From Cover to Cover, Manilow’s Songs Soar

“We’re going to do some reminiscing tonight!”

Standing in front of a full house already emitting high-pitched shouts of “We love you!,” Barry Manilow made it very clear, upfront, what to expect from his concert at the Universal Amphitheatre on Saturday, the second of his four nights at the hall that also include a New Year’s Eve performance.

And he delivered on his promise, covering both the familiar and the unfamiliar hits from his 29-album, 25-year career. He sang “Mandy,” “Copacabana” and “I Write the Songs,” of course, also adding “It’s a Miracle,” “Bandstand Boogie,” “One Voice” and dozens of other numbers in a nonstop flow of energy and excitement that offered impressive testimony to his excellence as an entertainer.

The central element in the program was a kind of gimmick that has served Manilow well in recent concerts. A large video projected onto an attractive stage backdrop screened his album covers in sequence, one after the other. A Manilow associate, meanwhile, cruised the audience with a microphone, occasionally stopping to give a fan an opportunity for a brief chat and to push a remote control “clicker” that randomly stopped the sequence on a specific album. Manilow then responded by singing a selection or two from it, and recalling the era in which it was recorded.

The chosen albums ranged from “Trying to Get the Feeling” and “One Voice” to “Showstoppers.” And the fervently enthusiastic audience loved every minute of every song, even though the randomness of the selection process didn’t always produce his most commercially successful albums.

Only once, however, did the process go somewhat awry with a momentary glitch in the audience reaction. Concentrating on music from his most recent album, “Summer of ‘78,” Manilow asked a young woman to identify her favorite song from the year. When she hesitated, he persisted, asking “Where were you in 1978?,” only to be met with the reply, “In the third grade.”

Looking trim and fit, managing one quick costume change from a vested black suit to a vested brown suit, Manilow gave a hard-working, high-spirited performance. Vigorously strolling the stage, from grand piano to synth keyboard, from the video screen to the stage apron, he was in virtually constant movement. Animatedly recalling his childhood, his early career, his love of music, telling jokes at his own expense, bringing an audience member on stage to sing with him, he seemed determined to prove that he is still a relevant musical entertainer.

“I don’t have a video on MTV, I don’t have a hit single, and I’ve gotten some of the worst reviews in history,” said Manilow toward the close of the evening, “but I’m still here.”

And there was no doubt that, at 51, Manilow continues to be a superb performer with a taste for well-crafted music and literate lyrics. His voice is still one of the most pleasant, most easily recognized sounds in pop music, and he moves easily from the dance rhythms of the ‘70s to Broadway tunes and jazz-inflected ballads. In fact, his overall performance-- as well as, specifically, his work on “As Time Goes By” and “When Will I Hold You Again”-- was that of a singer who continues to mature as a creative artist.

* Barry Manilow plays Wednesday at the Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, 9:30 p.m. $128-$28. (818) 622-4440.

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