Manilow Announces End of Hilton Gig

Adult contemporary superstar Barry Manilow surprised many on Oct. 7 when he announced this year will be the last of his four-year stint as the headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton. His last "Music and Passion" show will be Dec. 30. And for all the fanilows reading this, a good number of tickets still remain.

While this comes as a shock to many in the entertainment board, Barry Manilow fans have been speculating about the future of the Las Vegas shows for several months. The speculation actually began in 2008, when Manilow seemed to get a wanderlust and took "Music and Passion" on the road. He traveled across the U.S. and Canada and even crossed the pond to sold-out U.K. performances. Chatter about Manilow's future at the Hilton hit a fever this summer after June concerts were canceled without explanation or reason. Most fans, though, continued to report capacity crowds at the 1,800-seat theatre.

Officially, the Las Vegas Hilton has not released a statement, but comments from the hotel are included in the announcement on Barry Manilow's Web site. The statement implies the two are parting on friendly terms.

"Barry Manilow is an exceptional entertainer and we have been extremely fortunate to have had him as our resident headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton for the last five years. Although this current engagement is ending, our frfriendship with him endures and we will continue to explore possibilities for future endeavors together," said Ken Ciancimino, executive vice president of the Las Vegas Hilton. Manilow has not released a comment yet.

Manilow's show began in 2005. His 100th performance was videotaped and released as a two-DVD set "Manilow: Music and Passion." The DVD was originally aired as a fundraiser for PBS and went on to win an Emmy. (You can see Stephen Colbert complain about his loss to Manilow that year here.)

In 2008, Manilow revised and renamed his show. "Ultimate Manilow" was aimed at both the casual and the devoted fan, packing decades of hits into 90 minutes. The entire show focused on Manilow ballads and hits, leaving out the "Best of" material that celebrated the music of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. (These albums put Manilow back on top of the Billboard 100 for the first time since 1975.) The press release announcing the end of Manilow's run said that close to a half-million people have seen the show.

The show gives the Las Vegas Hilton little time to transform from a Barry Manilow Mecca to a more normal Vegas hotel. During my stay at the Hilton in 2007, Manilow wasn't played on the elevator but he was everywhere else in the show. The hotel's diner was named Paradise Cafe, a nod to Manilow's jazz album. The key card was a live shot of Manilow performing and the hotel had a 24-hour, commercial-free network that aired Barry Manilow television specials. Lines waited to play a large bank of Manilow-themed slots and Manilow's photo was even on poker chips.

For those hoping to catch the shows, here are the remaining tickets:
Oct. 8-10
Nov. 27-29
Dec. 28-30

Tickets are available for all shows and prices range from $65-$225.