Barry Manilow Musical Can’t Smile Without You???

If Copacabana didn’t satisfy your Barry Manilow appetite, Can’t Smile Without You may be just the ticket. The new compilation musical, coming soon from the stable of producer Bill Kenwright, will feature 30 songs from the American singer-songwriter’s back catalogue.

Manilow has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. At the height of his success in the late 1970s, he had five albums on the best-seller charts in the US. His many easy-listening singles include “I Write the Songs”, “Mandy”, “Looks Like We Made It”, “Weekend in New England”, “Ready to Take a Chance Again”, “I Made It Through the Rain”, “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana”.

The last song was so popular that its story – about showgirl Lola and her jealous lover Tony – was made into a movie musical, which was aired in the US in 1985, starring Manilow himself as Tony. Following a shorter stage rendition in Las Vegas, Copacabana premiered as a full-length stage musical in 1994, running for more than a year at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre. It was revived for a UK regional tour five years ago (See News, 24 Jul 2003).