Manilow: Music and Passion - Live From Las Vegas (2006)

Passionate but always personable, Barry Manilow celebrates his 100th performance at the Las Vegas Hilton with a stylish, witty show originally taped in December 2005 for a PBS special. Happy to be taking up residence in the same Hilton theatre where Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, and Elvis Presley all played, Manilow spreads his joy with a wildly enthusiastic audience. Beginning with his opening number, "It's a Miracle," Manilow spends most of the evening on his feet and close to the crowd, seldom sitting behind his piano except to wrap fans in the comfort of dreamy, hook-filled ballads. His take on the pretty "Daybreak" highlights the song's lushness and positive outlook, while "Somewhere Down the Road" comes across as a mature plaint about love and loss. A mini-tribute to hit songs of the 1950s proves hugely entertaining, starting with the American Bandstand theme (indeed, there are lyrics), featuring Manilow's backup singers as typically star-struck teens. The '50s suite includes Manilow's version of pop standards "Venus," "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing," and "Unchained Melody," all of which evoke a warm nostalgia. Going autobiographical, Manilow sings several songs ("Do You Know Who's Living Next Door?") from his Here at the Mayflower album, reflections on a unique childhood in a Brooklyn apartment building. Manilow pays homage to Elvis in a stirring reading of the King's "If I Can Dream," reminisces about bygone days of being an opening act for the likes of Helen Reddy, and brings the show to a close with a tuneful "I Write the Songs" and high-octane "Copacabana." A second disc contains a number of special features, including Manilow explaining his reasons for giving up the road to play exclusively at the Hilton. A "making-of" featurette about the PBS program is followed by three songs that didn't make it into the concert disc, plus a music video for "Unchained Melody" and photo gallery. --Tom Keogh