Showstoppers

Barry Manilow | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 10, 1991)
• Original Release Date: September 24, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VLX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,697 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Barry brings orchestral romance to classic hits of Broadway in this 1991 release. Give My Regards to Broadway; Luck Be A Lady, and more! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why isn't this Gold yet? Some of you are missing out..., April 20, 2001

By 

Jeff Pearlman (Lakeland, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Showstoppers (Audio CD)

"Showstoppers" surprised me when it appeared in stores in late 1991. Any advance publicity missed me completely. This, plus the unusual absence of Barry's image on the cover, had me wondering if this would be a weak record. I bought it immediately anyway, ....

Not to worry, this is a great disc. 17 songs from Broadway musicals both great and small, plus a medley of overtures. The thought of Barry doing a Broadway album seems to have put off some people who usually buy Barry's CDs. I would point out that the arrangements aren't glitzy or "corny" (except maybe for "Once In Love With Amy"). Or, they're no more over the top than many other beloved Manilow hits. Barry says in the liner notes: "I restructured many of the songs so that they would sound original and contemporary, but would still maintain their Broadway integrity." Dare you doubt him?

I've listened to this many times over the years, and my favorite keeps changing. Early on I preferred "The Kid Inside." Sung so well that I can almost forget that these are nothing like my, or Barry's, high-school memories. I didn't like the other Craig Carnelia song here, "You Can Have The T.V.", until the part about the dog sank in. It's just...so...sad... Then I'd find myself forwarding to "Luck Be A Lady" (a preview of "Manilow Sings Sinatra") or "All I Need Is The Girl." Then "Never Met a Man I Didn't Like," from "The Will Rogers Follies." I felt the lyric was too happy-go-lucky until I realized .... And "But The World Goes Round." Those last two are dramatic and build to big finishes. On the other hand, "Look To The Rainbow" (duet with Barbara Cook) and "Bring Him Home" (from "Les Miserables") are somber and quite beautiful.

With so many tempos, styles, and moods, "Showstoppers" is among Barry's most satisfying albums. The only reason I can see that this hasn't gone Gold (sold half a million copies) yet is that not enough people know about it. I hope this review will encourage someone else to give it a try. ....

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAGICAL MANILOW, January 19, 2001

By 

Marty Roscoe "martymagee" (Ocala, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Showstoppers (Audio CD)

If, when you think of Barry Manilow you think of "Mandy", think again. This CD is crammed with some of the most wonderful and familiar Broadway tunes that you can possibly imagine, all done with that fabulous Manilow flair. The arrangements are incredible and his performance is not to be believed. "The Kid Inside" from the show "Is There Life After High School" is guaranteed to knock you out. I actually got a speeding ticket because I was singing along and driving as fast as my heart was racing from the sheer joy of the music. The duet of "Look to the Rainbow" with Barbara Cook is just simply beautiful. The Overture is enough to get you hooked, but when Barry Manilow follows it up with "All I Need is the Girl" from "Gypsy", it's all over. Even songs you've heard performed by others and weren't too crazy about take on another life altogether, (again, that Manilow touch) and suddenly you wonder, "how could I not have liked that song"? Enough said. Whether you're a Manilow maniac or a show tune nut, you just simply have to buy this CD!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Really "Shows", November 4, 2002

By 

"nabbott6" (Scottsdale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Showstoppers (Audio CD)

is that Mr Manilow had a really great time making "Showstoppers"! He couldn't possibly laugh the way he does in "Once in Love With Amy" if he wasn't having the best time ever. I'm having a great time too, learning all the words and singing along. I do have favorites and those include "All I I Need is the Girl, and "Real Live Girl", but I've found new favorites in "Look to the Rainbow, and But the World Goes 'Round", and I thank Barry for giving me these new songs to love. As an added bonus, I work with singers and if I start a song someone around here will sing along with me. This is so joyful it's like champagne bubbles in your blood!
My only wish would be that Barry would make "Showstoppers II" and put in something from "The Music Man", but I suppose he still has a few hundred favorites of his own that could go in it...sigh. No matter how much we get, we still want MORE! (But isn't that that the way you're supposed to leave 'em????)