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April 28, 2013 New Hampshire Union LeaderMaking kids sing: By donating instruments
Manchester would be better off if more people listened to Barry Manilow. Let us explain. Manilow, who has a concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena on May 9, has donated a piano to the Manchester Public Schools. He wants others to donate instruments, too. His incentive: donate a new or gently used instrument, get two free tickets to his show.

We know, we know. This is really good publicity for his show. It also is good for a city school system that has struggled with tight budgets for several years. If Manilow's instrument drive makes more people aware of his show and sells a few more concert tickets, good for him. There is nothing wrong with doing well by doing good. Nor is there anything wrong with public schools acquiring equipment via donations or sponsorships. They ought to do more of it.

Manchester's school board finally has agreed to raise money by selling advertisements on school property. Some say that taxes should be raised so schools do not have to do these things. The reverse is true. They should do these things so that taxes do not have to be raised.

Manilow does these instrument drives regularly. He believes that music education is important and should be a regular part of a general education. He is right. But that does not mean that schools should not seek voluntary sources of funding for it so they can minimize the local tax burden.

This kind of donation has been done before around these parts. In 2010, Fidelity donated $20,000 worth of instruments to the Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School in Nashua.

Initiatives like these might not make the whole world sing, but they make music education a possibility for children who otherwise might never get it. That's worth recognizing, and assisting.

April 28, 2013 Examiner.com"Barry Manilow brings Broadway and Las Vegas to Duluth, Georgia" by Andrew Snook
Barry Manilow writes the songs that make the whole world sing...and Saturday night at The Arena at Gwinnett Center, they were the songs that made the entire crowd dance as well. He brought his show "Manilow on Broadway" to Duluth and demonstrated that his music and his show aren't just meant for Broadway or Las Vegas; they travel real well to north Georgia as well.

In a ninety-minute set that included many of his standards that have become so since he first hit the charts in the early seventies, Manilow gave the crowd exactly what he has always delivered, a consummate performance that contained the right blend of good music, Vegas-style dazzle, nostalgia and self-deprecating humor to have the crowd hang on his every word or sing-along to his songs with or without his invitation.

Given his prolific and lengthy career that has seen him as one of the most popular and enduring contemporary artists of this era, Manilow shared a little sentimental nostalgia and some of the details of his early life in a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Punctuating "Brooklyn Blues" with anecdotes about the neighborhood in which he was raised Manilow acknowledged his affection for his old neighborhood and suggested that he wouldn’t have become who he is without that background.

He got into music at high school because sports or a gang weren’t an option for him, and he thanked his Russian grandfather for recognizing and encouraging his love of music using a photo of the two of them as the backdrop as he launched into "This One’s For You."

Recounting his own experience with music in high school he promoted the Manilow Music Project, the charity he uses to donate a piano to each local education authority where he performs giving local schoolchildren the same kind of opportunity that changed his life. He also asked concert-goers to do the same and donate any old musical instruments that they might not be using to the Gwinnett School system.

As the show gathered pace into some of his most successful songs in the catalog there was less narrative between songs but throughout the evening Manilow’s humor was readily apparent. Looking at the cover of his first album that yielded five hits, he jokingly referred to himself as "Justin Bieber of the 1970’s" and a little later he compared his nose to the New York City skyline.

In recent years Manilow has released several albums of covers from various decades. Starting with the Fifties he has released albums from each subsequent decade since but stopped at the Eighties because he jokingly wasn’t certain how his ballad version of "Bootylicious" would be received! He sang a great version of Frank Valli’s big hit "[Can't Take My Eyes Off You]" which proved to be a great sing-along opportunity for the crowd.

Throughout the entire evening Manilow’s vocal range proved to be very strong. It wavered only slightly in the higher register during the ballad "I Am Your child." Other than that, his voice was powerful and as consistent as it has always been; his rendition of "Even Now" was a particular crowd pleaser as he held onto a note forever, the crowd’s cheers and applause providing the song’s crescendo. His voice was also very strong during the newest song he performed, "Harmony", the title song from his musical that he hopes to take to Broadway after it opens here in Atlanta later this year.

Manilow reserved the concert's final stretch for his biggest hits. "I Made It Through The Rain" was hugely popular with the crowd who were, by now, singing along with every verse and every chorus. It was followed by one of the highlights of the entire show. Manilow left the stage and in his place a video of the seventies T.V. show Midnight Special played on the screens where the hosts introduced a young Barry Manilow singing "Mandy." The video continued, a young Barry Manilow continued to sing until the live Barry Manilow came back on stage to join his video counterpart in a duet.

To finish the show Manilow provided the crowd with the one-two punch of "Copacabana" and "I Write The Songs", a combination that guaranteed everyone left happy.

Speaking with some of the audience as they left it was apparent they were ecstatic with just how much Barry Manilow had exceeded their expectations and provided an evening’s great entertainment. I’m pretty certain that no-one left the Gwinnett Arena without having joined in at least one of his songs proving that he does, in fact, write the songs that make the whole world sing!

April 28, 2013 Access Atlanta"Barry Manilow brings hits, emotion and charm to Gwinnett" by Melissa Ruggieri
It’s hard to imagine the type of pop craftsmanship so expertly presented by Barry Manilow existing 30 years from now. Aside from selling 80 million records worldwide, stringing up 57 singles on the charts between 1974 and 2012 and now planning a musical that opens at the Alliance Theatre in the fall, Manilow is a masterful performer.

He knows that a PG-rated hip thrust during an amped-up dance version of "Could It Be Magic" will still send the ladies squealing and that any of the tender and/or lovelorn ballads in his insanely full repertoire will keep them swooning. Manilow brought those songs and about 20 more to a nearly full Arena at Gwinnett Center Saturday night for his "Manilow on Broadway" hits parade, a show based on the one he performed for a month on Broadway earlier this year.

Though he turns 70 in June and walks a bit more stiffly since his hip replacement surgery at the end of 2011, Manilow has rarely sounded better (and this is coming from a veteran Fanilow who has seen him perform dozens of times during the past two decades).

With a crackerjack six-piece band behind him and two spirited backup singers adding fancy footwork as well as vocal flourishes, Manilow plowed through "Somewhere In The Night," "Can’t Smile Without You" and the spunky "Bandstand Boogie." Audience cheers escalated when "American Bandstand" footage of Dick Clark appeared on the onstage video screen and the glow sticks handed out at the door were in full overhead swing.

Throughout the well-paced show, Manilow cracked several self-effacing jokes. "My nose looks as big as those buildings," he said when a snapshot of the "Even Now" album cover with the New York skyline behind his silhouette popped onscreen and then, after "I Am Your Child," joked, "That was on my first album, which we released in 1821." Sure, it’s all a little ba-dum-bum, but even when Manilow is sticking to scripted patter, he comes off as the relatable Brooklyn boy he referenced on the slinky "Brooklyn Blues" and "This One’s For You," which he dedicated to his grandfather, Joseph.

