Ailing Barry Manilow Cancels Tonight’s Vegas Performance
An ailing Barry Manilow has canceled tonight’s performance at the International Theater at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino after cutting short last night’s show.
Tonight’s cancellation comes just two days after the singer’s much-anticipated return to the Vegas residency on Thursday after a six-week hiatus. Manilow has been treated for the lung cancer he initially disclosed last December.
“After a triumphant welcome-back concert on Thursday, Barry got hit with bronchitis and had to cancel his Friday and Saturday shows,” a representative for the musician told Deadline’s sister publication Variety.
Manilow took to the Westgate stage on Friday but reportedly ended the show after just a few songs, joking with the audience, “Talk amongst yourselves” before exiting. The night before, he said from the stage, “I’m back!”
The Vegas residency was originally scheduled to begin last February but was repeatedly postponed as the singer battled the cancer and previous bouts of bronchitis.
In May, he wrote on social media, “Good news! I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I’m making great progress and look great! Well of course I do! Thank you very much! All the training and exercising I’ve put in is paying off. He did say, however, that I’m not quite ready for Vegas. That means I won’t be able to return for our May shows at @WestgateVegas.”
As of mid-day today, Manilow had not yet made any social media comments on the latest cancellations.