Michael Zorn/AP
Barry Manilow, shown here performing in Los Angeles in January, wraps up his summer run at the Westgate this week.
Monday, July 23, 2018 | 2 a.m.
With the recent news that Bally’s Jubilee Theater will soon be refashioned into a different venue to accommodate a motorcycle stunt show next year, it’s time to take stock of the Strip’s dwindling supply of classic showrooms. I’d argue there’s only one truly great old-school theater left and it’s just off the Strip at Westgate Las Vegas. The International Theater has been home to Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley and Liberace when this resort was the International Hotel and then the Las Vegas Hilton, and now its most successful modern-day star has returned.
Barry Manilow is an ideal fit for the current versions of this room and this resort, where he performed “Manilow: Music and Passion” and “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits” from 2005 to 2010. His new production, “Manilow Las Vegas: The Hits Come Home” splashes some colorful new touches across his tried-and-true blueprint for giving his dedicated fans all the music they love. Plenty of sing-alongs and standing ovations speckled the experience at Manilow’s July 20 performance.
After initial previews in late May, Manilow missed his sold-out grand-opening weekend in mid-June due to a bronchial infection. He’s wrapping up his summer run with vigor in an attempt to make up for lost time. The first big audience connection comes when the lyrics to the chorus of “Can’t Smile Without You” are flashed on video screens during Manilow’s performance of the 1978 smash, as if everyone in the building doesn’t already know all the words. Next was some storytelling detailing his grandfather’s discovery of his musical talent and a particularly powerful performance of “This One’s For You.”
A fun and silly 3-D tour of New York City allows Manilow to inject some extra humor into the production, although he’s clearly comfortable joking about his image and reputation in between songs. As he did during his most recent Vegas show at the Paris Theater, Manilow slips into singing his first No. 1 hit “Mandy” by playing a clip from his breakthrough 1975 appearance on “The Midnight Special” musical variety series. The fact that his voice sounds similar to the way it did some 43 years ago is not lost on his audience, which erupted when Manilow harmonized with his younger self to complete the performance.
The new show closes with “I Write the Songs” and a dance-party celebration to “Copacabana” during which a huge horseshoe staircase descends from the theater’s ceiling, allowing Manilow to get close to the fans in the balcony. It’s a grand moment in this grand Vegas room, likely another memorable musical event installed in the legacy of the International Theater.
“Manilow Las Vegas: The Hits Come Home” returns at 8 p.m. July 26-28 to the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas (3000 Paradise Road, 702-732-5111) and more information can be found at westgateresorts.com. After these shows, Manilow will resume his Vegas residency with dates in September and October.