Manilow is a consummate musician, a melody man who attributes his love of music to his days in the school orchestra. To that end, Manilow created the Manilow Music Project and is donating a piano to a school district (Gwinnett County Public Schools here) in every city he plays. He also mentioned Jackson’s Music store on Horizon Parkway in Buford as the locale to drop off used instruments for school donations.

But back on stage, Manilow, who moved between a grand piano and a keyboard throughout the 90-minute show, unleashed a powerhouse vocal during the swelling "Weekend in New England" and referenced the four "decades" albums that kept him busy in the mid-2000s with a trot through Frankie Valli’s "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You."

While fans obviously relished the timeless emotion and heart-hugging sentiments of "I Made It Through The Rain" and "Trying To Get The Feeling" and those glow sticks slashed the air mightily during the irresistible deep-fried cheese that is "Copacabana," a highlight came with a hint of "Harmony."

Manilow is staging the musical for the Alliance – "You guys are so lucky to have such a beautiful theater in your hometown," he said – and performed the love song from the show, "Every Single Day." It’s a beautiful, cascading ballad stocked with the perfect amount of chest-heaving emotion for a theatrical production – and Manilow nailed every note.

No, we won’t likely see a songwriter of Manilow’s stature any time soon – if ever again – but it’s heartening to know that he isn’t done yet.

April 27, 2013 Times-Dispatch"Concert review: Barry Manilow at the Richmond Coliseum" by Tony Farrell
[Barry] Manilow fans [descended] on the Richmond Coliseum on Thursday night to hear the beloved 1970s pop icon barnstorm through all his - and our - favorite hits. Clocking in at a sleek 90 minutes, Manilow’s performance - uninterrupted but for two quick changes of dazzling dreamcoats - charged through more than 20 numbers from down through the years, sweeping the kind-and-gentle audience of mostly middle-agers to their feet time and time again.

Manilow, who first played Richmond in 1975 just as his fame was going nuclear, was clearly pleased to be back (he last visited in 2002) and brought his trademark warmth and sincerity to an evening that reached past stock golden-oldies reverie into the realms of reunion, even communion, as the audience stood and sang along to nearly every song. "I just love singing these songs, and I never get tired of them," he told the audience, adding: "We’ve been friends for a long time, haven’t we?"

[The] concert expertly condensed Manilow’s beloved canon by offering up fanciful medleys of best-known anthems like "It’s a Miracle," "Could It Be Magic" and "Looks Like We Made It," only to turn quietly to solo renditions of such odes to resilience and reconciliation as "Even Now," "All the Time" and "I Made It Through the Rain" ... His voice remains as velvety and dynamic as ever. And though surgery to both hips keeps him from shimmying as he once did to "Copacabana," his more languid, 6-foot-tall presence had the odd effect of making the show even more intimate and personal.

Near the show’s end, in a shot aimed straight at the heart of every Fanilow, the one-time Barry Alan Pincus of Brooklyn brought up a video clip from "The Midnight Special" musical variety show that featured his 1975 live performance of "Mandy," the thunderclap hit that changed his life forever. With the song rolling out behind him, Manilow then sat down at his grand piano to sing and play along with his 32-year-old self.

And as you sang along with the master both today and long ago, you realized you don’t remember just some of his songs. You remember every one. And for one night only, it felt as if no time had passed at all.

April 26, 2013 The GazetteBarry Manilow coming to Cedar Rapids June 22: Tickets now on sale at U.S. Cellular box office
Direct from Broadway, following a critically acclaimed sold out run on New York’s Great White Way, Barry Manilow will perform at the U.S. Cellular Center on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 26 at 10:00 am. Manilow will perform songs from his massive catalog of hits. From “Mandy” to “I Write the Songs” to “Copacabana (At The Copa)” and so many more. The details: Barry Manilow. Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. U.S. Cellular Center. Tickets: $10-140.
April 26, 2013 Union LeaderCrooner Manilow donates piano and urges fans to follow his lead
Barry Manilow plans to leave something behind after his concert at Verizon Wireless Arena (Manchester, New Hampshire) next month. The iconic singer is donating a new piano to the Manchester School District and hoping fans follow his lead. Anyone who gives the district a new or gently used instrument gets two free tickets to the show May 9.

The instrument drive is something Manilow tries to make happen at each tour stop. He donates a Yamaha piano and offers up the tickets in exchange for donations, which have provided thousands of instruments and help keep music programs afloat. "I'm thrilled to be able to help bring the gift of music to these kids," Manilow said in a release Thursday.

The instrument drive is part of the Manilow Music Project and Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, which try to get instruments into the classrooms for students in middle and high schools, as well as provide scholarship opportunities. Instruments can be dropped off at the arena Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays until the day of the show.

April 25, 2013 News & Observer"Barry Manilow knows you want to hear the hits" by Danny Hooley
Barry Manilow is a very nice man, and he doesn’t seem to have too much of a problem with people using profanity (as you’ll find out later), but there’s one word he finds really, really offensive. Tour. "Don’t say that word!" he mock-admonished, as he spoke on the phone recently from his home in Palm Springs, Calif. "I don’t tour anymore!"

At age 69, the longtime hit-maker prefers to do weekend shows nowadays and then go back home. He’ll make one of those weekend appearances on Friday in Raleigh, at PNC Arena. There, he’ll re-create the magic of "Manilow on Broadway," a recent 27-date engagement at St. James Theatre in New York that grossed $4.2 million. The sales figures were so big, and the demand so great, the show had to be extended for two weeks, according to Variety. "It was five shows a week," Manilow says. "That kicked my butt!" Still, he calls it "one of the great experiences of my career."

Manilow devotees who catch the "Mandy" man at PNC can expect pretty much the same show that thrilled New York audiences, and yes, even critics. Fans are going to get two hours of the hits. And, of course, they wouldn’t have it any other way. "I know that’s what they want," Manilow says, adding that he’s more than happy to give it to them. "They put up with me doing an album cut, and they’re very polite," he says with a laugh. "And then I do 'Ready to Take a Chance Again,' and the roof caves in."

If he forgets to do one particular song, he’ll be in big trouble, and he knows it. "The one I would get killed for, if I didn’t do it, is 'Copacabana,'" he says, probably to no one’s surprise. (His personal favorite is "Could It Be Magic.")

Unbelievably, though, it surprised Manilow when the song blew up in 1978. One reason is because the usually golden-eared label honcho Clive Davis (then with Arista Records) didn’t like the song. "He didn’t want to release it," Manilow admits. But Manilow got it right away. "That is a pretty damn great lyric," he marvels. "I don’t know of a song that tells a story, in three verses, and a repeated chorus."

