Las Vegas Weekly

December 1, 2009 · 12:32 PM

Cher celebrates 100th show; Barry Manilow officially moves to the Strip

By Robin Leach

Cher.

Photo: The Firm PR

Congratulations to superstar Cher on her 100th performance tonight at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace. She’s proof that at age 63, you do get better with age, just like a fine red wine.

I still remember as if it was just yesterday when I sat in on her first recording session at Atlantic Studios on Broadway in New York City when late ace producer Jerry Wexler invited me to meet “two new kids who will make it really big.” They were Sonny, then age 29, and Cher, age 18. They recorded a song titled “I’ve Got You Babe,” which in August 1965 hit No. 1 on Billboard.

Their year-earlier attempt at stardom as Caesar and Cleo had failed, but “I’ve Got You Babe” led to her incredible 40-plus-year career as an actress and singing superstar, racking up worldwide acclaim and awards. I’ve followed Cher all that time, and our paths have crossed many, many times. She’s always been fun, gracious and shy and tries to hold on to some semblance of privacy.

Photo: Denise Truscello/AEG

Cher performs at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace.

To this day, she still admits to having stage fright before she steps into the spotlight. Her farewell tour actually began back in 2002 and continued through 2005, with fans saying she can never say goodbye.

All those years later -- and 26 albums, as well -- she is still the big box office heroine. It was February of last year that Cher announced a 200-concert run over three years at Caesars Palace. Tonight, with new dance numbers, drop dead Bob Mackie fashions and opening sequence, she reaches the halfway mark.

When her current run at Caesars ends on Dec. 20, she takes on the movie role of a Los Angeles strip club owner in Burlesque, her first starring role in a decade. The film, now shooting in Los Angeles and directed by Steven Antin, stars Christina Aguilera, Julianne Hough, Stanley Tucci, Eric Dane, Kristen Bell, Alan Cumming and Cam Gigandet. Cher will then return to Caesars to continue the concert run.

Barry Manilow heads to the Paris

Meantime, almost directly opposite on the Strip, a dream finally comes true for Barry Manilow. As we reported several times this year, Barry makes the jump after his last Las Vegas Hilton concerts over New Year’s Eve weekend to the Paris.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Robin Leach interviews Barry Manilow.

The official announcement came just before 7 this morning exactly as we predicted. I got one date correct and a second date a little off: Tickets go on sale today as I reported exclusively for his new run of shows, but he won’t actually start on Valentine’s Day as I’d originally been told. The new show will premiere on March 5. Barry is now at work on polishing an entire new spectacular for the Paris run.

Barry’s new Paris contract calls for 78 shows each year for two years, and tickets are on sale today right through July 18, 2010. We ran our interview with Barry in May when he first talked about how he wanted to stay in Las Vegas even if the Hilton contract wasn’t renewed. It was the very first inkling that he’d be moving onto the Strip. Our Senior Editor John Katsilometes posted a story about Barry’s move yesterday in his Kats Report.

Barry lands on the Strip to fulfill a lifelong dream almost as Bette Midler departs her The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesars Palace. Barry, who I knew when he was a piano teacher and jingle writer in Manhattan in the 1960s, was Bette’s pianist and first musical arranger at the Continental Baths, where she first found fame.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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