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