Manilow’s spirit of giving doesn’t just end where his listening public is concerned. In 2008, he formed The Manilow Music Project to provide musical instruments to high schools and middle schools, as well as making music scholarships available at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. "A lot of schools are either cutting music classes – which is killing me – or if they do have music classes, they’re running out of instruments, or the instruments they have are in just terrible shape," he laments.

In Wake County, his organization is promoting a pre-show instrument drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument at PNC Arena through Friday will get two free Manilow tickets. The drop-off location is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. "I kick it off by donating a (Yamaha) piano, and I hope that the public will bring some of their used instruments that they’re not using anymore that are collecting dust in the attic," Manilow says.

That kind of generosity may have prompted former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl to tell an interviewer that Barry Manilow is "the coolest (expletive) in the world." "I love that," Manilow says. "Dave’s a friend. He could probably feel that the (interviewer) was surprised that we were friends. "I love his answer, that I’m the coolest (yes, folks, Manilow repeated it, with pride!) in the world."

And you know what? Grohl’s right.

Details... What: Barry Manilow: "Manilow on Broadway". When: 7:30 Friday. Where: PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh. Cost: $19.99-$129.99; 919-861-2323 or ticketmaster.com. Bonus: Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to Wake County Schools at the PNC Arena drop-off will receive two free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations) for the concert. The instrument drop-off location is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The box office is open four hours before the event.

April 25, 2013 News 92 (Houston)Want Manilow Tickets? Dust Off Your Old Musical Instruments
Barry Manilow is helping the music programs in the Conroe school district by donating a piano to launch an instrument drive for the district. District spokesperson doctor Lisa Meeks says anyone who donates an instrument to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will receive two free tickets for Manilow’s May 19th concert. Donated instruments can be dropped off at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through May 19.
April 25, 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post"Barry Manilow to bring music, donate instruments" by Meghan Kotowski
Fanilows, rejoice. In less than 48 hours, the man who "Writes the Songs" brings his tunes to Duluth. That's right, Barry Manilow will be at the Arena at Gwinnett Center as part of his "Manilow on Broadway" tour Saturday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with 50 Top 40 Hits. Manilow has produced, arranged and released more than 40 albums and has written hundreds of songs. His career led him to win a Grammy, two Emmys, a Tony Award and an Oscar nomination. He is known for his hits like "Mandy," "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana (At The Copa)."

Besides performing on Saturday, Manilow is hosting an instrument drive to benefit local schools as part of The Manilow Music Project. "I'm thrilled to be able to help bring the gift of music to these kids," Manilow said in a release. The singer donated a Yamaha piano to launch the drive for Gwinnett County Public Schools. The mission statement of the Manilow Music Project highlights "the importance of music programs in our schools and donates instruments and materials to school music programs."

Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument at the Gwinnett Center will receive two free tickets to Manilow's Saturday concert at the Arena. The drive runs through Saturday. The public can drop off instruments between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. For more information about the project, visit www.manilowmusicproject.org.

April 25, 2013 Richmond Times-Dispatch"Manilow brings 40 years of hits to the Richmond Coliseum tonight" by Hays Davis
An artist whose voice drove a gentle storm of singles up the charts for years and who remains a popular presence through recent hit albums, Barry Manilow sees himself as pleasantly stuck with a career he never envisioned. "I never had any desire to be a performer, a singer - never," said Manilow, speaking from his Palm Springs, Calif., home. "I thought, maybe if I were lucky I would be a composer, or certainly I wanted to be a musician, or a producer, or an arranger. All of that stuff in the background."

Though Manilow still doesn’t consider himself a vocalist, even 40 years after the release of his debut album, he’s come to terms with it. "I have embraced it. I must tell you that I have made friends with this career of being a singer. "I think what I do that a lot of the other people don’t do is, I interpret a lyric, and I’ve always loved doing that. And I figured, well, if I got this job to be standing on a stage in front of a microphone, or standing in a recording studio in front of a microphone, the best thing I could do is to interpret the lyric and tell the story as best as I can."

Manilow’s early creative efforts were as a composer, jingle writer ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there," among many others), and musical director, before he stepped forward as an artist with the 1973 album "Barry Manilow." Its follow-up changed his life, as ’74’s "Manilow II" included the No. 1 single "Mandy." That kicked off a Manilow hit parade that ran for years and included "I Write the Songs," "Looks Like We Made It" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)."

After decades of concerts, Manilow considers which of his songs he still most enjoys performing. "There’s only one answer to that one, and it’s 'Can’t Smile Without You,'" he offered without hesitation. "If you could see what happens in that audience when that song starts you would understand what I am saying. It is so well-loved that I look forward to that moment when the audience hears the first couple of notes of that song. It’s a great gift for me to be standing on a stage with these people being so happy to hear this song, so I do -- I look forward to that one."

Early this year, Manilow returned to Broadway with a series at the St. James Theatre, an experience that thrilled him as much as his last Broadway run 20 years earlier. As the New York native brings "Manilow on Broadway" to Richmond, he’s quick to clarify that fans headed to the Coliseum can expect to hear his hits. "When I did the St. James, this was not a Broadway show. It was my pop show in a Broadway theater," Manilow noted. "I don’t know how this happened, but I am a very fortunate guy that can actually do two hours of songs that everybody knows, and that’s what I’m doing this time."

Prior to his concert, Manilow donated a keyboard to Richmond Public Schools, on behalf of his Manilow Music Project. Over the past few years, the organization has provided instruments to school music departments in need, and Manilow is hoping concertgoers will join the effort. "I’ve decided to ask my audiences to give me a hand. And this time, instead of picking a city, now that I’m still on the road -- if you believe that -- I actually put the word out that if you bring your instruments to the arena, we’ll collect them, we’ll fix them up, and we’ll give them to the school district and they’ll distribute them to the schools that need it. I usually kick it off by donating a keyboard. And it’s been working; every city that I go to, we collect between 75 and 100 instruments, sometimes even more, and maybe it’s making some kind of a dent."

If you go: Barry Manilow... What: "Manilow on Broadway". When: 7:30 tonight. Where: Richmond Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St. Cost: $9.99-$129.99. Details: (804) 780-4970 or www.richmondcoliseum.net.

April 24, 2013 Houston Chronicle"Barry Manilow lends unexpected hand to Conroe ISD" by Robert Stanton
Singer Barry Manilow is sharing some of his success with Conroe ISD by donating a Yahama piano to launch a local instrument drive for Houston-area schools. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will receive two free tickets for Manilow's May 19 concert at the Pavilion. Instruments may be dropped off between 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday through May 19. "I'm thrilled to be able to help bring the gift of music to these kids," he stated in a press release.

The instrument drive is part of the The Manilow Music Project and the The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, formed to assist local charities and programs to get musical instruments in the hands of high school and middle school students, as well as to provide music scholarships at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and the UK. Conroe ISD was selected to receive the piano because the Pavilion is located the school district.

