Hi Gang!
It's me Barry again. Boy do I have lots to tell you. First off I'm back in the studio working on my next project. It's called Barry Manilow The New York Pops Orchestra Putting It Together The Songs of Stephen Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim is my most favorite Broadway songwriter ever. So I went and investigated his catalogue of Broadway songs and I picked my favorites. I got in touch with the New York Pops Orchestra to ask if they would like to be a part of my Stephen Sondheim album. They said yes and were trilled to be a part of this album. Then I called up my friend Barbra Streisand and asked her if it was ok to use her version of Putting It Together from Sunday In The Park With George. The song was on her first Broadway album. She said ok as long as it was ok with Stephen Sondheim. So I called Stephen and he said it was ok to use Barbra's version of that song. Right now I'm in studio with my band and the New York Pops Orchestra recording the album. Also Barbra Streisand is doing a duet with me on Somewhere from West Side Story. I'm hoping to have the album out this coming September. That's so I'll be able to do a few of the songs off the album during my Radio City Music Hall shows in December. While I had the New York Pops Orchestra in the studio with me. I asked them they would consider being on stage with me for my Radio City Music Hall shows. They thrilled to be asked to perform with me at Radio City Music Hall. So they said yes to my offer. Now BMIFC tickets will go on sale for RCMH in August. Alicia and I are working on a party weekend for New Years Eve. It would take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel between December thirtieth and January first. There will be a sit down dinner on Friday December thirtieth before the show. A New Years Eve party after the New Years Eve show on December thirty first. Q&A Champaign brunch on Sunday January first. That's where last years BMIFC New York City Rhythm Convention took place. Once I get the room rates I'll put up the information on the NYE weekend. Now down the pipeline for two thousand seventeen is the summer sheds tour. During the tour I'm doing three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver Colorado. You can go over to my Facebook page and check out the convention page. I put a yes or no question on that page asking you guys about having a fan club convention next year in Denver. The BMIFC convention would take place in Denver Colorado while I'm doing the three Red Rocks Amphitheatre shows. If you all want a convention in Denver next year. Then we would stay at the Sheraton Denver Downtown. Now I haven't forgotten about my fans to the north yes you Canada. Get ready cause I'm coming to your neck of the weeds in March of next year. I'm doing Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver. Oh BTW I decided to tour Canada by bus. Yes we're going by tour bus once again. We have four full sized motor coaches and one smaller one. The four big ones are for the band, backup singers and some of the other road worriers that will be going with me. David Taylor and I will be in the small one. We're taking turns driving the highways and byways of Canada. If you're lucky you just might see me driving the mini coach. Now if you do honk and I'll honk back. Last year I got to drive one of the big tour busses. OMG what a blast that was to drive. Now back to the US sheds tour I'm doing mostly one night only. The exception is Red Rocks Amphitheatre and I'm doing three nights. We hit Denver on July forth. I'm doing Thursday July sixth, Friday July seventh and Saturday July eighth. So Wednesday July fifth thru Sunday July ninth would be the dates for the Denver convention. Like I told you previously I am not retiring from the road. Now Brian Murphy is the one who wants to give up the road. I read the article in the Little Rock newspaper on Brian. Where Brain's talked about him doing another Vegas residency. He mentioned that twice in the article. Is he having a senior moment or what? Brian played the LV Hilton for five years and Paris for two. Two thousand five Brian only did the number of scheduled show he was supposed to do. That entire year fans who couldn't afford Vegas complained on his fan club message board, social network site and Facebook. Starting in two thousand six Brian went and did some shows outside Vegas. He continued to do shows outside Vegas thru two thousand eleven. Since then he's been going non stop here in the US and over in the UK doing shows. I'm thinking if he goes back to Las Vegas he's going to be back to doing what he did six of the seven years he was there. Which is doing the scheduled number of shows he signed to do. Plus doing shows outside Vegas to accommodate the fans who can't afford to go there. Now does he really want to do that again? Las Vegas was never my cup of tea. Even though a lot of you kept begging me to play there. Now I do love Atlantic City. I'm crazy about their boardwalk. I was in Atlantic City for a one week get away. I rented a house with a beach view. There happened to be a piano in the house. So I rolled the piano up to the family room window which looked out at the ocean. As I watched the wave crash against the shore I wrote If I Should Love Again for Brian. That song went on the album with the same name which was released in nineteen eighty two. My timer just went off so I need to go downstairs and get my chocolate clip cookie bars out of the oven. So I'm signing off for now. As always I'm sending you all my love and loads of sloppy wet kisses. Your favorite Brooklyn Bum, Barry.
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