Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!hogpd!bdot From: bdot@hogpd.UUCP Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: Barry Manilow Opens American Tour - Review Message-ID: <80@hogpd.UUCP> Date: Fri, 24-Jun-83 10:24:42 EDT Article-I.D.: hogpd.80 Posted: Fri Jun 24 10:24:42 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 08:45:33 EDT Lines: 17 When I was the usher/ticket taker supervisor at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ a few years back, Manilow pulled a stunt I never forgave him for. The theater was sold out (~13000 tickets) weeks in advance and on the night of the first show, he brought a group of 15 friends with him and insisted that we seat them in particular seats HE had picked out for them. Well, his contract didn't call for such a thing so we resisted. He refused to start the show until we agreed to seat his friends. Try to explain this to the fans who happen to be sitting in the seats he wanted to use. That didn't work and I admit I really didn't blame the people for refusing to give up the seats they rightfully paid for. We ended up setting up wooden chairs in the aisles for his friends and the show got started an hour late. He also insisted that OUR stagehands wear black T-shirts to distinguish them from HIS people who he never talked to anyway. He put on a good show but alienated every employee of the theater and the people he asked us to move. I never liked him after that. A former fan, John Barrett