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Headliner 2002
Internationally acclaimed entertainer Barry Manilow returns to his home city with a five-night engagement of Live 2002! at Radio City Music Hall from Feb. 5th through Feb. 9th. The shows are expected to highlight new songs from his latest disc, Here At The Mayflower, as well as many of his greatest hits. Manilow has written hundreds of songs including such timeless classics as "Mandy," "Copacabana," "This One's For You," and "I Write the Songs." He has left an indelible mark on every facet of music, including performing, songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including two Grammys, three Emmys, a Tony Award, and an Oscar nomination. His 31 albums exemplify musical versatility and virtuosity in pop, jazz, swing, and Broadway standards - and his live performances have shown him to be the consummate entertainer. Live 2002! is yet another incredible show-featuring state-of-the-art lighting and a new set design. Here in New York Barry Alan Pincus was born in Brooklyn on Juni 17, 1946. By age7, he showed sings of a budding musical talent, taking accordion lessons and playing on a neighbor's piano. He attended the New York College of Music and Julliard, and, after changing his surname to Manilow, he embarked on a variegated musical career. During his early years, Manilow wore many different hats - from writing commercial jingles for State Farm Insurance and Dr. Pepper, to serving as music director on the Emmy-winning TV show Callback. In 1972 Barry met Bette Midler and served as her piano player and musical director during her notorious NYC bathhouse shows and her first national tour. Manilow also co-produced and created arrangements for The Miss M, Midler's Grammy Award-winning first album. In 1973, he released his self-titled debut, and by 1974 scored his first #1 hit with Mandy. The release of Mandy marked the beginning of an unprecedented string of 25 consecutive Top 40 hits, including "Even Now," "Weekend in New England" and "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again." Now, with a career spanning three decades and 31 album titles to his credit, Barry Manilow stands as the top adult-contemporary artist of all time. But perhaps Manilow's finest achievement is the inspiration and entertainment he has brough to millions of music lovers around the world through his live performances. At The Mayflower Manilow's "Here At The Mayflower" is his first all original album in more than 15 years. He wrote all of the 16 songs, with help from his old-time collaborators, Adrienne Anderson, Marty Panzer, Bruce Sussman, and Enoch Anderson. "Working again with old friends means a great deal to me," says Manilow. "This album is all about people, and friendships, and the cycles that we all go through," he says, "and nothing could be more fitting than to work again with these friends have brought so much wonderful music into my life and into the lives of others."
Some 20 years in the making, the album's concept centers on a fictitious old brick apartment complex, The Mayflower, with each door providing the inspiration for a different story. Manilow explains, "It enabled my collaborators and me to write songs about people of all ages and from all walks of life." Reflecting on the tragic events in New York and Washington, D.C. this past September, Manilow says, "The horror that we have experienced brings home to me how important every day is and how important loving one another is. My thoughts and prayers continually go out to the victims and their families. Maybe my tour will be of service to our national psyche. Singing "Daybreak" and "I Made It Through The Rain" seems trival at first glance, but maybe by uplifting spirits each night, I can help. It's really the only thing I know how to do during this time of crisis." Barry on Broadway Manilow's theatrical career goes back to his mailroom days at CBS, when, at age 18, he wrote an entire original score for a musical adaptation of "The Drunkard." The OFF-Broadway musical ran for eight years. Manilow received a Tony Award for his sold-out engagement Barry Manilow on Broadway - 1977. Twelve years later he returned to the Great White Way, and Barry Manilow at the Gershwin played to standing-room-only houses for eight weeks. The sold-out engagement in 1989 also yielded a wonderful live album and home video. With the 1991 release of "Showstoppers," Manilow paid tribute to some of the most memorable moments in musical theater history with his Broadway-style Showstoppers national tour. A highlight of the tour was a six-night engagement in New York City to reopen the historic Paramount Theatre (now called The Theater at Madison Square Garden). During the last decade, Manilow has devoted his creative energies to two theatrical projects, Barry Manilow's "Copacabana - The Musical" and "Harmony." The first, an elaborate two-act spectacular, premiered in the U.K. in 1994, and went on a 30-city U.S. tour in 2000. Manilow's most recent theatrical labor of love has been the production of "Harmony," with book and lyrics by his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman. "Harmony" is slated to open on Broadway later this year. By Shonan Noronha
