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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Everyone at Mohegan Sun Arena Sunday night knew how to pronounce the name of the nearest city — “Wilkes-Barry” — because, on that night, the iconic singer/songwriter Barry Manilow owned the town and adoring “Fanilows” returned the love.
Manilow, who will turn 73 in June, made good on his promise — every person attending knew just about every word of every song he performed, making for a truly memorable experience.
Manilow expressed his love for the Wilkes-Barre area and its people, referencing his several trips to the region over his 45-year career and crediting “fans like you” for the reason he stood on stage before a near-sellout crowd.
From the opening song — “It’s a Miracle” — until the end when he sang the song again, this time with an arena-wide confetti blast, people sang along and danced in their seats to hit after hit from the Brooklyn-born performer.
“Hello, Wilkes-Barre,” Manilow said time and again. “We’re back. I’m Barry Manilow and I’m ready to go.”
It was Barry bedlam as Manilow touched the hearts of all in attendance with melodies and poignant lyrics that often hit home.
• Somewhere in the Night — “Layin’ beside you lost in the feeling, so glad you opened my door; come with me, somewhere in the night we will know, everything lovers can know.”
• Can’t Smile Without You — “You know I can’t smile without you, I can’t smile without you, I can’t laugh and I can’t sing, I’m finding it hard to do anything.”
• Looks Like We Made It — “Looks like we made it, or I thought so till today, until you were there, everywhere, and all I could taste was love the way we made it.”
• Even Now — “Even now I wake up crying in the middle of the night, and I can’t believe it still could hurt so bad.”
• When Will I See You Again — “When will our eyes meet? When can I touch you? When will this strong yearning end? And when will I hold you again?”
It was vintage Manilow, only this time with a chorus of thousands of adoring fans. Even a non-fan or two could be heard singing along. Manilow’s tunes are that memorable.
A full orchestra backed him and the arrangements — so vital to Manilow’s musical presentation — were perfect.
Manilow got serious for a moment when talking about his Manilow Music Project. As he does in every city he performs, he donated a piano to a local school, Wilkes-Barre Area School District’s Solomon Middle School being the lucky recipient this time. He also gave two tickets to every person who donated a slightly used musical instrument, which is then donated to schools for their orchestras.
“I attended perhaps the most dangerous high school in America,” Manilow said. “But we had a great orchestra club. I wouldn’t be here on this stage if it wasn’t for that orchestra club .”
After a brief talk from his heart about the music project, Manilow delivered a flawless rendition of “Even Now” and, for the umpteenth time, the crowd rose to its feet and roared with approval.
“Thank you so much,” Manilow said. “That’s why we keep coming back to Wilkes-Barre. You all have been so great to me over the years.”
He did a couple of unusual duets — one with legendary songstress Judy Garland and the other with himself. Before he and Garland could harmonize on “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart,” Manilow’s crew had to re-set the video three times.
“I’m up here with egg on my face,” he joked.
Using a video from TV show “The Midnight Special” in 1976 when he was introduced as “America’s newest star,” Manilow now and Manilow then sang “Mandy,” finishing with “Could It Be Magic?”
A mesmerized crowd waved green glow lights as it sang along. Going from tear-wrenching songs like “Trying to Get That Feeling Again” to the upbeat “Bandstand Boogie,” Manilow held the crowd in the palm of his hand.
With the show’s end clearly in sight, Manilow sang “I Write the Songs,” again with the Mohegan Sun Arena choir of thousands. He then ran off the stage and, almost immediately, returned in the middle of yet another standing ovation. As could easily have been anticipated, it was time for “Copacabana.”
The crowd went wild as it danced and sang to the song. Manilow again left the stage and returned for his finale — “It’s a Miracle” — sung for the second time, but nobody minded.
It all ended with a confetti blast from the rafters. The house lights turned up and smiles on the faces of faithful Fanilows and new members of the club were seen throughout.
