Barry Manilow might have a lifetime residency commitment from his Las Vegas host property Westgate Las Vegas, but the 81-year-old entertainer recently announced that he’s embarking on a tour of the United States that’s being dubbed The Last Concerts.
The showman who brought the world classics like “I Write the Songs,” “Weekend in New England,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “Mandy,” begins his arena tour in late May of cities like Pittsburgh, Seattle, Detroit and Philadelphia, culminating in a performance in Sacramento on July 19. Once he’s finished, he’s theoretically done with touring.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories,” Manilow said in a statement. “Each one is special to my touring history.”
What that means is that, as of August, if you want to see Barry Manilow perform, you gotta come to Vegas. And if you haven’t yet seen his Vegas show, you gotta do it. It’s not hyperbole to say it’s one of the best current residencies this city has to offer. The man is no spring chicken, but once he hits that stage and hits high notes on songs like “I Made It Through the Rain” while strutting the stage and rarely standing still, you’d never know it.
There’s another special reason to see Manilow now: Every single Vegas performance is history in the making. He broke Elvis Presley’s record of 636 performances in the International Showroom last year, so each show just adds to what’s already a precedent-setting show. Manilow credits a big part of the run to the showroom itself. “The Westgate is the perfect room for me,” he said in an exclusive interview with Las Vegas Magazine. “Out of all the rooms that I’ve ever played, this is the one for me. If I was building one for myself, this is the size that I would have built.”
A huge part of his Vegas shows is the Fanilow contingent. To be in a crowd with his biggest fans is to truly feel like part of a huge family, with Manilow saying things to the crowd like, “Let’s close the doors and order a pizza!”
Westgate Las Vegas, 5+. westgateresorts.com
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