From Brooklyn piano bars to arena singalongs
Barry Manilow has spent five decades shaping radio-sized pop with Broadway polish, and this Columbus stop honors that long arc. He grew up on show tunes and jazz standards, building a sound that mixes big melodies, key changes, and simple stories that land fast. Expect a set that pulls from chart staples like
Mandy,
Can't Smile Without You,
Looks Like We Made It, and the disco-drama of
Copacabana (At the Copa). The room skews multi-generational, with longtime fans comparing scrapbooked programs and newer fans curious about a master of singalong pop. Trivia heads will note he crafted famous ad jingles early on, and he served as music director for
Bette Midler before breaking big. Another tidbit:
Could It Be Magic grew from a brooding piano prelude he loved, which explains its slow-burn intro onstage. Please note: I am guessing on likely songs and staging based on recent shows, not guaranteed facts for this date.
What you might hear and who shows up
Copa Colors: The Barry Manilow Crowd in the Wild
Sequins, programs, and chorus lines
You will see sparkly jackets, neat blazers, and tour tees from different decades gathered like a friendly yearbook. People tend to bring playbills or glossy programs and compare which city-name magnets or pins they have collected. During
Can't Smile Without You, rows sway and split into harmony lines, with pockets of fans holding up yellow paper signs. The big chorus of
Copacabana (At the Copa) turns the aisles into small dance spots, more shimmy than sprint. Merch trends lean classic: song-title shirts, piano-logo mugs, and a photo book that many get signed at other stops. Between songs, call-and-response moments often cue a gentle "Barry!" chant and then settle fast so the story can land. The overall mood is gracious and detail-loving, the kind of scene where people trade lyric memories and let the band breathe.
Rituals that feel earned
Key Change City: How Barry Manilow Shapes the Room
Band as velvet frame
His current voice favors a warm middle range, so arrangements drop the highest peaks and save power for end-of-chorus lifts. The band leans on bright piano, clean rhythm guitar, and a brass book that punches hooks rather than shouting over them. Tempos stay just brisk enough for sway and clap lines, then ease back for story songs where the lyric needs air. He likes to tag final refrains with a half-step rise, which gives an easy lift that the crowd can match without strain. Expect medleys that stitch shorter verses into a flowing arc, letting him touch more catalog while keeping energy steady. A lesser-known habit is opening
Could It Be Magic with an extended solo-piano preface and trimming drums until the chorus blooms. Lights wash in jewel tones that mark mood shifts but leave faces visible, reinforcing that this show is music-first.
Little choices that land big
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Crooners with pop bite
Fans who come for classic hooks and a smooth band often also turn up for
Rod Stewart when he pivots from rockers to swing arrangements.
Lionel Richie draws a similar cross-generational crowd with midtempo grooves and friendly banter that makes big rooms feel smaller. If big choruses and polished ballads hit the spot,
Michael Bolton travels that lane with a tighter, guitar-forward sound. Orchestral-pop listeners who enjoy theatrical pacing tend to favor
Josh Groban for his mix of legit vocals and easy humor between songs. Soft-rock romantics might also line up for
Air Supply since their shows lean on layered harmonies and melody-first pacing. All five acts balance nostalgia with craft rather than volume, which is the throughline here. Each one treats the catalog as a living thing, updating keys, tempos, or intros without losing the tune.
Showmen who lean into story