April 24, 2013 KHOU (Houston)Barry Manilow donates new piano to Conroe ISD
Ahead of his May 19 performance in The Woodlands, Barry Manilow is donating a new piano to Houston-area kids. Manilow’s publicist says the pop icon will give a new Yamaha piano to Conroe Independent School District to launch a local instrument drive for Houston Public Schools. "I’m thrilled to be able to help bring the gift of music to these kids," states Manilow.

"In Conroe ISD, we feel all students should have the opportunity to study and enjoy Fine Arts; and we are fortunate to have the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion within our school district," said Dr. Don Stockton, Superintendent. "From 'Fine Arts Education Day' and student scholarships to hosting musical legends like Barry Manilow, the Pavilion provides an array of Fine Arts events, programs, and entertainment. We are thrilled that the Manilow Music Project is working with the Cynthia Woods Pavilion and the community to contribute to the enrichment of our students' lives through music. The donated instruments will greatly benefit students throughout the District."

Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will receive two free tickets for Manilow’s concert next month. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will be the base for the instrument drive from now through the day of the concert. Instruments can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Manilow performs at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on May 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the concert are still available.

April 24, 2013 Access Atlanta"Barry Manilow to bring a touch of Broadway to Atlanta" by Melissa Ruggieri
Earlier this year, Barry Manilow had a homecoming of sorts. For more than a month, the Brooklyn native commandeered the St. James Theatre on Broadway with a show stocked with hits, memories, big band bravado, a sweet tribute to his grandfather and glow sticks.

Anyone who caught him during his seven-year run in Las Vegas knows that nothing prods "I Write the Songs" into a swoon-and-sway-along like a couple of thousand neon green beams of light being waved simultaneously. Now, the man who makes us weep with "Somewhere Down the Road" and inspires us to tuck a feather in our hair with "Copacabana" is bringing his "Manilow on Broadway" spectacular to the road, including a Saturday stop at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

But that is just the beginning of what will be a Manilow-ian year for Atlantans. We know he’s written the songs -- those dozens and dozens of gorgeous melodies and heart-melting lyrics — but he’s also written "Harmony — A New Musical," which will open the Alliance Theatre season on Sept. 6.

Manilow prefers to do Harmony"-related press with longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman, who will write the book and lyrics, but he did say that the Atlanta theater was chosen because, "We had always heard great things about the Alliance, so we came into town (to see) 'Next to Normal' and met (general manager) Max (Leventhal) and (artistic director) Susan (V. Booth) and just loved the theater. We just decided we would debut it down there." The show, which will be directed by Tony Speciale ("Unnatural Acts: Harvard’s Secret Court of 1920," "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," New York), is inspired by the 1920s/1930s group the Comedian Harmonists.

Manilow, 69, doesn’t expect he’ll head to Atlanta for concentrated rehearsal time until August, but he had time recently for a quick chat about his recent Broadway experience — a show that retains its essence on the road.

Access Atlanta (AA): What was it like being back on Broadway?
Barry Manilow (BM): One thing I learned, I respect these (Broadway stars) doing eight shows a week. I did five a week and it kicked my butt. Here’s (Broadway legend) Chita (Rivera) doing eight shows a week, and she’s going on 80! They just give their life to their work. Even five shows a week, I couldn’t do much more than get ready for those nights. Even on days off, you can’t talk. It’s quite a commitment.

AA: But it had to be quite cool to be back almost in your hometown.
BM: It was the most surprising and thrilling experience of my career. I can’t tell you why it was so different. I’ve been able to play arenas and theaters and they’re always great to me, but this one, I don’t know, man. A year before that I had done Radio City, and then Madison Square Garden. This audience, I could swear 90 percent had never seen me work. I could swear they were brand-new people. Every night, there would be this reaction to stuff I have sung or said for years, and the response was brand-new — 1,700 people night after night. They were the best audiences I’ve had in years.

AA: What do you attribute that to?
BM: I think it was also the intimacy of the room. I was in their lap and they were in my lap, and a Brooklyn guy coming home. …These New York guys, from the firemen to the policemen, I love them so much and they are not embarrassed to say they’re Manilow fans. It was just a party every night.

AA: So you’ve kept that show intact for this tour, right?
BM: It’s not a tour, it’s a road show -- two weekends a month. But yes, I have hit upon an appealing show for these audiences. From the young people to the people who have seen me before, this is what they’ve come for. I might throw in "When October Goes" or "Lay Me Down," but the bulk of the show is the hits. I might throw in something from (his 2011 album) "15 Minutes," and they put up with me.

AA: And how about some songs from "Harmony"?
BM: We have three "Harmony" songs ready to go. "Every Single Day" is a real audience song, but those are all iffy for me. I’m asking the audience to sit through a song they’ve never heard. I have a full version of "Harmony" that is ready to go and maybe one more.

Manilow performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. $6.99-$129.99. The Arena at Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.

April 24, 2013 WFIE (Evansville)"Music legend coming to Ford Center" by Beth Sweeney
EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - Tickets go on sale this week for music legend Barry Manilow at the Ford Center. Manilow will perform songs from his catalog of hits including "Mandy" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)" on Thursday, June 20. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m. at the Ford Center ticket office, Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.
April 24, 2013 Evansville Courier & PressBarry Manilow will perform June 20 in the Ford Center
Barry Manilow is coming to Evansville. Following a critically acclaimed run on Broadway, the veteran singer and songwriter of "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Copacabana" and other hits is taking his show on the road, playing at 7:30 p.m., June 20 in the Ford Center. Tickets, priced from $6.99 to $136.99, not including additional fees, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the Ford Center and Ticketmaster outlets, at www.tickemaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
April 24, 2013 TriState"Barry Manilow Performing at the Ford Center" by Chris Veech
A music legend is coming to Ford Center. Barry Manilow will be in Evansville in June. The singer-songwriter is best known for his songs "Mandy" and "Copacabana." He'll perform at Ford Center June 20. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. at Ford Center box office and Ticketmaster.

When Where Articles/Reviews
April 21, 2013 Your Houston News"Manilow holds musical instrument drive, concert May 19" by Kimberly Sutton
Music students of Conroe Independent School District are on Barry Manilow’s priority list. The legendary singer-songwriter plans to donate a new Yamaha piano to kick off a music instrument drive for students of CISD through May 19.

Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will receive two free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations) for Manilow’s concert at the Pavilion on Sunday, May 19. "I’m thrilled to be able to help bring the gift of music to these kids," Manilow said.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will be the base for the instrument drive, from now through May 19th. The instrument drop off location is open between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the guard shack and at the north and south plazas the day of the show. "In Conroe ISD, we feel all students should have the opportunity to study and enjoy Fine Arts; and we are fortunate to have the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion within our school district," Dr. Don Stockton said, CISD Superintendent.

