Manilow - The Absolute Best - Paris Las Vegas

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Paris Las Vegas - April 10, 2011

BB-30

The opening of the last show of a run is always bittersweet. You can't wait to see Barry come out on stage - but when he does, you know you only have about an hour to watch him before it's all over for this trip. The upbeat Could It Be Magic is really great as an opening song.

Actually, Barry's performance of CIBM was extra special tonight. There was just something about the way he sang the lyrics, especially the beginning while the song is still relatively slow. When he sang "Heaven sent you, angels of my lifetime" - MAN! It hasn't hit me like that in a while!

Tonight's audience was very atypical. It wasn't exactly a civilian audience - there were lots of civilians. Sometimes it seems the audience is full of people who are just there to see a show, not necessarily because it's Barry. There were fans, too - but they weren't "us". In other words, they didn't seem to be the people that we see a lot, that frequent the boards and groups...they were big fans, just a different type of fan. And so it made for an interesting dynamic. The audience was very loud and responsive - they cheered wildly. They sang loudly - VERY LOUDLY!!! But there were only a handful of ovations, very little standing. It was a strange feeling at first, but actually I think I kind of liked it because I think I got to see a "real" audience reaction. I think fans tend to get caught up in the idea of how they're expected to act. The reason I say that is because I'm used to being in the a big fan audience, and I know how they're going to react to certain songs. But this audience didn't play by any rules. This audience didn't seem to have a clue about any of that. It really surprised me at first, but then I figured out what was happening and realized they were loving Barry. It just wasn't what I was used to seeing. There was no doubt how they were feeling about any particular song. And if you really listened instead of just hearing what you expected to hear, you could tell how much the audience was enjoying what they were seeing.

Another night of botched photos - this is getting to be a habit. This time they were beautiful photos, but my finger hit a camera setting and I didn't realize it - most of them came out way too dark. Bummer...

Fortunately, one of the good photos was from Somewhere in the Night. So, for the person who wanted a photo of Barry in the sparkly black jacket, here you go! I could look at this photo all day! Hey, we have two Glendas visiting this time! And yes, Barry was just as dreamy singing the song this time as the other nights. Ooh, the look in his eyes, and the tone of his voice... When he sang, "you found time enough for love, and I found love enough to hold you" - NO LIE!!!! That one line the way he sang it last night could hold you!! Like, FOREVER!!!

Daybreak was just as happy. I love the way Barry is emphasizing lyrics in these songs - no idea how he chooses which ones seem to stand out. The last two nights, the lines about "blinded with fear, not here" really came across loud and strong. And both SITN and Looks Like We Made It were as sexy as they could possibly be - and it was almost all done with his eyes.

As I said earlier, the audience sang loudly to Can't Smile Without You. So loudly you could barely hear Barry. This audience wins the karaoke prize for the year. Got some cute grins out of Barry, too.

Weekend in New England was an absolute killer tonight. And Barry didn't get a standing ovation for it. (Barry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...) But he blew me away - the performance was so incredible, I was sitting there almost stunned - I even mouthed "WOW!". As I mentioned, the audience wasn't a typical fan audience, and so no one else was standing - by the time I got my wits about me (keeping in mind we're talking about a time frame of maybe five seconds), Barry was already about to walk off stage - and at that point my introversion wouldn't let me stand by myself. Barry deserved an ovation for that performance. You have no idea how badly I feel this morning - even how badly I felt last night throughout the rest of the show. I gathered my courage and stood several other times when few people did, but that didn't make up for not doing it that time. Well, all I can do now is apologize profusely - and say it was one AWESOME performance.

It really was! Barry put everything he had into that performance. We got the soft WINE and we got the power ballad WINE. And we got emotion. Barry wasn't far away this time - he was right there with us. But he still made it feel as if he were singing to someone. His choice of soft or power for each of the lyrics was perfect. "When will our eyes meet" was a forceful question. "When can I touch you" was a gentle plea. During the change toward the end of the song, "with you there's a heaven so Earth ain't so bad" - WOW - what power. Barry looked straight out into the audience as he sang it. When Barry was playing the piano, the point where he normally stands up as he's playing - he didn't stand at this show, but he seemed to prolong that portion, and it just added to the feeling of the song. The performance was beyond incredible. WOW! That's all I can say - just WOW!

I Am Your Child tonight really did seem somewhat sad. (on a side note, did I hear a dog bark??) Maybe it was more reflective, but it just seemed kind of sad. Nature Boy didn't. This audience really seemed to enjoy baby Barry and watching adult Barry as the record is playing. For the ending of Nature Boy, Barry seemed totally serious and sincere. Usually he says, "there's a good lesson" in the lyric "love and be loved in return". Tonight he said there was a "good message" in that lyric. And his eyes as he sang those lines seemed to reflect something I've never seen before. Kind of like last night where he seemed to be in another place. Except this time he really didn't seem to be in another world - it's just that he seemed to be totally genuine as he was singing it.

