There are two areas of the entertainment culture with which I cannot identify: performing as a superstar headliner, and dressing as a superstar headliner for that headliner’s show.
Those behaviors collided earlier this month at a Barry Manilow show at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Manilow impersonator Wayne Denton claims he was rejected in efforts to meet Manilow because he (Denton) was dressed as Manilow. This has sparked media coverage and debate among “Fanilows” in the U.K.
Manilow’s husband and business manager, Garry Kief, has not responded to an e-mail requesting comment.
According to a story in the Liverpool Echo (Liverpool Echo!), Denton and his business partner, Janet Martin, purchased two VIP meet-and-greet tickets valued at about $3,300. Denton wore a blond, Manilow-style wig and a bedazzled, tangerine-colored “Copacabana”-inspired jacket.
The impersonator and Martin have seen nearly two dozen Manilow shows; critics note he shows up just to get attention and (hello) media attention.
In the June 13 incident, when the couple ventured to the meet-and-greet waiting area, they were told by a staffer that Denton needed to lose the jacket and the wig. In an audio recording cited by the Liverpool pub, Martin responded by saying the rule was “out of order.”
A second, higher-ranking official stepped in with, “I’m sorry. I’ve been instructed we can’t do the wig and the jacket. It’s an absolute no.”
Denton questioned whether the wig was the primary issue (judging from photos, this is not the most flattering wig, comically obvious in a Rip Taylor sort of way). But Martin is quoted in the Echo: “It was awful, to be honest. Wayne wears his wig everywhere because he is bald. It was so humiliating. We’re massive fans and we put our show together four years ago. It’s a real show with a brass band and a real tribute but it’s made me look at it all a different way now.”
Martin defended the hairpiece, saying the directive was insulting because “women wear wigs too.”
The official reiterated: “It’s actually insulting to Barry, so it’s an absolute no.”
As the recording went on, Martin said the couple had not been informed of a dress code in any of the ticket or show materials. The official answered, “Come on, it’s common sense.” When Martin asked whether a ball cap was available, she was told the staff didn’t want to “get security involved.”
The couple were reportedly informed their VIP upgrade would be refunded, but not the price of the seats. They did watch the show.
Members of the official Barry Manilow Facebook group were not sensitive to Denton’s plight. Examples of their posts: “Looks like Rod Stewart in the wig. Sounds like Cliff (Richard) when he speaks. Nothing like Barry at all.” And, “If he wears this wig all the time then he needs to find a better wig. It is horrible.” And, “Barry Manilow’s concert, Barry Manilow’s rules.”
Denton, described in reports as a Manilow “superfan,” is the star of “Celebrating Barry: The Ultimate Manilow Tribute Show.” The 69-year-old performer has also portrayed Neil Diamond and John Denver onstage. Denton’s next gig is at the Watergate Theatre (yes, that is the name) in Kilkenny, Ireland.
The venue states that the Manilow show is “inspired by his recent live performances in Las Vegas and across the UK.”
The top Manilow show in Las Vegas is, of course, Manilow himself at the Westgate. He is returning from his lengthy layoff, caused by cancer surgery in December, on July 9-11. We highly recommend the VIP experience. The rules are simple: Follow protocols, don’t create drama, and leave the costume at home.
Chesney chooses Church
Kenny Chesney brought up a famous member of the No Shoes Nation, country star Eric Church, in his return to Sphere on Friday. The two paired on a three-song sprint: Chesney’s “When I See This Bar,” Church’s “Drink in My Hand” and “Springsteen.”
Church is shown laughing as he forgets the lyrics to the latter song. In clips from the show, he’s shown turning to Chesney and saying, “It’s always good to forget your biggest hit.
Those benchmarks
— Master magician Mat Franco surpassed 3,000 shows in his decade at Linq Hotel, marking the occasion June 7 with the requisite cupcakes and large, golden, numbered balloons.
— Master Elvis tribute artist Steve Connolly celebrated his 30th anniversary of arriving in Las Vegas in May. Connolly, who infuses his artwork into his performances, premiered at MGM Grand in 1996. He has logged 12,000 “public and ticketed shows,” by his estimate. Connolly continues to headline in residency at Notoriety Live (go to notorietylive.com for intel).
Cool Hang Alert
On the topic of Elvis AND benchmarks, the Presley stage show at Westgate, his Vegas performance home, notched its second anniversary on Friday. “The King Comes Home” plays 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays (dark Sundays and Mondays) at Westgate Cabaret. Watch for the groovers, especially in “”Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Go to westgateresorts.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source neon.reviewjournal.com ’