The Manilow Music Project (MMP) is part of The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. It was formed as a grass roots organization to assist local charities and programs. Its primary focus is to provide musical instruments to high schools and middle schools and to provide music scholarships at universities throughout the US, Canada, and the UK. More information on the Manilow Music Project can be found at http://www.manilowmusicproject.org/.

Tickets are available online at Manilow.com or Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Manilow is ranked as the top adult contemporary chart artist of all time with a staggering fifty ‘Top 40’ hits. Manilow has produced, arranged, and released over 40 albums over the course of his career. His hits, "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," and "Copacabana (At The Copa)" have been enjoyed by many through the years.

"From ‘Fine Arts Education Day’ and student scholarships to hosting musical legends like Barry Manilow, the Pavilion provides an array of Fine Arts events, programs, and entertainment," Stockton said. "We are thrilled that the Manilow Music Project is working with the Cynthia Woods Pavilion and the community to contribute to the enrichment of our students’ lives through music. The donated instruments will greatly benefit students throughout the District," he said.

To donate Instruments... When: Now through May 19, M-F, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Guard Shack. What: New or gently used musical instruments. Why: To benefit CISD music students. For more information, call the Pavilion office at 936-363-3300.

April 20, 2013 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"Concert review: Barry Manilow shows he still has it" by Scott Mervis
After a week filled with one horrific news event after another, a Barry Manilow concert was like an escape into some kind of soft pop time warp. The New Yorker was an easy-listening throwback even while scoring his amazing string of hits between 1974 and 1983. Thanks to his legion of devoted Fanilows, he has endured three decades later, like Neil Diamond, as a rare middle-of-the-road arena headliner.

His concert Friday night at Consol Energy Center was the second on his current tour, which follows six weeks on Broadway. A report from the first night in Indiana said he was suffering from laryngitis. He appears to have made a quick recovery. He burst out in his shiny purple jacket showing no ill effects, dancing to thumping disco versions of "It's a Miracle" and "Could it Be Magic." The Fanilows greeted him like kids at a rave, excitedly waving around their free glowsticks -- a nice touch to go with the nice vibe.

The first few songs were unabashedly happy: "Looks Like We Made It" surging into "Can't Smile Without You" and a swinging "Bandstand Boogie," backed by an old clip of him on "American Bandstand." "Don't you love these old songs?" he said "I never get tired of singing them. I hope you don't get tired of hearing them."

We can say unequivocally that, unless he's a tremendous actor (and there's no reason to think he is), Barry Manilow seemed generally delirious to be singing these old songs, from "Old Songs" to "Stay" to "This One's for You" to "Weekend in New England."

Looking at an old album cover on the screen, he cracked people up declaring, "I was the Justin Bieber of the '70s ... Just ask your mother." Then he got into a heart-shaped contraption and flew over the audience ... No, he didn't do that! He's 69, old school enough to know better, and has the stage personality to make it unnecessary. You can bet his soaring vocal on "Even Now" had at least a few ladies maybe not high-fiving but looking at each other and saying, "Justin Bieber can't do THAT."

He was in great voice and funny all night, joking about his first album coming out in 1821 and how big his nose is. In a swinging version of "Brooklyn Blues," he talked about growing up in a rough section of Brooklyn and being saved by the high school orchestra, which kept him out of gangs. "Can you imagine me joining a gang?" he said.

There are a lot of slick, snazzy, over-the-top moments in a Manilow show ("Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again"), but there are heartfelt ones, too, especially his raw, spare version of "Somewhere Down the Road."

Late in the set, he and his band brought out the big show-stoppers: "I Made it Through the Rain," "Mandy", "Could it Be Magic," "Copacabana" and "I Write the Songs."

Even the people who appeared to have been dragged there looked reasonably entertained. My mom, who was there celebrating her birthday and knows about these things (having seen Sinatra and all the greats), waved her glowstick and declared, "He still has it." I wouldn't argue with my mom!

April 19, 2013 The News-Sentinel"Concert review: Barry Manilow shares his music, memories in reminiscent concert at Fort Wayne's Memorial Coliseum" by Sheryl Krieg
For as corny as this may sound, I made it through the rain Thursday night to experience "Barry Manilow: Manilow on Broadway" at Memorial Coliseum. I thought the thunderstorms would keep people away, but Fanilows, as they are affectionately called, braved the storms to see Manilow perform his first concert here in about a dozen years.

Thursday night's concert was the first of his newest tour resulting from his recently ended Broadway show, in which Manilow sang hits from his diverse repertoire. Manilow is well-known for "Mandy," "Could It Be Magic," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You," "This One's For You" and "I Write the Songs," and he sang all of those and more to more than 5,000 people.

Anyone familiar with Manilow's lengthy career (30-plus years) in the music business knows the two-hour show was merely a snippet of his life's love - music - of which he spoke so fondly during and between songs

He spoke about growing up in a tough area of Brooklyn and how his Grandpa Joe introduced him to music at a young age. He spoke about how his high school orchestra class kept him out of gangs. "Can you imagine me in a gang?" he asked the crowd.

He also spoke about the Manilow Music Project, which puts musical instruments into the hands of students. Audience members who donated a musical instrument received two free tickets to the concert, and about 50 instruments were collected locally through this initiative.

Now, if it seems Manilow spoke a lot, he did. He was suffering from laryngitis and, possibly, a cold, which limited his singing ability. "Even Now" was cut short and his voice cut out on the end of "I'm Your Child," a dedication to his Grandpa Joe.

He was able to belt out a couple of songs in true Manilow style. One was from his new musical "Harmony," which will open in September in Atlanta. He gave that song his all, and the crowd responded in kind with a standing ovation.

Sitting in Section 218, I viewed one of the two available jumbotrons close to my seat. At times I noticed he could hardly keep his eyes open and he seemed stiff, while performing. At one point after announcing he had taken Sudafed and Robitussin, he said, "I feel great."

The audience felt great, too. This concert was a step down memory lane for a lot of the crowd. Mary and Gene Zell, who sat next to me, came from Miller, Ind., outside Gary. They have attended about 200 of Manilow's shows and have traveled as far as California to see him.

The audience sang along with many of Manilow's songs, such as "Can't Smile Without You," as they waved green glow sticks in the darkness of the coliseum. The Zells were no exception and passed some to my husband and me.

In spite of his illness, Manilow was able to laugh at himself and remained the consummate showman, and the audience loved every bit of it. The screen behind him showed past album covers while he performed songs from their titles, scenes of his native New York and film clips. The audience went wild during "Bandstand Boogie," in which footage of his "American Bandstand" appearance with Dick Clark aired. He kidded about his looks and performed a duet with footage of an early performance, which was choreographed rather well.

At one point, I teared up because I grew up with these songs which came from a more innocent time. For two hours, I didn't think about bombings or explosions. I only thought of my youth and about how much I enjoyed these songs.

