Dear Barry Manilow, “You Sing the Songs the Whole World…” 🎵🎵🎵
My daughter, Mandy re-dressed her mother, (me), in a neon printed, glittering “Barry Manilow” tee-shirt. It was complete with piano keyboard painted brazenly across its front, (just where my ample bosom), would render it outstanding! LOL!
She bought it for me from Las Vegas…last year as a souvenir, when she attended a tech trade conference. I thanked her, then buried in “my never, ever wear drawer”.
Mandy surprised me by buying tickets for his show in Radio City Music Hall, for my birthday yesterday.
I was so excited because I love his music, AND… he was from my ole town of Brooklyn, a perfect combo! 😍
(The last time I was in Radio City Music Hall, was with my late husband, to see Ella Fitzgerald).
(You can imagine how many years ago that had been)!
I took care to dress in my black/white knit ensemble, with my pearls…classy- schmancy.
TEN minutes before I planned to leave for the show, in walks my girl to bark, “Mom, you are NOT going in that outfit, to see Barry Manilow”!
“W- what”? I protested.
She literally tears it off of me and gets out that garish screaming tee-shirt and puts it on me, over pants.
“That’s what you wear to see him not that old lady proper getup”!
“Why I’ll look ridiculous being in my 80’s in this tee… I ‘ll look like a Crazie”!
Mandy who looks very like me, is in the same T-shirt & black jeans. What ’a duo…” The Before & After”. LOL!
She dashed out my flat to get her car, “Calling Mom let’s go we’ll be late”.
I’m to ride the elevator from my 22nd floor apartment to the building’s lobby exit. Well, the elevator stops and in came a pair of young girls who screamed, “Barry Manilow, while pointing at my shirt, we saw his show at Radio City earlier this week. He was great… and so is your shirt”.
Now we drive over to the theatre and since I can’t walk so far, she drops me off in front of the packed Radio City, and warns, “Stand right where you are, Mom, so I’ll find you the tickets were held on my phone. They won’t let you inside without them”.
So, me in “The Can’t Miss Shirt” looks like I was planted to advertise the Barry Manilow Show, as I stood leaning against the marble front wall of the theater.
I was warned not to move into the bedlam of the rushing crowd…coming from every direction…The Subway, taxis, buses, rickshas and cars.
…Let me paint you a picture of the sold-out audience.
They I never saw FANS like this in all my life!
Many were older folks, many with canes, walkers, wheelchairs, some with attendants to assist them. Even stray oxygen tanks here or there! Generations of their families and sharing, this Barry Manilow show in the world-famous Art Deco Radio City Music Hall.
People were smiling passing by me, the frozen a flashing sign the shirt made me. Imagine I who wanted to be inconspicuous! My face was afire with embarrassment. (Remember so many of us seniors had not been in a crowd, since before Covid struck was notable, too.)
Showtime finally arrived…
Then this megastar from the best years of our lives, Botox-ed and wearing a toupee, waltzed, (stiffly), onto the scalloped curtained, multi-colored lit grand stage. He had the huge, renown orchestra behind him.
We all cheered like this might be our ‘Last Hurrah”!
(Judging by some of the ages & shapes of us), it just might be.
…Fuhgeddaboudit…!
If Barry Manilow mentioned Brooklyn at any point in his dialogue or song, the place went bonkers. Someone even released a gaggle of balloons. The singer had to beg them to stop sending out the balloons because they might cause him to trip and fall. 🎈🎈🎈
This crowd I surmised was from New Jersey, Staten Island, Long Island, and tourists mixed in, born or had family heritage from Brooklyn or New York City. The performer was so touched by” his people”, thunder-est love that he was overcome with emotion…and were we. 😤😤💋
“At The Copacabana” finale… threw the whole packed- to -the -rafters' audience into… a thrilling frenzy!
