If ever there's a biopic, Barry Manilow wants Brad Pitt to portray him

Record ID: 1424718

  • Title: If ever there's a biopic, Barry Manilow wants Brad Pitt to portray him
  • Date: 25th July 2019
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 25, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER, BARRY MANILOW, SAYING: "I always think it's the last one. I always think last night was the last one, I won't be able to do this again. But so far, you know, I've still got the high F naturals. We haven't lowered the keys on any of the records. And, so far I'm able to do it, you know, except for... I mean, really, I still run around the stage and, you know, sing up high at the end of 'I Write the Songs.' You know, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. I really am. But, so far, you know, I've just been real lucky."
  • Embargoed: 8th August 2019 19:24
  • Keywords: Barry Manilow Broadway Copacabana Brad Pitt I Write the Songs
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / UNKNOWN LOCATION
  • City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / UNKNOWN LOCATION
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Music
  • Reuters ID: LVA006APA35FX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Barry Manilow said on Thursday (July 25) he's been "real lucky" during a more than 50-year career, as he returns to New York to take on a series of Broadway performances.
    The 76-year-old singer - who is from New York's Brooklyn borough - will perform "Manilow Broadway" at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater from July 26-August 17.
    "I lived on the subways," Manilow said of his 20s, playing backup piano in rehearsals and in the pits of Broadway theaters.
    "When I get back to New York, I may as well be in my early 20s running around looking for a cab, you know? I go right back to those days," he said.
    Manilow has sold more than 85 million albums and has 50 Top 40 singles from a catalog that includes songs such as "Copacabana," "I Write the Songs," "Mandy," and "Looks Like We Made It."
    And the performer promises these shows won't disappoint.
    "Every night the lights go down, and the world outside disappears. And we have a great time. And I hope, you know, I make them feel better by the time they leave," Manilow said.
    Though Manilow has earned Emmy, Tony and Grammy awards, and was named the Billboard #1 Contemporary Artist of all Time, he said he's not expecting a biopic about his career - like contemporaries Elton John and Freddie Mercury, whose lives have recently been the subject of blockbuster films.
    "I can't imagine that it will ever happen," he said, but if it does, Manilow joked he would like actor Brad Pitt to portray him.
    "We look identical, don't you think? Brad Pitt and I are like twins."
    Manilow said he is filled with gratitude for his longevity and the health of his voice.
    "I always think last night was the last one," he said. "But, so far, you know, I've just been real lucky."
    Manilow said he hoped his songs have touched a chord with fans.
    "I'd like to be the guy that made you feel better - with my music," he said.
    "Who ever gets a chance to do anything like that in their lives, you know? So, it's really quite a trip."
    (Production: Andrew Hofstetter / Catherine Koppel)
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