The two hours went by so fast. It reminded me of time spent with an old friend. At one point Manilow said to crowd, while sitting on a stool at center stage, "We've been friends for a long time, haven't we?" Yes, we have.

April 19, 2013 Baltimore Sun"Barry Manilow has hits and awards, but he's focused on music class: Longtime pop star and founder of Manilow Music Project performs at 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday" by Wesley Case
Eight years ago, Barry Manilow was shocked to hear that a friend's daughter was futilely searching for a saxophone. The student wanted to try something new, but her school didn't have the instrument.

Manilow, the veteran singer and composer with more than 80 million records sold worldwide, was dumbfounded. But after surveying the country's school-funding issues as a whole, Manilow soon realized his friend's daughter shared the same problem with kids across the country. The issue resonated with him. "I went to a dump of a high school in Brooklyn, [N.Y.], but it had an orchestra class," Manilow, 69, said in a recent interview. "And when I joined that orchestra class and hit the piano keyboards, I knew where I belonged. If I didn't have that, I don't know where I would have ended up."

In 2008, the "Mandy" singer founded the Manilow Music Project, which donates instruments and music materials to public schools around the country. The foundation has helped more than 70 schools around the U.S.

In late February, Baltimore City's public schools joined the list. Manilow, who rescheduled his original 1st Mariner Arena date from last September to Saturday, donated a Yamaha piano to the local school system. But rather than end the giving there, Manilow launched an instrument drive that allows fans in the Baltimore area to donate new or gently used instruments in exchange for two free tickets to his concert. Those interested can drop off instruments at the 1st Mariner Arena Box Office (201 W. Baltimore St.) between 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday. (Fans can donate on Saturday, too, but should contact the arena to find out when.)

It's something he's done in each city he's visited during this year's "Manilow on Broadway" tour. For the 69-year-old entertainer, it was important to include his audiences in the effort. "The problem won't just stop after I leave," he said. "Maybe it will stay in their heads, and next month, if they bump into an old trumpet in the attic, they'll bring it down." Manilow says the most fulfilling aspect of his career is philanthropy. "Fame and gold records are great, but this is much more rewarding to me as a human being," Manilow said.

If fame and gold albums -- which, in his case, are actually platinum -- have lost their luster for any performer, it's the heavily decorated Manilow. Those benchmarks of success are nothing new to him: He's won Grammys, Emmys, Tonys and even garnered Oscar nominations. The now-defunct trade publication Radio & Records ranks him as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist ever, with 50 Top 40 hits.

With that many hits, crafting a set list could be daunting. But Manilow sticks to the hits for the most part, because he remembers what it's like to be a fan in the crowd. "When I went to see [Frank] Sinatra back in my youth, I would have been very disappointed had he not been singing those great songs that I came to see," he said. "I keep thinking about that ... So I'm happy to do these very familiar songs all night long. Yeah, I love my new songs. Yeah, I love my album cuts. But I'm not there for me. I'm there for them."

That doesn't mean Manilow doesn't try to sneak in a few songs not named "Copacabana (At the Copa)" or "Could It Be Magic." "I try putting a couple songs in from my latest album [2011's "15 Minutes"], and they put up with them," Manilow said with a laugh. "Oh, they're very polite. Then I give them 'Ready to Take a Chance Again,' and the roof blows off."

Manilow says he will switch his focus after this tour to his theater production of "Harmony," which is scheduled to open in Atlanta in September. Manilow won't perform on stage, but he's excited nonetheless, since he wrote the musical with collaborator Bruce Sussman.

But for Manilow, there's nothing like the thrill of performing on stage. He still believes in the power music can have on the soul, which is why his goal, every night, is to have audience members leave happier than when they arrived. "My manager once said, when I was whining about too many shows, 'Barry, you can't cure cancer, but you can make them forget that they have it for 90 minutes,' " Manilow said. "Whenever I start to whine or complain, I always think about that, and everything changes."

If you go... Barry Manilow performs Saturday at 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. downtown. Doors open 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $19.99-$129.99. New or gently used instruments can also be exchanged for free tickets. Call 410-347-2020 or go to baltimorearena.com.

April 17, 2013 TribLIVE"Manilow hopes to conjure up memories, instruments in Pittsburgh tour stop" by Kellie B. Gormly
If you're competing on "American Idol" or otherwise trying to break into singing, let fame be the byproduct of your talent, rather than the goal itself. That's the advice from old pro Barry Manilow, who has served as a guest singer on the hit Fox show. The singing-songwriting star's worldwide fame didn't come until he was almost 30, but Manilow, who performs April 19 at Consol Energy Center, says he is glad it happened that way, after many years of hard work and maturity.

"When fame hit me, I was already 29 years old, and it knocked me over," says Manilow, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. who now lives in Palm Springs, Calif. "I never thought about being a performer; I never wanted to sing, get up onstage," Manilow says. "For as long as I can remember, all I wanted to do was to be a musician. If ... at 19 years old, I became a very famous musician ... it probably would have driven me a little nuts. You can't do it backwards," he says. "You can't go for the fame first. You need to go for the work."

Manilow explores this young-star meltdown phenomenon - inspired, he says, by often-troubled pop princess Britney Spears - in his most recent studio album, "15 Minutes," which was his first work in rock-opera style. The album's 16 songs lyrically tell the story of a fictional singer who strives to become famous, and makes it, but the euphoria doesn't last for long. Soon, the singer starts falling into the dark side of celebrity, described in "Wine Song," and his partner withdraws. He becomes demanding and delusional, and spins into ruin. But the album ends on a happy note with "Everything's Gonna Be All Right," where the singer starts to patch up his broken life, and seeks a new beginning.

"15 Minutes," Manilow says, is "a story album about somebody who wants fame, gets it, blows it and starts all over again. It was more of an edgy, pop, guitar-driven album than I'd ever made," he says. "I loved doing it."

Sadly, we see the results of young people trying so hard to be famous all too often, with stories about addictions, mental breakdowns, trouble with the law and other difficulties abounding in the media, Manilow says. He and lyricist Enoch Anderson explored this pattern when they were thinking about what kind of album they would write for Manilow's next project. "What we kept finding were these stories in the newspapers and on the Internet about these young people and their ambition is to be famous," he says. "You can be famous by jumping off a roof, too."

When these young people become famous overnight and aren't ready for it - and they face the downside of fame, like the paparrazi stalking them - the results can be ruinous, Manilow says. "It's very, very dangerous for young people to be thrown into this world of fame without any experience," he says. "Make sure you're surrounded by your family and old friends - people who know you as the person you were before this insanity hit. People are going to treat you different when you're famous than when you're just a regular guy."

Since "15 Minutes," which came out in 2011, Manilow released "The Classic Christmas Album" in October 2012. Meanwhile, Manilow is turning his tour into a charitable drive for local schoolchildren.

