Manilow Live!

“30 Live Musicians!” “24 Top Hits!” “One Amazing Night!” So saith the jacket for this Blu-ray release of Manilow Live! To be honest, I didn't count the number of musicians in the orchestra, but I'd argue that their brief instrumental “Sinatra Overture” doesn't really qualify as one of the “24.” Furthermore, “Stars in the Night”—from the silver-tongued singer/songwriter's perennial non-starter Broadway show Harmony is not exactly a “hit,” let alone “top,” although “Looks Like We Made It” is (but didn't make it here). Sounding like a tired Las Vegas headliner, Manilow regales the swooning (mostly female) crowd with a handful of hits, including “Could It Be Magic?”, “Tryin' to Get the Feeling,” “Daybreak,” “New York City Rhythm,” “Weekend in New England,” “Copacabana,” “I Made It Through the Rain,” “I Write the Songs,” and “Mandy,” as well as covers of Sinatra's “Chicago” and “That's Life.” Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0, Dolby Digital 4.0, and stereo sound, this near two-hour, almost-decade-old concert looks and sounds good on Blu-ray, but is likely to appeal only to Manilow's diehard fans—who, of course, number in the millions. DVD extras include a sparse audio commentary track by Manilow. Not as engaging or entertaining as Manilow: Songs from the Seventies (VL-5/08), this is still a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)