Barry Manilow moving to Paris (Las Vegas) in 2010

Barry Manilow is moving to Paris -- the one in Vegas, that is. His new show, at Paris Las Vegas, will be just around the corner from the Las Vegas Hilton, where he’s spent the last four years in residence. The kingpin of adult contemporary music on Tuesday announced that he’s putting together a new show -- “totally different than anything I’ve ever done” -- that will open March 2. It's scheduled for a two-year run at Paris Las Vegas.

“It’s going to be the most beautiful production I’ve ever had anything to do with,” Manilow said Tuesday. “Paris is one of the most romantic places on earth, I’m making an album of the greatest love songs of all time, so we’re going to make this a very romantic and powerful evening at a place called Paris.”

His new album, “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” is due Jan. 26, following on his series of “The Greatest Songs…” albums surveying the music of the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

Manilow, who has been in residence at the Hilton since 2005, said “it was time to do this. Not that I was getting bored at all. I’ve loved it there.  But I love the idea of creating a brand new show. I like flipping things around.”

Tickets for the first round of shows at the Paris are on sale today, priced from $95 to $250. He’s earmarking some of the proceeds from Platinum Experience Tickets, which guarantee a front-row seat, a meet-and-greet with the singer and other perks, for the Manilow Music Project, a relatively new endeavor that helps put musical instruments into the hands of children at a time when public school music budgets have been slashed.

“Music classes are in terrible shape,” he said. “For me, I don’t know what I would have done without music growing up in Brooklyn. Everybody else joined gangs or sports -- I had music.”

-- Randy Lewis

Comments

[Barry Manilow Tickets]

I have loved Barry Manilow for years and he can still belt out a song to the point we were standing on our feet in Jacksonville. There is no one like Barry and I have to commend him for his great talent, involving his audience in songs and making us cry. I have waited this long to see him here and the wait was well worth it. He’s still amazing to me and always will be.