Manilow asks Pittsburgh fans to support his Manilow Music Project charity (www.manilowmusicproject.org) by donating a new or gently used musical instrument - guitar, saxophone, drum or flute, for instance - in exchange for two free tickets to the concert. Manilow will donate the instruments, along with a Yahama piano, to Pittsburgh Public Schools for the district's music programs. Instruments can be exchanged for tickets up to 4 p.m. on the day of the show at the Dick's Sporting Goods Box Office at Consol Energy Center.

Manilow's project, part of the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, provides musical instruments to high schools and middle schools in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Many schools, facing budget cuts, are cutting music and arts classes and can't afford to replace broken down instruments, Manilow says.

"Which is just killing me, to think that these young kids are not going to have music in their young lives," he says. "I don't know what I would have done had I not had that orchestra class. It pointed me in the direction I needed to go. Music classes are not just playtime," Manilow says. "Every teacher I speak to, several principals, every superintendent, they tell me that ... these kids that are in music classes, their grades go up, they become better students … they become better people."

April 16, 2013 The Paper MagazinePublic Can Trade a New or Gently Used Musical Instrument For Free Tickets to Manilow’s May 19th Concert
Direct from Broadway, following a critically acclaimed sold out run on New York’s Great White Way, Barry Manilow, the undisputed #1 Adult Contemporary Artist of all time, brings his "Manilow In Concert" Direct from Broadway concert to cities around the nation.

"THE MAGIC IS BACK!" The New York Times
"THE JOINT IS JUMPING!" The New York Post
"UNDENIABLY EXCITING AND FUN!" The New Yorker
"YOU CAN'T HELP BUT DANCE IN THE AISLES!" Entertainment Weekly

Don't miss this unprecedented concert in Houston at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on May 19th as Manilow performs songs from his massive catalog of hits. From "Mandy" to "I Write the Songs" to "Copacabana (At The Copa)" and so many more. Manilow’s Broadway show has become as legendary as the man himself.

The pop icon is also donating a Yamaha piano to launch a local instrument drive for Houston Public Schools. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will receive 2 free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations) for Manilow’s May 19th concert in Houston, TX. "I’m thrilled to be able to help bring the gift of music to these kids," states Manilow.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will be the base for the instrument drive in Houston, from now through May 19th. The instrument drop off location is open between 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. "In Conroe ISD, we feel all students should have the opportunity to study and enjoy Fine Arts; and we are fortunate to have the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion within our school district," said Dr. Don Stockton, Superintendent. "From "Fine Arts Education Day" and student scholarships to hosting musical legends like Barry Manilow, the Pavilion provides an array of Fine Arts events, programs, and entertainment. We are thrilled that the Manilow Music Project is working with the Cynthia Woods Pavilion and the community to contribute to the enrichment of our students' lives through music. The donated instruments will greatly benefit students throughout the District."

The Manilow Music Project (MMP) is part of The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. It was formed as a grass roots organization to assist local charities and programs. Its primary focus is to provide musical instruments to high schools and middle schools and to provide music scholarships at universities throughout the US, Canada, and the UK. More information on the Manilow Music Project can be found at http://www.manilowmusicproject.org/.

Tickets are available online at Manilow.com or Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with a staggering 50 top 40 hits. Manilow has produced, arranged, and released over 40 albums over the course of his career.

April 14, 2013 The Journal-Gazette"Strike up the band: With fans, Manilow building up school orchestras" by Keiara Carr
Although Barry Manilow sings the hit tune "I Write the Songs," he didn’t just start writing songs. Growing up in Brooklyn in a family that didn’t have much money, Manilow says that it took a little luck and a lot of education for him to find his way to stardom. "When I was in high school, I really didn’t know where I was or what I was going to do with my life," Manilow says by phone. "As soon as I joined the orchestra, I knew that music was going to do it for me. If there wasn’t an orchestra class where I grew up in the Brooklyn slums of New York, I don’t know where I would have wound up."

Before Manilow was hailed as the "top adult contemporary artist of all time," before he joined the illustrious ranks of Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley with his 50th Top 40 hit, he was a student greatly affected by his public school’s music program. Realizing the decline of music education across the country, Manilow - with the help of his fans and organization, the Manilow Music Project – is attempting to provide instruments to students in every city he performs in.

For his Thursday "Manilow on Broadway" performance at Memorial Coliseum, The Manilow Music Project is offering two free tickets to anyone who donates a new or gently used instrument to Fort Wayne Community Schools before the concert. To kick things off, Manilow has donated a Yamaha piano. "We raise money to get brand new musical instruments into the hands of kids in schools where we tour or who we feel needs it. This year, I decided to ask my audiences in every city that we go to to give me a hand," Manilow says.

As a part of Manilow’s grass-roots organization, the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, the Manilow Music Project is focused on providing instruments and music scholarships to high schools and middle schools in response to school systems that have had to decrease or completely cut music and arts funding from the budget.

FWCS spokeswoman Krista Stockman says the district has not reduced funding for such programs, but the donation of additional instruments benefits more students who participate in their school’s music programs. She says the school district will wait to see what instruments are brought in before it determines where they will go. "We can’t financially afford to have all the music instruments that we would like to have," Stockman says. "We value music, and it’s good for our students."

Manilow, 69, says the instrument drive has received plenty of positive feedback from every community. He says the organization has collected 75 to 100 instruments in every city so far, and they will repair any instruments before they donate them to the school district. Manilow says he hopes the donation benefits students who may need some direction like he did. "When I got to the orchestra class, suddenly I knew where I belonged. There might be a lot of kids out there who feel the same way," Manilow says. "If they cut music classes, there might be a lot of kids like me who are going to be at sea for a long time."

Manilow was taking accordion lessons and playing the piano by age 7. Always "filled with music," Manilow says his family didn’t have the means to further support his dream, so "they didn’t know what do with me." Inspired by high school orchestra, Manilow attended the New York College of Music and the Julliard School of Music while working in the mailroom at CBS. Manilow eventually became the musical director for CBS before becoming Bette Midler’s musical director in 1971. Four years later, Manilow’s first hit "Mandy" went to No. 1 on the pop charts.

Now with 50 Top 40 hits and numerous platinum records, Manilow says all he can do is make an album and "cross my fingers" for a Top 40 hit. "It’s amazing. I thought that kind of thing would stop earlier in my career - but it seems to keep going," he says.

Manilow recently finished a six-week Broadway run at the St. James Theatre, performing his extensive catalogue of songs five nights a week to sold-out crowds. Re-energized, Manilow took his Broadway performance on the road.

With more than 40 albums released and 80 million records sold, Manilow knows music education has made him a better artist and an even better human being. With a career and audience that span over the generations, Manilow says he is just one of the lucky ones. "I try to make the most beautiful music I can. I try to make the best records I can. And somehow I am just one of the lucky guys who keeps landing in the Top 40," he says.

