matched by his reappearance at the top of the Billboard album charts in February 2006 when The Greatest Songs of the Fifties debuted at No. 1. Manilow was already a dedicated, accomplished curator of the Great American Songbook, but Greatest Songs made that clear to everyone and was followed by more compilations.

His output is only matched by the generosity of the Manilow Music Project. In 2008, Manilow arranged for $500,000 worth of instruments and music stands to be delivered to schools in the Coachella Valley in California, and played a solo concert at the Hollywood Bowl last October that benefited Los Angeles music students. He's focused some of his charitable efforts in his adopted second home as well, with his Feb. 27 performance for the Keep Memory Alive organization's Power of Love gala, benefiting the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

While fans can expect to hear his numerous hits, Manilow is making his new show a more intimate affair. Director/choreographer Jeff Hornaday has been brought on to create a new stage language and an expanded band is part of the plan. But with his latest album, The Greatest Love Songs of All Time, peaking at No. 5 in January, it's no surprise that romance will be in the air at the 1,500-seat Paris Théâtre. "Paris is all about love and romance so we're making it very romantic," Manilow said.