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Singer combines tunes, talk and theatre CAPE GIRARDEAU - If a concert's value is judged by the number of songs heard, those attending Sarurday's Barry Manilow concert got their money' worth. The 42-year-old singer performed 25 songs, including a medley of all his hits which was made up of 24 different melodies. For Barry Manilow fans, the concert was a musical feast which included every hit Manilow has written plus many of his newest songs. For those who were "dragged along," the performance also included spots of humor, theater and dialogue which made an enjoyable evening. Attending the concert were 3,897 people. Those in the mostly older crowd remained in their seats throughout the bulk of the show, except for a group of Manilow Fan Club members who have been following him on the tour. MUSIC REVIEW by Peggy Scott The concert began about 8:15 and was not over until after 11 p.m. A 15-minute intermission gave Manilow a chance to change clothes and concert- goers a chance to stretch. Manilow had said his show would be more like a Broadway production than a pop concert and it was. Manilow, who did not have a warm-up group, entered the arena with no music or fanfare. A recording of backstage talk was the only introduction he received. But the audience roared applause. He walked quietly to a grand piano stage left and played a medley of his hits without singing. Like the inauspicious entrance, the first part of the concert was very homey. Manilow, dressed in a black turtleneck with the audience, leading them on a journey through the musican's childhood and his break into the music business. Seated in a mock-up of the Brooklyn apartment where Manilow grew up, he picked up his first instrument, an accordion. "The dreaded accordion," Manilow quipped, "every mother's" dream, every kid's nightmare." On the dreaded instrument, he performed his own versions of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.," Madonna's "Like a Virgin," and the Pointer Sister's "I'm So Excited," which brought laughter and delight from the audience. "Everything sounds like a polka on the accordion," he mused. In the middle of his pop concert, Manilow performed "Sunrise, Sunset" on his accordion, pleasing the older concert crowd. Between songs, Manilow talked with the audience, sharing insight into the artist's early years, his love of jazz music and his early music jobs. As he told the story, members of the band and singers acted out scenes behind a gauze sceen. A segment where Manilow demonstrated a dream of becoming a backup singer was amusing as the superstar took a place behind his own backup singers, dancing the steps typical of backup groups. Throughout the first half of the performance, which Manilow entitled "A View From the Bench," he performed music from a variety of eras. Showing a clever sense of humor, Manilow told a story of his job as a rehearsal hall pianist, accompanying all who were to audition. He sang all the parts - an opera star, a child star - while the players acted out the scene. As the spotlight hit this rehearsal hall set, a reflection off a mirror shined into the audience making it difficult for them to see. Manilow handily moved his own set to alleviate the problem. The concert brought a special treat to a woman Carbondale who was picked from the audience to sing "Can't Smile Without You" with the star. Despite her nervousness, she bravely finished the song and even managed a few dance steps, much to the audience's delight. Manilow sent her off with a kiss and a videotape of their duet for any disbelieving friends. Afterwards, Manilow told of a London concert in which Princess Di had raised her hand to sing "Can't Smile Whithout You" with Manilow. He admitted to the Cape crowd: "I just wasn't brave enough to pick her." While the performance was not flashy, the set included a huge video screen and some special effects. For example, as the intermission approached, Manilow appeared to pass through the sceen into a movie. After the break, he came back through the screen onto the stage. The second part of the concert was a journey down "Swing Street," Manilow's musical fantasy and the title of his new album dedicated to jazz. Dressed in a tuxedo, Manilow performed several of the new jazz oriented songs. Then, as promised, Manilow perfprmed a medley which included all of his hits. As each of his songs began, the music brought a new round of applause from the audience. Manilow returned for an encore performance of seasonal songs including "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle Bell Rock." And then a rendition of a rand new ballad. Some members of the audience, who had left their seats prepering to tackle traffic, were pleasantly surprised by the bonus. The singer noted they had two years remaining on the present concert tour. Manilow also told the audience at the Show Me Center they rated 99 and said, "I promise you, we'll come Back."
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