This One's For You was also a knockout. Barry really played to the audience with that one. When he sang, "I sing for you", we believed it! And when he sang, "wonder if you might miss me, too" - well, yeah... Kind of like 5 seconds after he left the stage we were missing him! The ending of the song was also very touching. Sometimes the song seems as if it's really being performed for Grandpa - but tonight it seemed like it was being performed for us. His gestures were incredible, too. I think this shot was snapped right after he sang "hope you'll see".

I think Barry might have given the March 25 Brooklyn Blues long note a run for it's money at this show. Tonight's note had to be just as long - Barry must have been pulling breath from all of the audience - I don't see how he could have held the note that long if he hadn't been. I know I was breathless after he finished!! He grinned and said, "I really am showing off!" We LOVE it, though! I did especially notice Steve's trombone during the song, and also Chris's trumpet at the same time - you could hear both distinctly. Brandon's sax sounded very bright tonight. Oh, and I can't remember which song for certain (or if it was tonight or last night), but David played an instrument that had a wonderful sound - and I don't know what it's called. It's not chimes, is it? I don't think that's it. But it's something like that. Sheesh - I'm going to have to go back and finish my music degree just to be able to describe the instruments I'm hearing!

The smile on Barry's face during New York City Rhythm says it all. That's the tone of the entire number. I know I mentioned that some of the songs Barry has been performing are consistent - the tone they take on doesn't vary much. This is one of them. It's always upbeat. Barry always seems to believe 100% what he's singing. He seems to enjoy every second of it.

And here's another cute shot of Barry dancing as the curtain goes down.

Barry's facial expressions during Our Love Is Here to Stay were to die for. Unfortunately, this is where the photos started getting dark - and they were sharp, clear photos, too. <please insert your favorite curse word here - it's Lent - I'm not allowed to> I've done what I can with Photoshop to lighten one here. Barry's face was so expressive. It went along perfectly with the lyrics of the song. Not just very sweet, but also very romantic. Outstanding performance - he stole my heart (again!).

Bring On Tomorrow was even better - Barry is still making it better! There may not have been a lot of fans in the audience, but the response Barry got was huge! Not everyone gave a standing ovation (although a lot did) - but the cheers were LOUD. It made Barry take a step back! Everyone loves this song and what Barry is doing with it. I've been having a hard time deciding which photo to share with you. Again, the original is dark - and again, the photos were exceptionally sharp. I finally decided to share the one with the grin. You'll have to check my personal site to see the other one. :-)

Again, the ballad is BIG. Barry's intro, even though the words were basically the same as the night before, was even more touching tonight. The emotion Barry put into the first two verses of the song was brilliant - Barry really played to the audience and made it all very "real". The ending is huge - I don't think it could get much bigger. The lighting is that fuchsia color - and the stage area just seems gigantic. What I mean is, the combination of the music, the lighting, and Barry's performance makes everything gigantic - you can FEEL the size. Does that make sense? You can absolutely feel it. Barry isn't just giving 100%, not even 110% - he's giving 200% for the closing of that song. It's incredible. You've got to see this - I hope everyone manages to somehow see this in person at least once before he takes it out of the show. Even if Barry eventually does TV performances with it, I don't think that will be able to convey what I'm seeing here.

Barry topped himself with his silliness during Bandstand. His facial expressions were hilarious. I always have a guilt thing going on because the backups are working just as hard as Barry during this segment and I feel I should be watching them. But I can't take my eyes off him!

Oh, and I did remember to catch a shot of the backups as they were dragging Barry off the stage.

Mandy was a powerhouse again tonight. I think it topped last night's show, although the long note toward the end was a little longer last night. But the performance overall I think was more powerful and full of emotion. Again, the look in Barry's eyes... The sound of his voice... You could feel the pain, he made it totally real.

Omigosh - Barry and his tux. If it's possible, he's even cuter in that tux when he knows how wonderful he looks in it. There was a huge grin on his face for ALL of that last portion of Copacabana. Kind of like the Bandstand segment - who really cares about the song? Ha! This is all about the production and the performance and leaving everyone on a high note. (and well, maybe seeing Barry in his tux has a little to do with it)

And who woulda thunk Copa and Barry's "step" could be so sexy...

Always hate seeing those words - "the end". That can never happen - this has to go on forever. I know that a lot of people can't get out to Vegas, and hopefully Barry will continue to do shows around the country (and world) to accommodate those who can't do it. But still... This has been a dream come true. I remember all too well the days when I would see Barry in Dallas, and then have no idea if I would EVER see him again after he left the stage. To know that he's here on a regular basis is a dream come true. To be able to be here to see him is a dream come true. The word gratitude doesn't express what I feel.

So, Bring On Tomorrow... And I'll immerse myself in wonderful memories until it gets here.

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