Barry Manilow turned 80 this 12 months, however don’t assume for a second that he’s slowing down. He’s too booked to even take into account it. Tonight (Dec. 11) at 10 p.m. ET/PT, NBC will air Barry Manilow’s A Very Barry Christmas.
The present was filmed about 5 weeks in the past at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & On line casino the place he performs his long-running present, Manilow: Las Vegas – The Hits Come Residence! The particular consists of half vacation songs (“Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph, the Pink-Nosed Reindeer,” “Feliz Navidad” and “White Christmas”) and half Manilow hits (his three Billboard Sizzling 100 No. 1 hits – “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs” and “Seems to be Like We Made It” – and what’s in all probability his most well-known music “Copacabana”). The particular was directed by Matt Askew, who directed Weekends With Adele.
A Very Barry Christmas is Manilow’s third Christmas-themed TV particular. He has additionally launched three Christmas albums and was planning to document one other one this 12 months, however didn’t get it completed. “I began to put out all of the songs that I used to be going to do, after which this 12 months occurred,” Manilow informed Billboard. “This 12 months was just like the craziest 12 months ever.”
Manilow was honored by the New York Pops at Carnegie Corridor in Might. He performed 5 consecutive nights (there aren’t any nights off for this trouper) at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor in Might and June – and he’s already booked for 5 extra exhibits on the legendary venue in April 2024. He was a presenter on the Tony Awards in June. Concord, the stage musical he wrote with longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman, which had spent a long time in improvement hell, lastly opened on Broadway in November.
Manilow has in all probability completed extra TV – and used it extra successfully – than simply about some other pop music performer. He received a Primetime Emmy in 1977 for his first particular, The Barry Manilow Particular. The present, which featured Laverne & Shirley star Penny Marshall, was seen by 34 million viewers. He received his second in 2006, for the PBS present Manilow: Music and Ardour.
He received that first Emmy, not less than partly, as a result of he was sizzling as a pistol in 1977, with a No. 1 single on the Sizzling 100 (“Seems to be Like We Made It”) and a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 (Barry Manilow/Dwell). He received his second, not less than partly, as a result of his fellow professionals revered the best way he had survived the ups and downs of an extended profession. He had “made it by means of the rain,” to borrow the title of one among his finest songs – one {that a} longtime Fanilow (that will be me) ranked No. 6 on this listing of his 25 high 40 hits on the Sizzling 100 that we posted in June to coincide along with his reaching the massive 8-0.
Manilow talked to Billboard on the eve of tonight’s particular. This dialog has been flippantly edited for size and readability.
How did this new particular for NBC come about?
NBC executives got here to see my common [non-holiday] present on the Westgate and we have been speaking afterwards, they usually have been saying they have been searching for Christmas product as a result of all people was on strike. And I stated, “I’ve a Christmas present. We’ve been doing it for the final 4 years, and all people appears to like it.” We despatched them a video of it they usually liked it. Earlier than we knew it, we have been taping the present.
You’ve taken this Christmas present on the highway too.
It’s at all times obtained rather well. I discovered a means of not solely doing Christmas songs however my hits. It goes backwards and forwards. It nonetheless at all times seems like a Christmas present, even after I’m singing “Copacabana.”
Christmas songs are proper in your wheelhouse as a result of so lots of them are stuffed with craving and emotion.
Even the [up-tempo] ones really feel emotional as a result of we’ve heard all of them of our lives. That’s the one means I write, prepare or carry out. If it doesn’t make me really feel one thing, and if it doesn’t make the viewers really feel one thing, whether or not it’s unhappy or comfortable, then I’ve missed; then I haven’t completed it proper.
When did you tape the particular?
About 4 or 5 weeks in the past. We did two tapings. Once I did my first batch of specials again within the ’70s and ’80s, there have been about 5 cameras. [On this one,] they introduced in 12 cameras. That they had each angle they probably may. It’s a beautiful-looking particular. It seems otherworldly.
Any friends?
No, however we now have Santa, little youngsters, a great deal of Christmas timber — and it snows on the viewers.
Why do you assume TV works so nicely for you?
I attempt to be as real and as sincere with each phrase and the whole lot I say as I probably can. If I’m proper, that works to the digital camera, identical to it really works to an viewers. If I can’t really feel that I’m being truthful in each lyric that I sing, then I shouldn’t be on the stage.
Final evening I watched your 2019 interview for the Tv Academy’s The Interviews sequence. You talked about how that first particular in March 1977 took you to a different stage of fame and recognition – which is saying one thing, since you had had two No. 1 hits by that time.
The subsequent morning [after the special aired], I went to the airport and all people was yelling at me, “Barry! Barry! Barry!” The day earlier than that, no one paid any consideration, however after that, it modified.
Did ABC ever give you a summer season substitute TV present, like loads of music stars did again did again then?
They did, however I turned it down. I didn’t assume it was the appropriate factor to do — however I informed them I might like to do one particular a 12 months, they usually have been OK with that. I didn’t assume summer season substitute [series] have been serving to the artist, and I didn’t wish to be the man that launched folks and did comedy sketches. That’s actually not what I do. I might be horrible at that.
I didn’t understand the time period “Fanilow” got here out of your 2003 look on Will & Grace.
One of many characters [played by guest star Sara Gilbert] was ready [in line with Will, played by Eric McCormack] for tickets to a present of mine and stated she was a Fanilow. It was a joke. It was intelligent and other people picked up on it.
That phrase was a present to you, as a result of it’s catchy and affectionate.
I didn’t prefer it at first. I believed it was type of a put-down. However folks would come as much as me and say, ‘I’m a Fanilow,’ they usually’d be so proud that I started to love it. And now I do prefer it.
I’m impressed that, 50 years into your profession, you performed 5 nights at Radio Metropolis.
For a New York man like me, simply to do [one night at] Radio Metropolis would have been sufficient — however to promote out 5 nights, that was actually a thrill.
I’m additionally impressed that you just performed 5 consecutive nights. Artists half your age take nights off.
Oh please. I don’t even fear about that. I by no means get drained. I don’t sleep and I don’t eat. That’s my secret.
Concord lastly opened on Broadway this 12 months. When did you and Bruce first write it?
We received the concept in 1997. It took awhile for us to place it collectively. After which the producer couldn’t get [it to Broadway] so we’d put it again within the drawer. Then there was one other producer ready to attempt it. More often than not, we signed with a manufacturing firm for 3 years. Each time we needed to wait [until the previous deal was up]. More often than not they only couldn’t get it to New York.
Dionne Warwick [whose 1979 comeback album Manilow produced] received the Kennedy Heart Honors final week. The ceremony will air on TV later this month. It appears to me that in the event that they base their alternatives on artists who’ve risen to the highest in many alternative fields of leisure, you need to have gotten it by now. You went to the highest in recordings, TV and reside performances. In the event you ever do get that decision, what wouldn’t it imply to you?
Nicely, it’s fairly an honor. No, they’ve by no means known as and requested, and I don’t assume they ever will. Perhaps I simply don’t do the type of factor they need their honorees to do. I don’t perceive why. In the event that they did, wouldn’t it be the highest of the road? It will be fairly near the highest of the road to get an honor like that.