April 11, 2013 News-Sentinel"Barry Manilow's mission: To share his love of music: He brings his new touring show to town April 18 at Memorial Coliseum" by Sheryl Krieg
What do you do when you're Barry Manilow and your Broadway show has just ended? Take it on the road!

"Barry Manilow: Manilow on Broadway," a nearly two-hour compilation of the singer-songwriter's greatest hits, begins its nationwide tour at 7:30 p.m. April 18 at Memorial Coliseum. The Grammy, Tony, Emmy, Clio and American Music Award winner is best known for recording "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Could It Be Magic," "Ships," "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana" and "Weekend in New England."

Manilow's Broadway show played to intimate audiences in the historic St. James Theater. "This was welcoming home a New York guy," he said in a phone interview. "I was Cousin Barry coming home. It was a great, great experience."

Now that the show is going to bigger venues, Manilow maintains that intimate feeling with his audiences by encouraging them to participate in his personal mission to furnish schools with musical instruments that school districts cannot afford - the Manilow Music Project. Through this musical instrument drive for Fort Wayne Community Schools, anyone who brings an instrument to the coliseum box office will receive two free tickets in a designated section at next week's concert. Manilow already has indicated he will donate a Yamaha piano.

The project started about eight years when a friend asked Manilow to find a saxophone for his daughter because the school she attended did not have one. Manilow researched and found art and music budgets were being cut all over the country. "Wow! I don't know what I would have done without music classes in my life," he said. Manilow then made deals with Yamaha and other organizations to raise money and donate instruments to schools in need.

Now he's holding instrument drives in every city he's touring and asking for the public's help in achieving his goal to have music in middle and high schools. "I'm just one guy trying to do something that means a lot to me to keep music in the schools," he said. "I'm very grateful to the audiences for bringing these instruments down and maybe it'll make a little dent in every city."

Manilow's Broadway experience may have ended March 2, but he's not done with theater productions. He and songwriting partner Bruce Sussman have written "Harmony," a Broadway musical, opening in September in Atlanta before it moves on to Los Angeles in early 2014. "I'm not in it ("Harmony"). I'm a composer, which is what I've always wanted to do," Manilow said. "When I began in this music business, this was what I was going to do. I was going to be a Broadway composer. There was something that got in my way — 'Mandy.' Suddenly, I was in another world of music. It was a great world of music… When things began to calm down, Bruce and I decided to give it a try again. It's a real beauty. This is the proudest thing I've ever been involved with."

Manilow has written and recorded all types of music, including big band, show tunes, pop and jazz. "I've been very fortunate to have a record company to allow me to do those kinds of things," he said. "Over the years, I've tackled and dabbled in all sorts of genres. I do stay away from hip-hop and rap. That is not my thing."

Surprisingly, the songs that have catapulted Manilow to the top of pop charts are the hardest for him to write. "How many songs can I write 'I love you' or 'I miss you' or 'I hate you'?" he asked. "It's easier to write for an animated movie or for a Broadway show because there's an idea there. These pop songs I have been making over these years are more difficult. However, I've been able to do them and I love doing them, but I don't just walk around with a melody in my head."

Manilow lives to make music — even in his spare time. "My life, my world revolves around music," he said. "There's always something for me to work on... I still have the energy I had when I was in my 30s. I'm still hungry to create. I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm still just as full of energy and full of passion as I've always been. That's why I don't do very much more than make music. I just love it."

What: "Barry Manilow: Manilow on Broadway," a nearly two-hour compilation of his greatest hits. When: 7:30 p.m. April 18. Where: Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave. Cost: $9.99-$127.99, plus fees; tickets available at the coliseum box office, Ticketmaster locations, select Walmart stores, www.ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000. Parking is $4, main lot, and $8, preferred lot. Note: Bring an instrument 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday to the coliseum box office to receive two free tickets in a designated section. The instruments will then be donated to Fort Wayne Community Schools' middle and high schools' music programs.

April 10, 2013 Broadway WorldBarry Manilow Memorabilia Set for Auction at NY Theatre Barn Benefit, 4/14
New York Theatre Barn will live auction three rare items donated by Barry Manilow from his personal collection to raise funds for New York Theatre Barn when he headlines their benefit A Conversation with Barry Manilow: From Selling Jingles to Selling Out Broadway on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 2pm in New York City.

The three items to be auctioned are: 1) a poster for Manilow's Barry Manilow II album, 2) a photograph taken on the set of the The Dick Cavett Show of Barry Manilow, Bette Davis, and Dick Cavett, and 3) the original lead sheet of the title song of Mr. Manilow's 6th studio album, One Voice, sketched in pencil. All three items are autographed by Barry Manilow.

This announcement follows a previous one made on March 23, 2013 that Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning "showman of our generation" (Rolling Stone) Barry Manilow will headline a benefit event for the New York-based non-profit theatre company New York Theatre Barn called A Conversation with Barry Manilow: From Selling Jingles To Selling Out Broadway on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 2pm in New York City. All proceeds will support New York Theatre Barn's groundbreaking platform for new musicals and their writers NYTB in the D-Lounge, and its other mission-driven programming and outreach.

With his recent return to Broadway and upcoming Manilow/Bruce Sussman-penned Harmony in mind, New York Theatre Barn brings Manilow back to his original love-the theatre and writing for the theatre. At A Conversation with Barry Manilow, Manilow will discuss his early years, his approach to songwriting, and what he's learned along the way from jingle writing to selling out Broadway, for an intimate audience of 250 emerging writers, theatre patrons, and friends of New York Theatre Barn. Attendees will be invited to send in questions for Manilow in advance, and many will be asked during a Q&A section at the end of the program.

Tickets range from $100 to $250, with a limited number of $50 tickets available for emerging writers. $250 tickets include entry to an exclusive reception with Manilow following the event. For tickets visit www.nytheatrebarn.org, or call Brown Paper Tickets at (800)838-3006. Venue will be released upon purchasing a ticket.

April 8,
2013
Dallas Morning News"Concert announcement: Barry Manilow brings his 'Direct From Broadway' show to Verizon Theatre May 17" by Mario Tarradell
Enduring pop singer-songwiter Barry Manilow will be bringing a little of New York’s Great White Way to North Texas when his acclaimed "Direct From Broadway" concert comes May 17 at 8 p.m. to Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place in Grand Prairie. The show should be all-hits, all the time as Manilow runs through "Mandy," "Could It Be Magic," "Looks Like We Made It," "I Write the Songs," "Copacabana (At the Copa)" and so many more.

The Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winning Manilow, who independently released his last studio album in 2011, the conceptual song cycle 15 Minutes, recently enjoyed a two-year run at Paris Las Vegas that ended in December 2011. He returned to Broadway this past January for the first time in decades.

Tickets for Manilow’s Verizon Theatre gig are already on sale via axs.com. Prices according to the website are $9.99-$139.99.

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