Barry Manilow cancels Las Vegas show during performance
“Can’t Smile Without You” has never been so prophetic.
Citing audio problems, Barry Manilow canceled his performance mid-show at Westgate’s International Theater on Thursday night.
The “Weekend In New England” superstar called it because of concerns over the venue’s audio setup. A Manilow rep confirmed the superstar was experiencing monitor issues that couldn’t be fixed during the show.
Manilow had finished “Can’t Smile Without You,” with the band continuing to play, when he ended the performance.
The show officially being treated as a cancellation, with refunds offered through point of purchase. Neither Manilow’s team nor the hotel has offered any formal statement about the developments. Manilow was back in soundcheck Friday afternoon, and set to continue the show as scheduled Friday and Saturday night.
Manilow has 14 dates remaining this year at International Theater, and is booked through the end of 2025 at the venue.
In June, the “Weekend In New England” icon canceled Westgate shows Oct. 31 and Nov. 1-2, due to “unforeseen circumstances.” He missed a performance of “A Very Barry Christmas” on Dec. 1, 2022, for after suffering an AFib episode. The showman performed a make-up, matinee show the next day, calling out, “Well, last night sucked!” as he opened the show.
Manilow draws fans from across the country and even internationally to his Westgate production. Thursday’s performance was reportedly sold out.
The 81-year-old headliner has just returned from a sold-out run of five shows at Radio City Music Hall in his native New York City. He has played a record 47 shows at the famous venue.
Manilow holds the record at International Theater as well, breaking Elvis Presley’s mark of 636 in September 2023.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.